RNZ Concert () is a publicly funded non-commercial New Zealand FM fine music radio network. Radio New Zealand owns the network and operates it from its Wellington headquarters. The network's playlist of classical, jazz, contemporary, and world music includes recordings by local musicians and composers. Around 15 percent of its airtime features live concerts, orchestral performances, operas, interviews, features, and specialty music programs, many of them recorded locally. The network's specialist production department commissions work, initiates music programs, and records live broadcasts of concerts and recitals from local and visiting international musicians. RNZ Concert received the Arts Foundation of New Zealand Governor's Award. RNZ Concert draws content from its international counterparts, including Australia's ABC Classic, the European Broadcasting Union, Chicago's WFMT Radio Network, and BBC Radio 3. History Early history Classical music broadcasting began in New Zealand with the opening of 2YC in Wellington on 24 February 1933, with further YC stations starting in Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin in the following couple of years (see Call signs in New Zealand). In 1936, these four stations as well as the YA and ZB stations (forerunners to RNZ National and Newstalk ZB) were organised under the auspices of the New Zealand Broadcasting Service. Stations were modelled after the BBC's Third Programme, and routinely broadcast local musicians in studio. The National Orchestra (now the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra) was founded within the NZBS and its very first concert from the Wellington Town Hall in February 1947 was broadcast live on 2YC. The four YC stations and other regional stations in the same format eventually began taking networked programming from Wellington under the banner of "The YC Network", and these stations in 1975 unified nationwide to form the "Concert Programme" under a reorganised Radio New Zealand. Breakup of RNZ The growth of private commercial radio and Radio New Zealand's commercial assets by the fourth National government in the 1990s changed the environment in which the Concert Programme operated. Radio New Zealand's commercial stations were sold to The Radio Network (later known as NZME), and RNZ became a Crown entity, continuing to operate National Radio (now RNZ National) and a renamed "Concert FM". Concert lost many of its music studios including Broadcasting House in Wellington, much prized by orchestras and classical musicians for recording, Until the launch of the AM Network in 1997, the network carried live coverage of the proceedings of the New Zealand