Paul Henry reveals he’s pulled the pin on The Traitors - and explains why; RNZ tweaks flagship Morning Report; ANZ reviews media ad agency partnership; Regional council angers locals with creative tender contract.
It’s a plot twist possibly worthy of the show itself. After two years as the critically praised host of The Traitors NZ, broadcaster Paul Henry is having to turn his back on the show.
Henry has told Media Insider he will not be returning as the host for the third season on Three because it clashes with his new role as a board member on rival network TVNZ.
The decision will be a blow for Three and South Pacific Pictures, which produces The Traitors NZ and which said earlier this week that Henry was contracted to them.
But Henry, who was overseas earlier this week, has also just been appointed as a new board member at TVNZ, and it was always questionable whether he could actually perform both duties.
“I am very pleased The Traitors NZ is set to continue into a third season,“ Henry told Media Insider.
“However, it seems obvious to me that as I am now a director of Television New Zealand, hosting The Traitors NZ for a rival could create a conflict of interest.
“And for that reason, I am not making myself available for the third series. My focus is on advancing Television New Zealand’s capability, performance and future. Something I am passionate about.”
On Monday, South Pacific Pictures managing director Andrew Szusterman told Media Insider of The Traitors NZ hosting role: “Paul’s keen to do it.”
While there was no official confirmation of a host, it was clear that South Pacific Pictures wanted Henry.
Yesterday, Szusterman told Media Insider: “We’re disappointed, but the show goes on and we’re on the hunt for a new host.”
It is understood Three - now owned by Sky TV - is also surprised and disappointed, in the context of TVNZ’s general talk of supporting industry collaboration.
Szusterman earlier this week said Henry was contracted to SPP and the company saw no issues with him also being a TVNZ director.
It was hardly a precedent, he said, with TVNZ broadcasters featuring in roles on rival commercial radio networks and vice versa.
He was backed up by SPP chief executive Kelly Martin.
“I would say that it shows a real maturity in the New Zealand market where we’re not so hooked up on that kind of stuff,” she said.
“We can’t afford to say to people, you can only work on this network or that network. We’re not big enough.
“He’s on the [TVNZ] board, so if there are any issues, he can pick it up at a board meeting.”
Now that Henry has made the call to step away, SPP will have to act reasonably quickly, with a casting call for the wider show ready to go out and filming to start later this year.
Meanwhile, Henry is hosting a short season of a New Zealand version of The Chase on TVNZ later this year.
He earlier sought and received an okay from Media and Communications Minister Paul Goldsmith that hosting the TVNZ show was not a conflict with his role as a board member. The show has been filmed - there are only four episodes - but a screening date has not been announced.
Further on in today’s column, we report on leadership changes at two of New Zealand’s biggest ad agencies, but first - hot off the press - comes news that one of the biggest ad accounts in the country is suddenly up for grabs.
ANZ says it is reviewing its media agency partnership across Australia and New Zealand.
It said PHD - ANZ’s media partner for the past 14 years - and PHD parent company Omnicom Group would be invited to take part in the process, which would be open to all agencies.
“The media landscape is changing quickly, with new technology, data, AI, and shifts in media formats and agency models,” an ANZ spokeswoman said in a statement.
“We believe now is the right time to conduct a thorough review to ensure we have the best partner model for the future.”
The bank will no doubt be factoring in the upcoming mega-merger of Omnicom and Interpublic.
Together, and through their various agency brands, the companies hold just about every major New Zealand bank advertising account - including BNZ, ASB, ANZ, KiwiBank and SBS.
ANZ might well be seeking a separate path.
“The review will start in September with an initial market assessment. PHD remains our media agency during this time, and it’s business as usual. Both Australia and New Zealand are in scope for the review,” said the ANZ statement.
RNZ appears to have landed on one of the solutions to lifting its drooping Morning Report ratings - replicate part of the opposition’s recipe.
As part of a series of tweaks, the public broadcaster’s flagship morning show is now hosting a new segment after 8am on Wednesdays - two politicians going head-to-head in a panel debate.
That will sound very familiar to regular listeners of Newstalk ZB, which has been broadcasting a political head-to-head segment in exactly the same timeslot for years - stretching back, in fact, to the days when Paul Holmes was breakfast host.
So while Nicola Willis and Carmel Sepuloni were facing off to questions from RNZ host Ingrid Hipkiss at 8.10am last Wednesday, Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking was hosting the usual set-to between Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen at the very same time.
To be fair to RNZ, political segments such as these have been a regular feature on its other shows and on TV in recent years; and the recently launched Herald NOW livestream show has also got in on the act, with a regular Friday political panel.
Even so, it is interesting that RNZ has elected to air its political panel at exactly the same time slot as ZB.
