Campbell is replacing Corin Dann, who is becoming RNZ\u2019s business editor. A start date for Campbell has not been confirmed.<\/p>\n
While the board was consulted about the Morning Report appointment, the decision was ultimately that for RNZ chief executive and editor-in-chief Paul Thompson to make.<\/p>\n
There is no doubt Campbell is a polarising broadcaster – like the man he will compete against at Newstalk ZB, Mike Hosking, he has a legion of passionate supporters, and then others who hold an opposite view.<\/p>\n
Campbell, currently TVNZ\u2019s chief correspondent and a popular member of staff, has written a series of opinion pieces on the 1 News website in recent years, some of them focusing on politics. <\/p>\n
He has also been responsible for exclusive news investigations, most notably with recent work on Destiny Church.<\/p>\n
In a statement to specific questions from Media Insider, RNZ said yesterday that Campbell was committed to impartial journalism.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou will have our media release on the appointment,\u201d said a spokeswoman.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe would only add that we are confident that John Campbell has a commitment to impartial journalism and he, like all employees of RNZ, will be held to that high standard through our comprehensive editorial policy.\u201d<\/p>\n
TVNZ’s John Campbell and Act leader David Seymour in an interview earlier this year. Photo \/ TVNZ<\/p>\n
The statement did not address specific questions and points from Media Insider about board members\u2019 views.<\/p>\n
The spokeswoman did provide an additional statement from RNZ chair Jim Mather.<\/p>\n
\u201cDecisions around the appointment of presenters are the responsibility of the chief executive,\u201d Mather said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs with all decisions of this nature, the board\u2019s role is to provide counsel and ensure a robust process has been followed.\u201d<\/p>\n
RNZ chief executive Paul Thompson (left inset) and chair Jim Mather.<\/p>\n
RNZ has seven board members – Mather, Jane Wrightson, Irene Gardiner, Brent Impey, Mads Moller, Gracie MacKinlay and Andrew Szusterman.<\/p>\n
Media Insider sent its series of specific questions and points to RNZ at 1.45pm on Thursday, including our understanding that Campbell was the leading\/preferred candidate for the Morning Report role. <\/p>\n
We advised RNZ that we understood the appointment had been discussed at board level (by no means an unusual situation for a role such as this), and that some board members did not necessarily support the move.<\/p>\n
We asked for a response by 5pm. <\/p>\n
It is understood that Campbell resigned from TVNZ on Thursday afternoon. <\/p>\n
RNZ announced his appointment in a press release and on its website soon after 4pm. RNZ came back to Media Insider with its response at 4.30pm.<\/p>\n
RNZ declined to answer further questions about board members\u2019 views.<\/p>\n
The Campbell announcement<\/p>\n
In many respects, a variety of views from board members should not be a surprise.<\/p>\n
The appointment is one of the most critical decisions in New Zealand broadcasting, and will be pivotal in helping rebuild RNZ\u2019s traditional radio listenership in 2026. <\/p>\n
In the official announcement yesterday, RNZ chief audio officer Pip Keane described an impressive field of candidates for the Morning Report role.<\/p>\n
It is understood former AM host Lloyd Burr was another main contender.<\/p>\n
\u201cJohn\u2019s experience as a journalist and host is exceptional, but equally important is his passion for pursuing the stories that matter and our audience values this strong journalism,\u201d said Keane.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s also a highly skilled interviewer, and that\u2019s crucial for Morning Report.\u201d<\/p>\n
RNZ chief audio officer Pip Keane. Photo \/ RNZ<\/p>\n
From the highs of early 2020, when it easily outpaced Newstalk ZB and commercial music stations to be New Zealand\u2019s biggest radio station, RNZ National slipped to eighth spot within five years.<\/p>\n
Overall, listeners had fallen from a high of more than 700,000 in early 2020 to a low of 467,700 at the start of 2025.<\/p>\n
In recent months, however, RNZ has started to rebuild listeners, bouncing back over a total cumulative audience of 500,000 in the most recent ratings survey.<\/p>\n
It is now New Zealand\u2019s third biggest station, behind NZME\u2019s Newstalk ZB and MediaWorks\u2019 The Breeze.<\/p>\n
That overall RNZ audience trend is also reflected in RNZ\u2019s Morning Report ratings.<\/p>\n
In early 2020, it hit a peak of 531,836 listeners, more than 100,000 ahead of Hosking\u2019s ZB breakfast show. By early 2025, Morning Report\u2019s audience was 333,200 \u2013 more than 100,000 behind Hosking.<\/p>\n
It closes out the year with an uptick \u2013 352,200 listeners, 72,100 behind Hosking.<\/p>\n
Keane said Campbell would be a key part of RNZ\u2019s dedicated audio plan.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know John can build an audience; he added 50,000 listeners to Checkpoint\u2019s audience during his time on that programme.\u201c<\/p>\n
RNZ\u2019s radio performance has been in contrast to the fortunes of its well-performing website, rnz.co.nz. <\/p>\n
