Bay of Plenty Times growth since Mt Maunganui became an export port. However, from the early 2000s it began to face challenges of declining circulation and advertising. On 5 February 2011, the Saturday edition was re-branded as the "Bay Of Plenty Times Weekend". On 4 March 2013, the weekday "Bay Of Plenty Times" changed from broadsheet to tabloid format and from afternoon to morning delivery. The "Bay of Plenty Times" has the ninth-largest circulation of New Zealand's 19 daily newspapers, at just over 11,500. The "Bay of Plenty Times" also publishes the following newspapers: The "Coastal News" is delivered free every Thursday to Whangamata,
Radio Bay of Plenty the station. Its original slogan included the words "from the Eastern Bay of Plenty, wherever you may go, the entertainment's better when you dial 1 2 4 0". Broadcasting Minister H.J. Walker officially opened the station at 10.30am on Wednesday 30 June 1971. It initially broadcast 19.5 hours of live original local content from 5.00am to 12.30am each day with additional 24-hour licenses granted during some summer holiday seasons. The station was not allowed to broadcast advertising on Sundays and did all its own local and international news and sports reporting. It gave away one of the country's first colour