The Government to unveil several board changes at TVNZ and RNZ with Paul Henry set to make an extraordinary comeback; Hayley Holt’s new business role; Jacinda Ardern v Richie McCaw book sales; Top magazine shelved; Marketing Awards finalists.
Outspoken broadcaster and former Breakfast host Paul Henry is set to make an extraordinary comeback to the state-owned television network, as a director on an overhauled TVNZ board.
Henry, who resigned from TVNZ in 2010 following a series of on-screen controversies, is in line for the state broadcaster’s board, with the coalition Government moving to install its own names around the top tables of TVNZ and RNZ.
The appointment, while not yet officially confirmed, is expected to be announced in coming days.
It is the most powerful message yet that the coalition Government wants new thinking and a stronger change of direction at the publicly owned broadcasters.
It expects TVNZ, for example, to start returning financial dividends once again, and it wants RNZ to lift its sagging radio ratings. It wants both organisations to lift their trust levels.
NZ Herald columnist and political commentator Matthew Hooton’s name has also been touted for a possible board position at TVNZ or RNZ, although that one is less certain.
The appointment of Henry would be not so much a cat amongst the pigeons as a lion unleashed on a pedestrian promenade.
Henry resigned from TVNZ in October 2010 following a series of controversies, including having to apologise for his on-air ridicule of the name of Indian politician Sheila Dikshit.
He fashioned a high-profile career at TVNZ and later TV3, where he has hosted a variety of news and entertainment shows. He was named earlier this month as the host of the limited season of the New Zealand version of The Chase, which will screen on TVNZ later this year.
While he has been famously outspoken as a broadcaster, Henry has also been a keen observer of changes and trends in the broadcasting and media landscape.
The 6pm TV news model had changed, he said in a speech to the Act party annual rally last year. It was not necessarily a bad thing.
“In my last book published almost five years ago, I wrote that just before Discovery purchased MediaWorks’ TV assets [in 2020], I had a meeting with TV3 executives.
“I presented my plan to save the haemorrhaging network. Item one: shutting down Newshub. They couldn’t afford to run it.”
He said he told executives that the environment would “never be as good as it is today, and today you are going broke”.
“Had they done it then, there would have been money to invest in current affairs programmes.”
He painted a somewhat pessimistic picture for Stuff, which took over production of the Three bulletin last July, the day after Newshub closed.
“My bet is the budget replacement 6pm news Stuff are cobbling together will be costing them far more than they anticipated.
“And if you listen very carefully now, you’ll hear the penny dropping ... as Stuff management realise it. They’re probably ruing that decision.
“A decision that just goes to prove we are still not listening to the warnings.”
People now had the news at their fingertips “every moment of every day”, Henry told Act delegates.
“We don’t need to congregate around a TV at 6pm to find out who’s dead or what the weather’s going to be like tomorrow.”
Those comments echo the views of Act leader and deputy prime minister David Seymour in recent weeks, although TVNZ has also been quick to point out that its 6pm bulletin still reaches one million people.
In 2023, Henry told Media Insider he didn’t have much time any more for breakfast television, the format that helped make him a household name.
“What is it? It doesn’t have a heart. You can put too many people in a room and just because you put them in a room with cameras doesn’t make them stars.”
He’s famously said the TVNZ Breakfast studio set looks like Changi Airport or the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. It’s certainly not the vibe or design he thinks is right for a host-to-viewer connection first thing in the morning.
“There isn’t that bond and if there isn’t chemistry between them [the hosts], then there won’t be chemistry between them and the one viewer that you have always got to be talking with.
“I always used to get great joy, when I was doing it, in the little calls to action. I would quite often say, ‘Oh, can we see that again’, ostensibly to the director.
“But what I was really doing was a call to action to the people in their houses who weren’t watching me, but they had me on [listening].
“All of a sudden if Paul Henry on TV has said, can we see that again? ‘Oh, s***, we need to look at this’.”
Big changes were already coming to the TVNZ and RNZ boards, with a total of four directors officially up for renewal or replacement in the coming week.
Right now, TVNZ has three directors whose current tenures conclude on Monday (June 30) – Linda Clark, Meg Matthews and John Quirk. RNZ has one director in the same boat – Sina Wendt.
Both TVNZ chair Alastair Carruthers and RNZ chair Jim Mather have another year to run on their terms.
Right now, both boards have a majority of members appointed by the previous Labour Government, although that is slowly changing.
In August last year, Media and Communications Minister Paul Goldsmith announced the appointments of former Sky TV chief executive John Fellet to the TVNZ board and former commercial radio executive Brent Impey, e-commerce boss Gracie MacKinlay and technology entrepreneur Mads Moller to the RNZ board.
Henry did not return a phone call or message yesterday. Neither TVNZ nor a spokesman for Goldsmith would comment. Hooton would not comment when approached.
The Government has made no secret of the pressure it is placing on the two public media organisations, both of which have a majority of board members appointed by the last Labour Government.
Appointing its own people to the boards is one of the few big levers a Government can pull, in terms of having due influence on the Crown entity companies.