An RNZ spokeswoman said: “The use of panels, allowing for debate between those with opposing political viewpoints has been used across RNZ National’s schedule, with The Panel being one example.
“We’ve also had the two deputy leaders appear together on First Up since the last election. It’s this pairing of Nicola Willis and Carmel Sepuloni that is moving to Morning Report.
“Political panels are a successful way to bring a balanced discussion to our audience and a segment we felt the Morning Report audience would find beneficial.”
As with all of these panels and segments, you’re really only going to engage listeners with strong, lively discussions and a healthy dose of conflict. The host plays a critical role in both.
RNZ’s Mediawatch show also reported this week that Morning Report would be featuring a sports panel on Fridays and a weekly conversation with a chief executive.
There were also some production tweaks, with a “smoother” handover each morning between the host of the 5am First Up show, Nathan Rarere, and Morning Report hosts Corin Dann and Ingrid Hipkiss.
RNZ Mediawatch host Colin Peacock reported that with the pending departure of Morning Report executive editor Martin Gibson, RNZ was taking the opportunity to make some changes. “They’re going to restructure how they staff and produce it. There’s going to be more of an Auckland presence and input into it.”
Will this be the extent of the changes to rebuild audiences? Or, as some longtime radio industry experts believe, do some of these RNZ shows actually need to be completely rebuilt, including a talent review?
As Media Insider revealed in July, RNZ has hired one of its former news bosses, Richard Sutherland, to look at the radio operation.
An RNZ spokeswoman said yesterday: “Morning Report has been part of how New Zealanders start the day for the past 50 years. RNZ wants to ensure the programme continues to deliver for audiences.
“The format adjustments, that began on Monday, will result in more conversation with RNZ’s talented journalists, including regular slots with money correspondent Susan Edmonds, rurals reporter Gianina Schwanecke and Europe correspondent Alice Wilkins.
“We are also introducing some regular segments, such as [the] political panel, a weekly slot with a CEO and a lively Friday sports panel.
“It’s early days for these changes, but the response from our audience has been very positive. We hope over the coming months, audiences notice a renewed energy to Morning Report as it continues to deliver high-quality news and insightful interviews.”
Sky has announced its broadcast plans for this month’s Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 - with Kiwis able to watch all Black Ferns games free-to-air.
The tournament, which begins in England on Saturday 23 August NZT, will be on Sky Sport and Sky Sport Now. Sky this morning said that “key fixtures, including all Black Ferns games, will also air free-to-air on Sky Open”.
Rikki Swannell will call the games for Sky in English, while Hemana Waaka and broadcaster Maiau Houltham will also commentate all Black Ferns’ games in te reo.Here’s a list of the matches which will be on Sky Open:
Some big leadership changes are under way in New Zealand’s top advertising agencies.
With the pending, global merger of Omnicom (OMG) and Interpublic (IPG) - a move that New Zealand’s Commerce Commission has signed off at a local level - there is expected to be a number of role changes within the myriad agencies that fall under the two groups.
In New Zealand, major OMG brands such as PHD, OMD, Colenso, DDB, Clemenger, TBWA, Hearts & Science and Dynamo are now set to be housed under the same umbrella as IPG agencies such as FCB and Initiative.
Some big names won’t be there to see how it all unfolds.
The highly respected New Zealand and Australia chief executive of Hearts & Science, Jane Stanley, is moving on to a top role at Air New Zealand.
“I am moving to Air New Zealand to become GM leading the chapter area for acquisition and retention marketing,” Stanley told Media Insider.
“I’ve had an incredible 13 years with Omnicom Media Group, and I have a lot of respect for the organisation, leaders, clients and teams I’ve worked with.”
She will be leaving next month.
Meanwhile, Dentsu New Zealand chief executive Rob Harvey - another highly regarded ad leader - has been promoted to the role of Australia/New Zealand chief executive, effective immediately.
It’s all been very sudden - with Harvey’s predecessor Patricio DeMatteis deciding to step down, according to the company. He leaves, it says, with Dentsu’s best wishes.
Dentsu global chief strategy officer & APAC lead Yoshiki Ishihara said in a statement that Harvey’s appointment marked “a deliberate and confident step forward for Dentsu ANZ, reinforcing our commitment to our people, sharpening the value we deliver to clients and laying the groundwork for more meaningful, impactful outcomes”.
In Harvey, Dentsu has appointed a new Australasian leader with more than 25 years’ experience in media and marketing. He will now spend time between Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland.
“It’s been a privilege to lead Dentsu Aotearoa for over a decade,” Harvey said in a statement. “This chapter has shaped me deeply, not only because of the results we’ve delivered together as a team, but the trust we’ve built with clients and the inclusive values-led culture we have fostered.
