TVNZ\u2019s main leaders\u2019 debate, moderated by Jack Tame, will take place on Tuesday, October 6; The NZ Herald\/ZB\/Three debate, moderated by Ryan Bridge, is on Wednesday, October 14; Stuff will hold its debate, moderated by a potpourri of broadcasters and journalists including Paddy Gower, on Tuesday, October 20.Christopher Luxon and Chris Hipkins at the 2023 Newshub debate. Photo \/ Newshub<\/p>\n
Notably, TVNZ has missed out on having two main leaders\u2019 debates this time.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Prime Minister\u2019s Office has declined an invitation for TVNZ\u2019s second leaders\u2019 debate, on 5 November,\u201d a TVNZ spokeswoman said. \u201cTVNZ will use this space in the schedule for alternative election programming.\u201d<\/p>\n
A spokesman for the PM\u2019s Office said: \u201cWe received a large number of debate requests and have carefully considered a range of factors including audience reach and how dates and times aligned with our campaign. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe have agreed to three leaders\u2019 debates and a number of other long-format interviews, but we will leave it with those media organisations to confirm their debate plans publicly.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a statement, Bridge said of his 90-minute debate: \u201cAudiences can expect a fresh, fast-paced and fair contest of ideas.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s no doubt this is a tight race with minor parties likely to have a significant influence on who gets the keys to the Beehive\u2019s ninth floor. This is a chance for New Zealanders to watch the leaders interact live, and unedited at a crucial point in the campaign.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Herald\/ZB\/Three debate will be followed by a post-debate analysis show hosted by Herald senior correspondent Katie Bradford.<\/p>\n
Various media organisations are also hosting other election campaign specials, interviews and debates, including multi-party debates featuring Act, New Zealand First, the Greens, Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori and Opportunity.<\/p>\n
Bridge will moderate two other debates for the Herald and Three: <\/p>\n
The Future of New Zealand debate on Wednesday, October 7 \u2013 featuring politicians, entrepreneurs, business leaders and other influential voices;The Powerbrokers\u2019 Debate on Wednesday, October 21, with Act\u2019s David Seymour, NZ First\u2019s Winston Peters, the Greens\u2019 Marama Davidson, one of the two Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori co-leaders and Opportunity\u2019s Qiulae Wong.<\/p>\n
NZ Herald head of video strategy Sarah Bristow said the company\u2019s three debates would play a defining role. \u201cIn Ryan Bridge we have one of the country\u2019s sharpest interviewers and these premium, live events will be a must-watch for voters, bringing them closer to the people and ideas shaping New Zealand\u2019s future.\u201d<\/p>\n
TVNZ\u2019s multi-party debate will take place on Tuesday, October 13, moderated by Breakfast co-host Tova O\u2019Brien. All current \u2018minor\u2019 parties in Parliament as well as the Opportunity Party will feature. \u201cThe final party line-up will remain open until the week of the debate, reflecting the timing of TVNZ\u2019s qualifying polls,\u201d said the TVNZ spokeswoman.<\/p>\n
Ryan Bridge, Jack Tame, Paddy Gower and Tova O’Brien are all set to play key roles in TV leadership debates.<\/p>\n
In a press release yesterday, Stuff did not specifically announce a moderator for its Luxon-Hipkins debate \u2013 Gower seems the obvious choice given the stellar job he did for Three\/Newshub in 2023.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will have a number of our team involved in the PM\u2019s debate including Paddy Gower, Luke Malpass, Samantha Hayes and a panel of respected commentators,\u201d a Stuff spokeswoman said in a follow-up response.<\/p>\n
Stuff has abandoned its usual South Island debate, broadcast from Christchurch, in favour of a nationwide one. (Stuff\u2019s planned South Island leaders\u2019 debate in 2023 was canned after Hipkins tested positive for Covid.)<\/p>\n
Like the other two leaders\u2019 debates, Stuff\u2019s will be hosted from Auckland. It is also hosting a debate on October 1, featuring the other political parties and key leaders \u2013 Seymour, NZ First\u2019s Shane Jones, the Greens\u2019 Chl\u00f6e Swarbrick, one of the two Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori co-leaders; and Wong.<\/p>\n
Stuff\u2019s press release also stated that for each debate, there would be moderation and analysis from journalists and editors including Malpass, Matthew Hooton, Jenna Lynch, Andrea Vance, and Kamala Hayman.<\/p>\n
