Brilliance of Bruce Russell: Mike Hosking's on-air tribute to beloved broadcaster

Newstalk ZB host Mike Hosking has paid tribute to his late colleague Bruce Russell as a "complete broadcaster", who had filled many roles at radio stations across New Zealand.

On his breakfast show this morning, Hosking said Russell's death was "so unexpected" and "shocking in that sense".

It was a caller into Newstalk ZB yesterday, he said, that made a very astute observation about Russell, following the news of his death.

"One of the things I've always enjoyed about being a part of this family, this company, this radio station is I don't think there's any radio station anywhere close to having the sort of relationship with the audience that we have," Hosking said.

"You heard a lot of that on the programme yesterday and what I always loved about Bruce, - I was the first to see Bruce in the morning - and it's a lonely business overnights. And Bruce is there in a studio, chatting away doing his thing, his own inimitable thing.

"But I'll tell you a couple of thoughts that I got out of yesterday - one actually came from a caller. And I thought it was a very astute observation. She said that Bruce didn't actually need any calls. I mean people called but every now and again, you know people don't call and it gets a bit quiet.

"The brilliance of Bruce was he was a complete broadcaster. He always had material and it didn't matter whether anyone called because he always had something to say, another story to tell, something interesting to impart. And that's the mark of a great broadcaster. You don't need others to make it a crutch if you like and too many people in broadcasting these days and talkback are nothing without phone calls. Bruce was much more than that."

Hosking said Russell had been in different roles and different markets, recalling he had first met him when Russell was managing King Country radio in the early to mid-80s.

Hosking explained a number of things contributed to becoming a great broadcaster: institutional knowledge, knowing how to write an ad, knowing how to run a radio station, having worked in radio stations of all sizes and understanding communities and audiences.

"That's a complete broadcaster and that's what Bruce was and that, sadly, is why we will miss him so much."

Russell, one of New Zealand's longest-serving and beloved broadcasters, died suddenly overnight on Sunday at the radio station's office in central Auckland, shortly before he was due on air to host the station's 1-6am show.

Kate Hawkesby, host of Newstalk ZB's 5am-6am Early Edition show, said Russell worked so much that he'd become a part of the furniture at the station.

"I can't think of a time he wasn't at work," said Hawkesby. "He was part of the fabric of this place."

Hawkesby said Russell was rather sceptical of her for many years.

"When I first started here many moons ago as a newsreader on the then Paul Holmes Breakfast, he was very sceptical of me, another TV person coming to radio, he wasn't sure," she said.

Even as Hawkesby started her Early Edition show she says Russell remained sceptical.

"And then one day Meghan Markle blew on to the scene and I was – it felt like at the time - the only person saying I don't trust her, something's not right. And that was it, " she said.

"That was the moment Bruce decided - I think - that he liked me. I got such serious heat for saying what I thought about Markle, but Bruce agreed with me."

From there she felt he had his seal of approval, he would chat to her about the royals on a regular basis, shared texts with her that he thought she'd like or laugh at and always asked for her opinion on unfolding Harry and Meghan dramas.

"So I will miss our morning chats as we passed the baton between our shows. He will be extremely hard to replace, and he'll be sorely missed by his loyal listeners," said Hawkesby.