“As I step into the CEO role across ANZ, I see a powerful opportunity to build on the great work Patricio has done over the past 2.5 years, bringing the full strength of our network across Australia and New Zealand to accelerate how we create value for clients through more integrated, innovative and insight-driven solutions.”
Have Waikato creative agencies been thrown under the bus by the local regional council?
Waikato Regional Council has shortlisted two agencies - one in Auckland and one in Wellington - in a tender process for a $350,000 contract to rebrand the region’s public transport network.
That decision has angered local agencies, who say they have the talent to do the job.
“It’s always disappointing to hear of advertising and creative money heading up the road to Auckland or out of the country altogether,” Hamilton-based Unbound agency founder and chief executive Quentin Weber wrote on LinkedIn this week.
“Even more galling is when it’s your own local council sending your hard-earned ratepayer money up the road to Auckland for services rendered in your area. I’ve heard from several industry contacts that not one Hamilton agency has been shortlisted in the process.
“This is extremely disappointing as both an agency owner in Hamilton ... as well as a ratepayer. We have the best regional talent in New Zealand, in the Waikato... there is no reason for these jobs, these projects to head out of the region.”
Another local creative industry leader, Chris Williams, wrote in response: “What an insult”.
“We were really surprised that not a single local agency was deemed qualified enough to make the next stage. All of us are capable plus we live, work, pay rates, employ locals, support local talent and work towards building a strong economy.”
Regional council chief executive Chris McLay told Media Insider in a statement that the council had followed “a best practice process” that adhered to council and central Government procurement policies and guidelines.
Out of 19 proposals received, four were from the Waikato region, he said.
“As is the case with all our tender processes, each proposal was evaluated and scored against a range of criteria aimed at identifying the best and most capable at delivering the work based on the information supplied,” said McLay.
“Included in the criteria for this process was ‘broader outcomes’, which carried a 10 per cent weighting. This has enabled the panel to take into account how each respondent will support regional employment and training opportunities, give back to Waikato communities and contribute to better environmental outcomes through recycling and reuse, and reducing waste and emissions.”
He said two proposals were shortlisted - from businesses in Wellington and Auckland. A preferred supplier had been identified, but a contract was yet to be signed.
“In processes like this one for rebranding of public transport in the Waikato where funding also comes from a central government agency, we must also adhere to Government procurement requirements,” said McLay.
“Our approach to procurement promotes open and effective competition between capable suppliers, with particular emphasis on efficiency, transparency and fairness.”
Details of the tender were revealed in public documents earlier this year.
“We want to partner with a specialist creative agency who can help rebrand Waikato’s public transport network,” stated the council at the time.
The project would include the development of a brand strategy, a new-look brand and a new logo.
“We want the new brand to be easy to remember, help grow and maintain passenger numbers, [and] allow room for future growth.”
We’re on the road again – from coast to hinterland – in a new NZ Herald editorial series to gauge the mood of the nation and celebrate the very best of New Zealand.
As we head into spring, it’s time to reset and uncover some of New Zealand’s best stories on the third annual Great New Zealand Road Trip.
This year, with the support of sponsor Night ‘n Day, I will be meeting notable and everyday Kiwis helping make a difference in their towns, regions, country, and the world. Or there might be a strong story in the plight of your town and community.
The Great NZ Road Trip starts on Sunday, August 17, and I’ll be making my way from Otago and Southland to Northland over two weeks.
Know a great character, business, project or story? I’d love to hear about it. Please email me at roadtrip@nzme.co.nz
Sky expects to heavily reduce Three’s hefty after-tax loss of $77.6 million over the next 12 months.
With the pay TV operator now officially in place as the new owner of Three, all eyes will be on how Sky handles an organisation that has lost tens of millions of dollars over many years.
In an investor presentation released to the NZX, Sky noted the $77.6m loss for Three last year.
Sky chief executive Sophie Moloney said the 2024 accounts reflected a period in which Discovery NZ completed a “significant” restructure of its business, including the closure of Newshub, that had “substantially” reduced the company’s cost base.
Sky’s reconciliation narrowed Three’s reported Ebitda loss to a proforma $9m Ebitda loss in 2025.
“In addition, the presentation shows a pathway to delivering at least $10 million of incremental Ebitda by FY28 as a result of assumed synergies across both Sky and Discovery NZ of at least $19 million pa,” said the statement to the NZX.
Editor-at-Large Shayne Currie is one of New Zealand’s most experienced senior journalists and media leaders. He has held executive and senior editorial roles at NZME including Managing Editor, NZ Herald Editor and Herald on Sunday Editor and has a small shareholding in NZME.
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