Newstalk ZB\u2019s Mike Hosking will host a series of leaders\u2019 breakfasts from 7am-9am, including Hipkins on Tuesday, October 27; the leaders of the minor parties on Thursday, October 29 (30 minutes each), and Luxon on Monday, November 2.<\/p>\n
Other major media firms, including RNZ, are also planning broader election campaign coverage – and that\u2019s before we get to election night coverage itself.<\/p>\n
\u2018Hopelessly confused\u2019: TVNZ criticised as Breakfast case adjourned<\/p>\n
TVNZ has accused the Employment Court of \u201cmaterial errors\u201d and of misdirecting itself when it rejected the broadcaster\u2019s application for suppression orders surrounding details of the Kamahl Santamaria case.<\/p>\n
The news organisation wants to keep secret the identities of staff, including newsroom employees, who made comments about the former Breakfast co-host in \u201cprivate communications\u201d.<\/p>\n
According to a new Employment Court judgment, TVNZ says there would be \u201cadverse consequences\u201d from any media reporting that was \u201cunfair to it and others which cannot be remedied\u201d.<\/p>\n
TVNZ is also trying to keep secret details of its payout to Santamaria and other matters contained in a record of settlement that the parties signed when he left the broadcaster in May 2022. <\/p>\n
It also does not want to disclose a full copy of the Robins Report to Santamaria \u2013 the report was commissioned by TVNZ after his departure and investigated the company\u2019s recruitment policies and how he came to be employed.<\/p>\n
Last week, the Employment Court rejected TVNZ\u2019s bid for non-publication orders, and it also told the broadcaster it should release the Robins Report,<\/a> but TVNZ has now applied to the Court of Appeal for leave to appeal.<\/p>\n The substantive employment case was due to start on Monday this week, but the new judgment from the Employment Court has confirmed it has been adjourned while the suppression argument is sorted.<\/p>\n That latest judgment also indicates the substantive employment case is now unlikely to be heard until at least March next year.<\/p>\n That\u2019s almost five years since the Santamaria saga unfolded \u2013 he was employed by TVNZ for 32 days and appeared on the Breakfast show 16 times before he resigned in May 2022, after an incident involving a female staff member in the TVNZ newsroom.<\/p>\n The parties have already agreed – and the judge has ruled – that the name of a person, known only as \u2018Person X\u2019, would be suppressed for the case. In recent weeks, TVNZ has wanted wider suppression.<\/p>\n Santamaria\u2019s lawyer Daniel Kalderimis, KC, described TVNZ\u2019s application as \u201chopelessly confused\u201d, according to the latest Employment Court judgment from Judge Kerry Smith.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was, in his view, really an unmeritorious application to adjourn the hearing,\u201d wrote the judge.<\/p>\n \u201cThe submission was that really the defendant [TVNZ] is unprepared. That was said to be illustrated by it not adhering to timetables, including, most recently, seeking to defer exchanging its opening address even though the timing of that exchange was revised as recently as July. <\/p>\n \u201cHe was critical of the defendant not taking account for its own actions in applying late to address a possible dispute over non-publication it had known for some time was a live issue. Mr Kalderimis was also critical of the application for leave to appeal which he referred to as essentially weak.\u201d<\/p>\n For TVNZ, Maria Dew, KC, noted \u201cthe confidentiality otherwise required by the parties\u2019 settlement agreement would be extinguished\u201d if non-publication orders were not imposed.<\/p>\n \u201cThese submissions emphasised that a remedy the defendant is seeking is a declaration that confidentiality in the settlement agreement must be maintained and a compliance order under s 137 of the act to compel compliance with that agreement,\u201d the judge said.<\/p>\n \u201cMs Dew\u2019s point was that if there is wide publicity of this proceeding, which has already attracted significant media attention, the benefit of that settlement agreement will be lost without the non-publication orders the defendant [TVNZ] wants. <\/p>\n \u201cAnticipating a response from Mr Kalderimis, KC, she emphasised that the decision to apply for non-publication orders in July, with a hearing scheduled for mid-August, was not a tactical one. That was because the significance of these issues materialised at about the time the common bundle index was produced and, when the magnitude of what was to be referred to in the evidence became apparent to the defendant, it moved as quickly as it could.\u201d<\/p>\n The judge noted that TVNZ was claiming \u201cmaterial errors\u201d in his earlier judgement which rejected suppression \u201cand that the court misdirected itself in applying the legal principles relating to the application\u201d.