are currently being consulted over proposed changes.<\/a><\/p>\n![\"RNZ]()
RNZ Morning Report co-hosts John Campbell and Ingrid Hipkiss. Photo \/ RNZ<\/p>\n
Do Impey\u2019s comments about targeting the No 1 position mean more talent changes are possible, even for shows that have been through recent overhauls?<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is not a governor\u2019s role. We set the strategy, and it\u2019s up to the management to decide, with the overall strategic direction, those sorts of choices,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
He would be \u201chappy to offer advice, but the decision on talent and the make-up of shows is for the management led by the CEO\u201d.<\/p>\n
![\"RNZ]()
RNZ Saturday Morning hosts Susie Ferguson and Mihingarangi Forbes. Photo \/ RNZ<\/p>\n
Asked more generally if he thought there would be more changes, he said: \u201cIf you\u2019re operating as a dynamic business, you\u2019ve got to be open to change. You\u2019ve got to go where the market\u2019s going, and that\u2019s the sort of guidance that I\u2019d be giving the CEO as opposed to saying, I think X should be replaced by Y or whatever.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked what his personal view was of current RNZ talent, he said: \u201cI can\u2019t afford to have a personal view because it\u2019s one person\u2019s view and now that I\u2019ve taken on this role, it\u2019s different criteria. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve got to operate at a different level, so I don\u2019t have a view, and actually I\u2019ve cut myself out of a view because of the role.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked specifically about the proposed Saturday Morning changes, he says: \u201cI\u2019m not involved in that \u2013 no involvement whatsoever.\u201d<\/p>\n
He adds: \u201cPaul [chief executive Paul Thompson] reported to the board that a process has been started, a process is underway, and \u2013 you know \u2013 my view, \u2018noted\u2019. <\/p>\n
\u201cBut it\u2019s about ratings. If a show isn\u2019t rating, and we\u2019re out here to win, we\u2019ve got to win. So I\u2019m totally okay with the process.\u201d<\/p>\n
Focus on website performance <\/p>\n
Despite RNZ\u2019s growth in its digital numbers in recent years, Impey sees more opportunity.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we can continue to improve,\u201d he says, before citing the performance of other public broadcasters\u2019 websites.<\/p>\n
\u201cBBC\u2019s number one, ABC\u2019s number one, we\u2019re number three, right? We\u2019re here to win.\u201d<\/p>\n
Impey is one of New Zealand\u2019s most renowned business and media leaders. He has had a wide range of directorships and governance roles and was previously the chairman of NZ Rugby and a chief executive of MediaWorks (2000-2009).<\/p>\n
His media career has also included board roles at the Television Broadcasters Council, Advertising Standards Authority and Radio Broadcasters Association.<\/p>\n
Impey is the partner of MediaWorks chief executive Wendy Palmer. The pair were clear in September 2024, as was Media Minister Paul Goldsmith, that this would be managed appropriately.<\/p>\n
Impey said at the time: \u201cRNZ has a clear conflicts of interest policy which I agreed to upon joining the board. Adherence to this policy will ensure no issues arise.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"New]()
New RNZ chairman Brent Impey and MediaWorks chief executive Wendy Palmer. Photo \/ Getty<\/p>\n
More generally, Impey says today: \u201cI come from the view that the Government has appointed me as a chair, and they\u2019ve made these appointments of people to the board, and I have made it clear my view of coming into a role like this is that we\u2019ve got to win. <\/p>\n
\u201cTo be honest, it\u2019s no different from my role as chair of the Fijian Drua or chair of the advertising agency, Thompson Spencer. We had to win \u2013 that was my role at New Zealand Rugby and at MediaWorks.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn that respect, I hope that, in advance, people know what they\u2019re getting when they give me a gig.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trust and impartiality<\/p>\n
But surely it\u2019s not win at all costs, I pose, when RNZ also has public broadcasting principles and a public charter to meet.<\/p>\n
Here, Impey reverts to the importance of public perception.<\/p>\n
![\"Mike]()
Mike Hosking hosts Newstalk ZB’s breakfast show and John Campbell is Morning Report co-host on RNZ. Illustration \/ Oliver Rusden; Photos: NZME, RNZ<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can\u2019t do what ZB\u2019s done and gone well to the right, nor can we do what Today FM did and went quite a way out to the left, particularly that breakfast show, and it failed. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got to, within our realm, build trust, be impartial and drive that. So the answer is yes, as a public broadcaster, there are principles that we have to adhere to.\u201d <\/p>\n
Media Insider: What do you say to critics who say RNZ is left-wing?<\/p>\n
Impey: \u201cThe trust surveys show that, and I think that the opportunity is [an] impartiality position where you are criticised by both left and right. It\u2019s a fair question, and it\u2019s there in the survey results, and I think it\u2019s an opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n
Media Insider: Do you think it is left-wing?<\/p>\n
Impey: \u201cIt\u2019s not my view that it\u2019s left-wing. If someone perceives it that way and a large number of people perceive it that way, then the opportunity is to make the move. It\u2019s irrelevant what I think.\u201d<\/p>\n
A new chief executive<\/p>\n
Impey says his relationship with outgoing chief executive Paul Thompson is \u201cvery good\u201d.<\/p>\n
He and the rest of the board were advised by Thompson last December that he planned to leave at the end of this year, after 13 years as boss.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe talk regularly already,\u201d says Impey, who moves into the chairman role after having been an RNZ director since September 2024. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m one of those who … by going by no surprises, I don\u2019t need to have a set time per week to talk to him. But if I\u2019ve got a point to raise or he\u2019s got a point to raise, \u2018phone me\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"RNZ]()
