Wharite Peak is a mountain at the southern end of the Ruahine Range, north of Woodville in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand. The mountain is home to the main television and FM radio transmitter for the city of Palmerston North and the wider Manawatu region.
Etymology Wharite is a corruption of either Whare-Iti ("home of Iti") or Whare-tītī ("nesting place of tītī").
According to Rangitāne o Manawatu, Wharite was inhabited by Iti a Tohunga from the Ruakawa Pa area below. The Tohunga was banished to the peak due to his small stature and disfigurements. However, Rangitāne o Manawatu still consulted him for his knowledge related to environmental matters.
Transmitter
A pilot 1 kW television transmitter was established atop Wharite in 1963. The transmitter relayed WNTV1 from Wellington via an intermediate relay station atop Otahoua, near Masterton.
In October 1963, the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation (NZBC) announced Wharite as one of four sites (along with Waiatarua in Auckland, Mount Te Aroha in Waikato, and Sugarloaf in Christchurch) to receive permanent 100 kW television transmitters. The new 100 kW transmitter and transmitter tower came into service on 4 April 1966.
Buttresses were added in 1991 to reinforce the tower, while the tower height was reduced to the present in the late 2010s after analogue switch-off.
In addition to the main TV/FM tower, there is also a smaller FM-only tower to the south (known as Wharite South).
Television frequencies Television Station Freeview Owner Channel Frequency Power (kW) HGTV 19 Warner Bros. Discovery 28 530.0 MHz 32 Al Jazeera 20 Al Jazeera Media Network Shine TV 25 Rhema Media Hope Channel 27 Seventh-day Adventist Church Three 3 Sky 32 562.0 MHz Bravo 4 Eden 8 Rush 14 TVNZ 1 1 TVNZ 34 578.0 MHz TVNZ 2 2 TVNZ Duke 6 Sky Open 15 Sky 36 594.0 MHz Whakaata Māori 5 New Zealand Government 38 610.0 MHz Te Reo 10 RSM Register of Radio Frequencies The table does not include hour-delayed or music television stations.
Radio frequencies Radio Station Owner Transmit Frequency Tower Power (kW) Radio New Zealand Concert Radio New Zealand 89.0 MHz Main 40 Kia Ora FM National Māori Radio Network 89.8 MHz Main 1 ZM New Zealand Media and Entertainment 90.6 MHz Main 40 Radio Rhema Rhema Media 91.4 MHz South 4 More FM MediaWorks New Zealand 92.2 MHz South 80 The Edge 93.0 MHz South 5 The Sound 93.8 MHz Main 40 Channel X 94.6 MHz South 5 The Rock 95.4 MHz South 5 Mai FM 97.0 MHz South 5 The Hits New Zealand Media and Entertainment 97.8 MHz Main 40 The Breeze MediaWorks New Zealand 98.6 MHz South 8 Newstalk ZB New Zealand Media and Entertainment 100.2 MHz Main 40 Radio New Zealand National Radio New Zealand 101.0 MHz Main 8 PMN 531 Pacific Media Network 103.4 MHz South 8 Magic MediaWorks New Zealand 104.2 MHz South 5 Coast New Zealand Media and Entertainment 105.8 MHz Main 12.5
Former analogue television frequencies The following frequencies were used until 29 September 2013, when Wharite switched off analogue broadcasts (see Digital changeover dates in New Zealand). TV ChannelTransmit ChannelTransmit FrequencyBandPower (kW)TV One2V55.25 MHzVHF100TV24V175.25 MHzVHF200TV37V196.25 MHzVHF100Four11V224.25 MHzVHF16Māori Television46V671.25 MHzUHF250Prime62V799.25 MHzUHF250
Climate
Notes
References