Ferguson’s biography has already been removed from RNZ’s website.
The email to staff, from chief audio officer Pip Keane and leaked to Media Insider, included a message from Ferguson in which she said: “It’s been a wild ride!”
“[Sixteen] years ago I started at RNZ as a casual journo taking any shift going, following a number of years as a UK-based war correspondent reporting from the likes of Afghanistan and Iraq,” Ferguson said.
“Since then, it has been my honour to present, produce and anchor the reporting of some of the biggest stories in New Zealand’s recent history, and spending well over a decade fronting two of the biggest shows – Morning Report and Saturday Morning – and, with Corin Dann, pulling the record breaking largest ever radio audience in New Zealand.”
Former Saturday Morning hosts Susie Ferguson and Mihi Forbes. Photo montage / RNZ
Ferguson has been off air over the past four weeks as the broadcaster continued to recruit for a new Saturday Morning host to replace her and co-host Mihingarangi Forbes.
Forbes announced her own abrupt departure five weeks ago.
The pair learned last month that – after a long period of consultation – they were being replaced with a single new host, based in Auckland.
In her message to staff today, Ferguson wrote: “Public media matters, especially now, when newsrooms are shrinking, trust is harder to earn, and serious journalism is too often treated as something that can simply be trimmed, merged or replaced.
“The work still matters, the audiences still matter, and most importantly here, the people who do it matter.
“[Sixteen] years is a long time to call anywhere home, and I leave RNZ gratified with what I have created, and absolutely committed to the first-class journalism and storytelling New Zealanders deserve.”
Keane paid tribute to Ferguson as “an incredibly important part of RNZ for 16 years, starting as a journalist in the newsroom, before presenting Summer Report, filling in on Checkpoint, and co-hosting Morning Report for eight years”.
“Throughout her career at RNZ she has presented, reported, produced and anchored coverage on just about every show on RNZ National, and for major events – including the Christchurch and Kaikōura earthquakes, Anzac centenary services at Gallipoli, and the aftermath of the Christchurch Mosque attacks.”
Ferguson is one of RNZ’s most celebrated broadcasters, having presented the flagship Morning Report show for eight years.
She stepped away from that role in 2022 to be a senior journalist and special presenter for RNZ, before becoming Saturday Morning host, replacing Kim Hill, in early 2024. Forbes became her co-host in August that year.
Forbes was based in Auckland and Ferguson is in Wellington.
It was initially expected that the pair would continue to host the show for at least several weeks, until the new host was found.
But Forbes announced on air on August 22 that she was leaving immediately – the day after being given four weeks’ notice. A source said at the time that Forbes’ sudden move had caught RNZ management “off guard”.
RNZ did not answer questions on that specific assertion at the time, but said Ferguson would continue to host the show ”while a new host is recruited”.
As Media Insider revealed earlier this month, Ferguson was in the Saturday Morning seat on Saturday, August 29, but not in the four weeks since.
Patrick Gower hosted the show on September 5, and Nights host Emile Donovan did the job on September 12. Gower was back in the seat on September 19. Kate Rodger hosted the show last weekend.
A source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said RNZ had expected Ferguson to keep holding the reins – and that this was unrealistic.
“You’ve got a team that have all lost their jobs, and so it’s just really pretty miserable.”
In addition to the hosts losing their roles, the show’s production team is being cut from five roles to three. RNZ is also establishing a new executive producer role in Auckland.
The claim of a miserable atmosphere – and questions about Ferguson’s absence – were put to RNZ earlier this month.
A spokeswoman replied with: “The appointment process for the Saturday Morning presenter is ongoing. With Saturday Morning, guest hosts will be presenting the show while Susie takes a period of leave.”
Gower, Donovan, Rodger and Melissa Chan-Green are among potential names who could take over the Saturday Morning show.
RNZ statement
Keane said in the internal staff email that Ferguson had been “a very important part of many New Zealanders’ lives, as a trusted guide through moments of national significance and a much-respected colleague”.
In an official media statement today, an RNZ spokeswoman said Ferguson had made a “significant contribution” to the broadcaster.
“Susie’s work has reflected the best of public media, rigorous journalism, trusted voices, careful storytelling and a commitment to serving audiences.
“RNZ thanks Susie for her contribution to public media and journalism in New Zealand and wishes her all the best for the future.”
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.