The injection of a broader range of lifestyle content, the recruitment of some of New Zealand\u2019s top journalists, and outside factors such as the demise of Newshub, have seen the website easily become New Zealand\u2019s third biggest digital news platform, behind Stuff and nzherald.co.nz, based on Nielsen\u2019s monthly unique audience numbers.<\/p>\n
The announcement of the new Morning Report host is the first major move under Keane as the recently appointed chief audio officer.<\/p>\n
And while Morning Report will have its own executive producer, it also sees Campbell and Keane reunited after they worked together on Checkpoint and TV3\u2019s Campbell Live.<\/p>\n
Keane\u2019s appointment came in the wake of a scathing independent review by former RNZ news boss Richard Sutherland. <\/p>\n
Sutherland\u2019s report highlighted a raft of cultural problems at the station<\/a> and recommended replacing presenters and on-air voices who did not align with its target audience.<\/p>\n The review recommended at least one new high-profile hire \u201cto signal ambition\u201d, and that the flagship Morning Report show should be fully relocated to Auckland, to \u201ccounter perceptions of Wellington bias\u201d.<\/p>\n Campbell will be based in Auckland, alongside Hipkiss.<\/p>\n \u2018It gives voice to the less powerful\u2019<\/p>\n In the RNZ press release, Campbell said he had listened to Morning Report since it began.<\/p>\n \u201cMy parents woke up to it. My childhood mornings echoed to the sound of it. That makes this programme really special to me. My first understanding of journalism would have been from Morning Report.<\/p>\n \u201cIt gives voice to the less powerful and holds a mirror up to New Zealand life. To be able to do that, every weekday morning, with neither fear nor favour, is such an exciting opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n Campbell\u2019s political writing<\/p>\n A column that Campbell wrote for TVNZ soon after the announcement of the new coalition government in 2023 triggered a complaint to the Media Council.<\/p>\n The complainant described the column as a \u201crant\u201d. The council rejected the complaint but not before making some important observations.<\/p>\n The column, which appeared the day after the new coalition Government had been announced, was headlined, \u201cI hoped to be surprised – actually I\u2019m amazed\u201d.<\/p>\n Campbell did not mean this kindly.<\/p>\n As the Media Council noted, the column expressed \u201cJohn Campbell\u2019s disappointment at the coalition agreements and, in his view, their lack of attention to climate change and poverty, a \u2018deeply regressive\u2019 approach to race relations and misguided support for landlords and gun-owners\u201d.<\/p>\n Campbell was, said the council, \u201cstrongly critical of the three coalition parties and their leaders\u201d.<\/p>\n At one stage, he referred to a photo of Christopher Luxon, Winston Peters and David Seymour as they met to thrash out the new coalition agreement.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was art imitating life,\u201d wrote Campbell.<\/p>\n \u201cEverything in that photo is empty. The room. The walls. The table. The glasses [which are still upturned because Winston hasn\u2019t yet given Chris and David permission to use them]. And the men, too, as it turned out. Empty of ideas.\u201d<\/p>\n The council said that TVNZ rejected the complaint, saying Campbell, \u201clike any journalist, is not limited to writing straightforward news stories\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cAs chief correspondent, he has a mandate from TVNZ to \u2018examine topical issues from his perspective\u2019. Readers of his work as chief correspondent understand it includes \u2018his personal insights and opinions\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n Further, TVNZ told the council, the column was clearly an opinion piece and labelled as such.<\/p>\n \u201cThose opinions cannot be perceived as statements of fact. The discussion of issues such as child poverty and \u2018re-colonisation\u2019 were clearly presented as Mr Campbell\u2019s opinions, not as fact.\u201d<\/p>\n In its findings, the council said that since its formation in 1972, it was more common today for journalists to express opinions.<\/p>\n \u201cBut even then there was a tradition of advocacy journalism and opinion writing. In the years since, it has become increasingly common for journalists from any number of political persuasions to write opinion pieces.\u201d<\/p>\n The council said: \u201cThe piece complained about as \u2018a rant\u2019 is certainly one with much personal opinion and little analysis, which seems to be core to [complainant] Susan Fogarty\u2019s concerns.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor context, the strength of opinion in this and other recent pieces by John Campbell have sparked debate in the media and on social platforms as it is unusual for someone designated a \u2018correspondent\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201cMore commonly, those expressing personal opinions distinguish themselves as \u2018broadcasters\u2019 or \u2018writers\u2019, or if they are news gatherers writing something other than news, offer analysis rather than straight opinion.\u201d<\/p>\n A rushed announcement?