Zinc was first launched in 1997 as
The Heat 96.1 by then-owners
Broadcast Operations Group. In July 2005, the station was sold to
AMI Radio, owners of former rival
Hot 91.1. In February 2006, the station relaunched as
Zinc 96.1, targeting the 40+ demographic, with
Jamie Dunn,
Jo Beth Taylor,
Ian Calder and
Johjo Switzer hosting the
morning zoo-formatted breakfast show. Both Zinc and Hot were sold in 2007 to
Prime Media Group, and in 2013 to
Grant Broadcasters. In November 2021, Zinc 96.1, along with other stations owned by
Grant Broadcasters, were acquired by the
Australian Radio Network. This deal will allow Grant's stations, including Zinc 96.1, to access ARN's iHeartRadio platform in regional areas. The deal was finalized on 4 January 2022. It is expected Zinc 96.1 will integrate with ARN's
Pure Gold Network, but will retain its current name according to the press release from ARN. ==Programming==