Media Insider: RNZ National radio ratings – listener numbers ease back as broadcaster faces budget and political pressure

The gap between the two stations is now 164,500 listeners, after RNZ National had closed the difference to 103,300 at the end of last year.

When its overall audience is measured against all commercial radio stations, RNZ National has fallen from third at the end of 2025, behind Newstalk ZB and The Breeze, to now sixth, behind Newstalk ZB, The Breeze, More FM, The Edge and The Rock.

RNZ’s momentum has stalled at the same time as 23 of the 26 commercial radio stations measured by GFK recorded audience growth.

The audience drop is starkest at breakfast, with Morning Report’s audience falling back to 336,500, close to the 333,200 recorded in the first survey of 2025 – its worst result in the past six years.

Newstalk ZB breakfast host Mike Hosking now has 122,000 more listeners than RNZ’s Morning Report – the biggest gap in at least six years. In 2020, Morning Report had about 100,000 more listeners than Hosking.

John Campbell started as the new Morning Report co-host on April 13 – he was in the role for only three weeks of this latest survey period, and thus his influence on these latest ratings is minimal.

We won’t start seeing more of his impact until the next survey results, in August, and the full impact of his presence in metro markets until the last survey of the year, in late November.

His full impact in all markets won’t be known until next year.

Mike Hosking hosts Newstalk ZB’s breakfast show and John Campbell is Morning Report co-host. Illustration / Oliver Rusden; Photos: NZME, RNZ

There are some bright spots for RNZ in the survey.

It has gained 700 listeners in Auckland – now at 133,400 – and 6400 in Christchurch – now at 70,300, but it has lost 5000 listeners in Wellington.

In a press release, RNZ described the results as “stable”.

RNZ chief audio officer Pip Keane highlighted audience growth for Nine to Noon, Midday Report, and Checkpoint.

“I’m pleased to see the Auckland market for RNZ hold up this survey and gains made in our target audience of people aged 45-59 as these were specific areas of focus for our audio strategy.

“There is more to do, and we are on track. It is also good to see RNZ National ahead of where the station was a year ago.”

RNZ chief audio officer Pip Keane and (inset) Morning Report hosts Ingrid Hipkiss and John Campbell. Photos / RNZ

Keane said improving Morning Report’s performance remained a focus.

“It is too early to judge the impact of the new presenter team for Morning Report with the new combination of Ingrid Hipkiss and John Campbell in place for just three weeks out of the 48-week fieldwork period.

“Feedback, however, has been encouraging. What we’re hearing from audiences is that listeners value the strong journalism and interviewing skills John and Ingrid bring to Morning Report, along with the natural chemistry and warmth between them.”

The separate RNZ Concert station grew its audience – from 154,100 to 160,300 and RNZ will be hoping that RNZ National can return to growth at the next ratings release in August.

After a scathing review of its audio performance by former news boss Richard Sutherland last year, RNZ has been changing out formats and talent in various shows.

In her first media interview since being appointed to the role in October last year, Keane said last month that there were no sacred cows.

Looking ahead at the time, she said these latest ratings would give her and the recently appointed executive editor of news programmes, Sarah de Croy, guidance on future changes.

“I’ll really have the time now that Sarah has started … to actually sit down with all of the teams.

“We’ll dissect those GFK results, and we’ll look at where we’re tracking. What shows need to make changes, and which ones don’t need to make any changes.

“We’ll slap each other on the back if we need to and say we’re doing well here and we’re doing well there. But I think our audience needs to know that we’re open to change.

“If things need to be changed, they will be changed.”

Digital performance

It has been a happier couple of years for RNZ when it comes to its website audience.

Rnz.co.nz was once a distant fourth or fifth, behind Stuff, the NZ Herald, Newshub and sometimes TVNZ, but is now a clear third.

Under former Stuff editorial boss Mark Stevens and Rhonwyn Newson, RNZ’s website has broadened its mix of content, and has benefited the most from Newshub’s closure in 2024.

According to the latest Nielsen data, Stuff has a monthly unique audience of 2.108 million, the Herald 1.997 million, RNZ 1.684 million and 1 News 804,000.

Budget, political pressure

RNZ chief executive Paul Thompson (left inset) and chairman Jim Mather.

RNZ and chief executive Paul Thompson announced last week that he would be stepping down at the end of 2026.

“I am sharing this news with you today as there has been recent unhelpful external commentary about his future,” RNZ chairman Jim Mather told staff in an email on Friday.

Mather said the decision was Thompson’s alone and that Thompson had signalled to the board in December last year that he would be stepping down later this year.

“Paul and the board agree, given the current circumstances, that it is appropriate to make his announcement earlier to avoid further conjecture and distraction,” Mather said.

Thompson’s resignation announcement came on the eve of this week’s ratings results and the Budget, with the likelihood that RNZ, like other public agencies, will face more belt-tightening.

His announcement also comes amid political criticism of RNZ.

Without naming Thompson, Deputy Prime Minister and Act leader David Seymour recently told The Platform, “that guy’s got an awful lot to answer for, and I suspect that he won’t be answering the call at RNZ for much longer”.

Seymour was specifically referring to Thompson overseeing the hiring of Campbell as Morning Report co-host, in light of Campbell’s previous columns in which Campbell was highly critical of the coalition Government.

Mather hit back strongly at the time at Seymour’s comments and any suggestion of Government influence on RNZ’s operations, reiterating that “editorial independence is fundamental and non‑negotiable”.

RNZ declined a Herald request for an interview with Thompson today.

On Thursday, the public will learn whether RNZ is facing further budget cuts.

Last year, the Government announced taxpayer funding for RNZ was being slashed by almost $5 million a year for the next four years – about 7% of its annual budget.

The Government might well impose further cuts in this week’s Budget, as part of broader public service cost reductions.

ZB throws down the gauntlet

The ratings for commercial radio stations were released last week.

Newstalk ZB recorded its highest cumulative audience in almost three years: an increase of 53,800 listeners since the last survey at the end of 2025, to a total audience today of 657,400.

At breakfast, Hosking’s audience has similarly jumped to its highest number since mid-2023: from 424,300 at the end of 2025 to 458,500 today.

Newstalk ZB is owned by NZME, publisher of the NZ Herald.

Top 10 radio stations by audience

Newstalk ZB 657,400 The Breeze 616,000More FM 518,100The Edge 504,600The Rock 494,200RNZ National 492,900ZM 476,000The Hits 461,200Mai FM 434,500The Sound 331,700

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.