In the case of TVNZ, Goldsmith has made no secret of the fact he wants to see dividends coming back into the public coffers sooner rather than later. On RNZ, he wants to see stronger audiences in its traditional radio market.
And the minister has urged both companies to lead the charge on rebuilding trust in media – and to work more closely together generally.
“To support TVNZ’s ability to deliver public media outcomes over the long term, we expect TVNZ to identify opportunities to work with Radio New Zealand Limited, where feasible, to enhance audience reach and delivery of local content, as well as to minimise duplication of investment, including in digital infrastructure,” Goldsmith said in a letter of expectations to Carruthers in March 2025.
TVNZ board: Alastair Carruthers (chair), Ripeka Evans, Aliesha Staples, John Fellet, John Quirk, Linda Clark, Meg Matthews.
RNZ board: Jim Mather (chair), Brent Impey, Gracie MacKinlay, Irene Gardiner, Jane Wrightson, Mads Moller, Sina Wendt.
Amongst all the career changes for former high-profile television broadcasters and journalists, Hayley Holt’s is perhaps one of the most contrasting.
The former TVNZ sportsreader – who opted for redundancy amidst a range of cuts at the state broadcaster last year – has been studying financial services and has been hand-picked for a new corporate business role.
“It’s a huge departure [from broadcasting], it’s a new challenge,” Holt told Media Insider yesterday.
She starts in July as a business development manager for YooGo, a car-fleet company.
YooGo is part of the Speirs Finance Group and chief executive Michelle Herlihy contacted Holt directly after hearing of her studies and plight.
“She came across as this amazing woman, an amazing leader,” Holt said. “I just thought, what a great chance to work with somebody like that and learn from them.”
Holt said it’s turning over a new leaf, after many years in media.
“There’s all the emotions. I’m nervous, too, it’s something new for me and I’m excited about learning about business and ... I hate to say, the real world,” she laughed.
“I’ll learn some new skills and, you know, I can come back to media in the future. But I might just absolutely love this new industry – working in corporate – who knows?
“I miss my friends and I miss TVNZ, of course, but I’m actually more excited. It’s a new challenge – I’m a bit of an adrenaline junkie so this is exciting for me.”
Last month, it was revealed Holt, her partner Josh Tito and their two young children had moved into her parents’ home, north of Auckland.
“I’m at one of those pivot points,” she told the House of Wellness radio show. “I lost my job. And it’s tough out there at the moment. My partner’s in construction, so it’s tough for him too. So we are having to pack up and move into my parents’ house with the kids. So thank you so much, Mum and Dad!”
She told Media Insider yesterday that studies will continue online.
One of her first tasks, when she starts her new role in July, might be to use her journalistic and broadcasting skills to put her job description into plain English.
According to the company, Holt’s “remit includes partnering with clients to deliver customised fleet solutions that enhance business productivity through real-time visibility, guaranteed compliance and optimised asset utilisation”.
“Hayley will support organisations in streamlining their fleet operations, freeing them to focus on driving their core business forward while achieving sustainability objectives.”
Holt said she would be responsible for bringing in new business for the firm. Her high profile will no doubt be of strong benefit: “It’s going to be great for everybody involved, really,” she said. “I’m just excited.”
In a press statement, Herlihy said Holt and another new leader were each tasked with accelerating growth in high-priority sectors of the business.
“Hayley’s energy and relationship skills will lift Yoogo Fleet’s presence in the North,” she said.
Founded in Palmerston North in 1964, Speirs Finance Group is a Kiwi-owned asset-finance specialist “that partners with New Zealand businesses to fund equipment, technology and vehicle fleets through simple, flexible solutions”.
Dame Jacinda Ardern’s book remains at number one on the best-seller list for a third straight week – and earlier reached the heady heights of No 3 in the UK and the US, and No 4 in Australia.
But she might be facing an uphill battle to overtake the biggest-selling biography of all time here in New Zealand.
Ardern’s book sold just under 10,000 copies in its first two weeks on sale in New Zealand and another 3000 copies in the third week, according to Nielsen BookScan data.
That doesn’t include all booksellers, e-books or audiobooks, and publisher Penguin estimates total sales to be between the 15,000 and 20,000 mark.
“We are delighted but unsurprised by its sales success so far,” Penguin New Zealand director Becky Innes said.
“Since BookScan began, the only autobiographies that have sold more in their first week on sale are those from Richie McCaw and Dan Carter."
McCaw has the biggest-selling New Zealand book of all time, with around 70,000 sales since 2012, but again, that number will be higher as not all booksellers contribute their sales data to Nielsen. It’s been previously reported that McCaw’s book sold more than 130,000 copies worldwide.
Innes said it was too early to know where sales for the Ardern book might end up.
She said it had been the number one book in New Zealand in its opening week by a long way.
Media Insider asked her if there was a new print run planned. “We don’t discuss print runs,” she said.
Good magazine has published its last print edition – for the foreseeable future, at least.