<\/p>\n Sources say the Campbell announcement appeared rushed yesterday, illustrated by the point that the original RNZ website article stated he would be starting at Easter in 2026. <\/p>\n That was later corrected to state that a \u201cstart date is to be confirmed\u201d.<\/p>\n It is understood TVNZ will play a key role in that start date, taking into account any notice period and restraint of trade that it might wish to enforce.<\/p>\n After all, TVNZ has its own new-look Breakfast show launching in 2026, with a new host, Tova O\u2019Brien. A start date for her has yet to be announced.<\/p>\n The Girls Uninterrupted, interrupted<\/p>\n One of this country\u2019s most popular podcasts has ended, rather abruptly, after seven years and more than 300 episodes. Its hosts were in tears on the final episode this week.<\/p>\n The Girls Uninterrupted – hosted by Brodie Kane, Gracie Hitchcock, and Caitlin Marett – has been hosted on Stuff, as part of a distribution deal between Kane\u2019s company Brodie Kane Media and the publishing firm.<\/p>\n Stuff confirmed in a statement on its website that its distribution deal with Brodie Kane Media had come to an end, coinciding with the end of the podcast\u2019s seventh season. It wished the company all the best for the future. <\/p>\n Kane told Media Insider that, \u201cwe\u2019re going our separate ways, us girls\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s nothing in it other than the timing of the partnership with Stuff was coming to an end. It made sense to wind up.<\/p>\n \u201cAs far as Brodie Kane Media, I\u2019m always looking at ways to evolve and figure things out as a staff member of one. That\u2019s what I\u2019m just going to be looking to do for 2026.\u201d<\/p>\n Another of her podcasts, Kiwi Yarns, would continue, but not on Stuff.<\/p>\n She said the reality was that podcasts were \u201cbig behemoth monsters\u201d to produce. \u201cThey take a huge amount of time and energy so having a partnership is hugely beneficial. The partnership with Stuff has been mutually beneficial and one I have been genuinely happy to partner with over the past couple of years.\u201d<\/p>\n She said The Girls Uninterrupted had been a labour of love.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been a huge, amazing seven years, working with just two incredible women and navigating everything that we\u2019ve navigated together.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been an absolute pleasure and privilege to work with both of them. We\u2019ve had so much fun.\u201d<\/p>\n She said she loved the two other women unconditionally. \u201cThey have been very dear friends to me.\u201d<\/p>\n She said she could not speak about their own plans.<\/p>\n Hitchcock was not in a position to be able to chat yesterday, asking for questions to be emailed to her. Media Insider will update this article with any response. <\/p>\n Marett told Media Insider by text message: \u201cThanks for reaching out but I\u2019m not going to make any comment on this at this stage.\u201d<\/p>\n Inside courtroom 8.4<\/p>\n It\u2019s been quite the week in Auckland District Courtroom 8.4.<\/p>\n Anti-co-governance campaigner Julian Batchelor is suing TVNZ and researcher Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa for defamation over an online article in August 2023, which he claims accuses him of being racist. <\/p>\n TVNZ and Hattotuwa deny the claim and are defending it on three principles \u2013 truth, honest opinion and responsible communication in the public interest.<\/p>\n The case has had it all, including revelations that businessman and NZME director and shareholder Jim Grenon is funding Batchelor\u2019s case; the appearance on the witness stand of Batchelor himself; expert testimony from former TVNZ host Peter Williams on behalf of Batchelor, and plenty of well-known TVNZ faces watching on in the public gallery.<\/p>\n Judge David Clark retired yesterday to consider his decision, following four days of testimony and legal discussions.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a rundown.<\/p>\n Hit piece or honest opinion? Peter Williams takes the stand for Jim Grenon-backed evangelist against TVNZ. READ THE FULL STORY HERE<\/a><\/p>\n \u2018Silly me\u2019: Peter Williams labels campaigner a \u2018nutter\u2019 after testifying for him. READ THE FULL STORY HERE<\/a><\/p>\n \u2018Seriously rotten\u2019: Lawyers go head to head over Jim Grenon-funded TVNZ defamation claim. READ THE FULL STORY HERE<\/a><\/p>\n Another major bank moves on its agencies<\/p>\n With less than two weeks to go in an eventful year, the big manoeuvres within the advertising agency world show no signs of slowing.<\/p>\n This year, we\u2019ve seen several banks change out their media and\/or creative agency.<\/p>\n Notably, ANZ \u2013 currently with PHD \u2013 is reviewing its agency arrangements; that decision will be one of the biggest in early 2026.<\/p>\nTVNZ chief correspondent John Campbell is moving to RNZ. Photo \/ Greg Bowker<\/p>\n
NZ First leader Winston Peters, National’s Christopher Luxon and Act’s David Seymour. Photo \/ Winston Peters<\/p>\n
Tova O’Brien will host TVNZ Breakfast in 2026. Photo \/ Smoke Photo + Video<\/p>\n
The Girls Interrupted, now interrupted.<\/p>\n
Anti-co-governance campaigner Julian Batchelor is suing TVNZ over an online article in 2023.<\/p>\n