RNZ chief executive Paul Thompson leaves at the end of the year.<\/p>\n
Over the next six months, Thompson will continue to be charged with building RNZ National\u2019s numbers, raising trust levels and further work on RNZ\u2019s website.<\/p>\n
Impey says RNZ is running an open process to find a new chief executive, with advertisements underway. A subcommittee of the RNZ board \u2013 Impey, Gracie MacKinlay, Mads Moller and Paula Browning \u2013 would filter candidates, with a shortlist of two or three to \u201ccome before the board for a final decision\u201d.<\/p>\n
He hopes RNZ can announce a new chief executive by September.<\/p>\n
Asked what new skill sets the board would be seeking in a chief executive, Impey says: \u201cThe view of myself and the new board is that we\u2019re going through a really dynamic, transformational time in media. RNZ\u2019s got to be part of that to provide the value for the shareholder [which] equals the New Zealand public. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe skills we are requiring are media skills, the ability to transform \u2013 a lot of that transformation can be in technology and [someone who] knows how to work in an ever-changing, dynamic industry.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo be honest, I would be very surprised if it wasn\u2019t someone with media experience.\u201d<\/p>\n
As Media Insider revealed last Friday,<\/a> RNZ is separating out the chief executive and editor-in-chief roles \u2013 both currently held by Thompson.<\/p>\n\u201cIf I go back to my broadcasting days at MediaWorks, one of the things that occurs, particularly in a small country like New Zealand, is pressure, whether it\u2019s commercial pressure or political pressure, on the CEO. <\/p>\n
\u201cBack in those days, when I first got there, we decided to prepare a deed of editorial independence, which was done between Mark Jennings as head of news and myself and that served us very, very well. <\/p>\n
\u201cBecause if those pressures come on \u2013 and they can come on in tight times and traumatic times \u2013 it\u2019s important that the organisation\u2019s editorial independence is known.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m very strong on that issue of editorial independence.<\/p>\n
\u201cGiven where New Zealand\u2019s at, given where the organisation\u2019s at, given we want to build trust \u2013 so it\u2019s linked to trust \u2013 the separation of these two roles makes sense.\u201d<\/p>\n
He expected RNZ\u2019s head of news, Mark Stevens, to take on the editor-in-chief role.<\/p>\n
Asked how he himself would handle any pressure from politicians, Impey is steadfast.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am more than open to talking with the minister if he wants to talk to me, any Opposition broadcasting spokesperson, any politician, leader, or otherwise. [I am] completely open because they are the Government, they represent the taxpayer. <\/p>\n
\u201cBut … if it ever moved to editorial, no.\u201d<\/p>\n
He says he would simply tell them it\u2019s inappropriate.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy role is to make sure we operate within budget, we operate according to the charter, we operate according to what\u2019s been agreed with the Crown. <\/p>\n
\u201cAll of that, no problem. I believe we should be very open. Hence this sort of interview.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"RNZ]()
RNZ chairman Brent Impey is one of New Zealand’s most experienced media and business leaders. Photo \/ Annaleise Shortland<\/p>\n
Broadcaster facing budget cuts<\/p>\n
RNZ is also facing hefty budget cuts \u2013 7% for the past 12 months, 2% for the current year and 5% next year and the following year.<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe that through a combination of technology and focused goals and other goals we\u2019ve been talking about, I think we can get there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Does he expect more staff cuts? RNZ had 349 staff as of November last year.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first thing is to come up with a plan \u2013 the plan to achieve those goals. <\/p>\n
\u201cOnce you\u2019ve done that, and you put your structures in place, then you know what your staff numbers are like, whether you need more or less. Technology is a terrific help in this space now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Editor-at-Large Shayne Currie is one of New Zealand\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Fighting talk that has possibly been missing, at least publicly, from the public broadcaster in recent years. RNZ’s…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":504074,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[95,42944,9516,138,37462,12974,23966,1888,1958,6101,95458,251454,251452,2936,16890,5983,1073,117,111,139,5006,69,90,2680,6452,251453,3109,4965,10465,45,32234,205,418,5824,210,61,9438,4524,6027],"class_list":["post-504446","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-business","tag-and","tag-brent","tag-broadcaster","tag-business","tag-chairman","tag-change","tag-enough","tag-first","tag-focus","tag-good","tag-i","tag-impartial","tag-impey","tag-insider","tag-journalism","tag-levels","tag-media","tag-new","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-not","tag-nz","tag-on","tag-opens","tag-opportunity","tag-perceptions","tag-public","tag-radio","tag-ratings","tag-rnz","tag-rnzs","tag-role","tag-shows","tag-talent","tag-through","tag-to","tag-trust","tag-want","tag-win"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/504446","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=504446"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/504446\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/504074"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=504446"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=504446"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=504446"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}