Tame taking over Holmes' Saturday Newstalk slot

Jack Tame. Photo / Getty Images

You may have seen him on TV One last night covering the Connecticut killings - and chances are you'll be hearing a lot more of Jack Tame next year.

Newstalk ZB has named the New York-based television reporter and Herald on Sunday columnist as Paul Holmes' replacement on the station's Saturday morning show.

When Holmes started at Newstalk ZB in March 1987, Tame was just two weeks old.

Holmes, who bowed out after more than 30 years in broadcasting, partly because of ill-health, has given his blessing to Tame, who will broadcast live from New York.

"Congratulations to Jack Tame. It's a wonderful slot to get. Jack is a broadcaster of immense potential and I can't wait to see what he does with the slot. I wish him all the very very best, he's a marvellous broadcaster."

Holmes said Tame, who is 25, was original and imitated no one. "He's such a nice guy, he's as nice in real life as he looks on the telly."

Tame said he was excited by the role. "I really do still get an adrenalin kick from broadcasting. The show broadcasts on a Friday evening in New York at a time I'd usually be playing indoor football. It's three hours all up, so I shouldn't lose too many hours of strolling around New York and I reckon my team might actually benefit from my absence."

As a three-hour gig, it shouldn't interfere with his work for TVNZ.

Tame said he'd always had a passion for radio from stints on student stations and as foreign contributor for the Mike Hosking Breakfast show and Holmes was his broadcasting hero. "I'm looking forward to making him proud."