Owner SCG Publishing said that “after much care and consideration”, it had made the “difficult decision” to cease publication of the bi-monthly magazine.
“We are proud to have produced the title for over 15 years and we’re grateful for your support throughout that time. Unfortunately, the advertising market has shifted significantly in recent years, and we can no longer sustain the magazine financially.”
It said the final issue was the April/May 2025 title – issue number 99.
The magazine enjoyed a readership of 64,000 in 2024, according to Nielsen data – up from 43,000 in 2023.
However, all is not lost. There might be a celebratory 100th edition at some stage.
An updated message on the Good website says Good is currently “transitioning to a new independent publisher”.
“While we are shifting our focus toward a stronger digital presence and event-driven experiences, we remain open to future print editions once our digital platforms have been refreshed and upgraded.”
SCG Media chief executive Marcus Hawkins-Adams told Media Insider that it was a shame the title could not make it as a physical magazine.
“Retail sales and subscriptions were trending up – it was just ad sales that were a challenge.”
He confirmed editor-in-chief Justine Jamieson had bought Good and said she had a great opportunity to make it a “great online title”.
SCG Publishing produces a range of other magazines including Dish, New Zealand Marketing and AA Directions. Hawkins-Adams says they are all performing well.
In a press release to Media Insider, Justine Jamieson said Good was “entering a bold new chapter—relaunching as a purpose-led, community-owned social enterprise that puts people, planet, and positive impact first".
It would now operate as a “dynamic” digital-first and event-focused platform.
And with a clear mission, she said: “To celebrate conscious living through collaboration, creativity, and meaningful storytelling. A portion of every advertising dollar is invested directly into conservation and regeneration projects across Aotearoa - ensuring that impact is embedded in the business model itself”.
She said the new media model was “grounded in shared ownership rather than hierarchy”.
“Every member of our core team is a shareholder, working together to create content that genuinely serves both people and the planet.”
The Good “creator community” included “curators, connectors, and contributors who are leaders in wellness, innovation, culture, and storytelling—from entrepreneurs, festival directors and digital marketers to wellness coaches and art-community organisers".
“Together, they are bringing Good to life through a new podcast, unique editorial features, and a line-up of immersive events - including an upcoming all-day rebirth celebration.
“While print may return in the future - with sustainability at its core and support from like-minded brand partners - the platform is currently focused on harnessing digital innovation.”
If you were hoping Sky was becoming the true home of cricket once again, think again.
Many fans who pay hundreds of dollars a year for a Sky subscription have been mightily disappointed this week not to have access to the dazzling first test match between England and India, and the rest of the series.
England won the first test this week in incredible style. But New Zealand fans – unless they had access to a VPN – were out of luck.
“We haven’t had the rights to English cricket for several years,” a Sky TV spokeswoman said.
“It’s one of those areas where we’ve had to make tough calls over the years in balancing our wider slate of cricket rights, which is comprehensive and includes men’s international matches played in India, the current Major League Cricket tournament, as well as the upcoming Caribbean Premier League and ICC events including the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025.
“And as you know, New Zealand Cricket will be back on Sky at the start of the 2026/27 season, which we’re excited about.”
Congratulations to all of the finalists in this year’s Marketing Awards. Winners will be announced on September 3 at Spark Arena in Auckland.
Here are the finalists in some of the major categories:
Marketer of the Future
Jess Bark, ASB
Josie Cook, Nestlé
Lucy Hansard, DB Breweries
Millie Astley, ANZ
Simran Wadhawan, Goodman Fielder
Thomas Siemsen, NZ Automobile Association
Marketer of the Year
Bríd Drohan-Stewart, Woolworths New Zealand
Cath Brands, Flintfox
Dave Pearce, 2degrees
Fraser Shrimpton, DB Breweries
Leanne Too,Restaurant Brands
Matthew Pickering,ANZ
PJ Morris, Fletcher Building
Susanne Hardy, Toyota New Zealand
Marketing Team of the Year
ANZ
DB Breweries
Farrah’s
Goodman Fielder
My Food Bag
New Zealand Olympic Committee
Restaurant Brands – KFC NZ
Toyota
Zuru Group
Brand of the Year
2degrees, TBWA\New Zealand, OMD, Fiftyfive5
Goodman Fielder NZ, DDB, MBM, Mango
Kiwibank Special, Special PR, OMD, TRA, Brand Capital, YouTube, Talbot Mills, Fuse, The Social Agency, FCB/Six, InsightsHQ, Warner Bros Discovery, Stuff
Pak’nSave, FCB, PHD
Restaurant Brands – KFC NZ, Special PR, Stanley St, PHD, Drum Agency, Culture, Collider
Toyota, Saatchi & Saatchi, Spark Foundry, Wright Communications, Digitas, TRA, Spur
Zuru Group – Rhodes Pet Science, Zuru Edge, This January
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.
Watch Media Insider – The Podcast on YouTube or listen to it on iHeartRadio, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
TVNZ boss raised some eyebrows in political circles with ratings comments - is she right?