<\/p>\n TVNZ was told by the judge its application for leave to appeal to the Court of Appeal \u201cmust be pursued urgently\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThere was also a discussion with counsel over when the hearing might be held once the Court of Appeal has dealt with the application for leave to appeal and any appeal. <\/p>\n \u201cAs matters currently stand a two-week hearing could be accommodated in March 2027.\u201d<\/p>\n A TVNZ spokeswoman said: \u201cThis matter is before the court and we won\u2019t be commenting.\u201d<\/p>\n On his website, Santamaria has written of the adjournment.<\/p>\n \u201cMy legal team and I were prepared and ready to proceed with the hearing \u2013 1005 days after launching the original proceedings in the Employment Relations Authority \u2013 but I fully respect the judge\u2019s decision to adjourn.<\/p>\n \u201cI also believe the judge\u2019s original decisions issued on August 12 were principled and correct, and I am confident they will be upheld on appeal.<\/p>\n \u201cTVNZ, a Government-owned media organisation whose own journalists rely on the principle of open justice every day, is seeking to keep information in this case from the public. I will continue to oppose that at every step.<\/p>\n \u201cThe judge has indicated the potential for a revised court date in March 2027 \u2013 more than three years after these proceedings began \u2013 and, as ever, I remain committed to the legal process.\u201d<\/p>\n Surprise new RNZ board member<\/p>\n This one slipped under the radar, but RNZ has a new \u201cassociate member\u201d on its board – a former Sky TV, TVNZ and MediaWorks chief financial officer.<\/p>\n Eroad chief financial officer Ciara McGuigan joined the RNZ board in July, according to a biography quietly added to the RNZ website.<\/p>\n McGuigan departed Sky TV abruptly in February last year,<\/a> just 16 days before the company was due to announce its financial results. Media Insider was told at the time that the respected CFO\u2019s departure had come as an \u201cutter shock\u201d internally, and some people were in tears when they learned the news.<\/p>\n She joins RNZ as it embarks on a huge year ahead, seeking to remove costs. The public broadcaster announced last week plans to cut 25 to 30 roles<\/a> \u2013 around 10% of its workforce – over the next 10 months as part of a major cost-cutting move.<\/p>\n RNZ told staff \u2013 in an email leaked to the NZ Herald \u2013 that it needed to reduce staff numbers to remain \u201cfinancially sustainable\u201d.<\/p>\n Last night, RNZ chair Brent Impey said: \u201cAs with all board appointments, RNZ is focused on ensuring the board has the skills and experience required to support the organisation in delivering its public media mandate. <\/p>\n \u201cCiara\u2019s knowledge of the media sector and strong commercial and financial expertise will be a valuable addition to the board, and I am pleased to welcome her.\u201d<\/p>\n The associate director role is a development opportunity for a future leader to join a board and gain experience in governance, leadership and strategy. <\/p>\n McGuigan was appointed by the RNZ board through a statutory process. It is not a ministerial appointment.<\/p>\n Her RNZ bio outlines her media background. \u201cCiara also brings experience in commercial strategy, governance and business transformation, with a focus on helping organisations deliver long-term value while maintaining strong accountability and public trust.\u201d<\/p>\n TVNZ, NZME, Sky TV set to deliver results<\/p>\n State-owned TVNZ and publicly listed Sky TV and NZME will next week deliver their latest financial results \u2013 an important window on the fortunes of media and the state of the overall economy.<\/p>\n All three media firms rely heavily on commercial revenue, and their results and outlooks will be watched closely for any hint that marketing budgets are being loosened, which would be an encouraging sign of rising business confidence.<\/p>\n Sky TV and NZME also have important subscription revenue streams \u2013 a business model that TVNZ is only just embarking on \u2013 and these numbers should also give an indication of consumer confidence.<\/p>\n Sky TV <\/p>\n Sky TV will announce its full-year financial results to June 30, 2026, on Friday morning.<\/p>\n Forsyth Barr analyst Ben Crozier is expecting a \u201csolid result\u201d, with three key areas of focus for him: the number of sport subscribers and revenue; Sky Free\u2019s commercial and costs performance (Sky acquired TV3\/Three last August); and the performance of its streaming service Neon, especially since the loss of HBO Max content and hit shows such as The Pitt.<\/p>\n In a research note, Crozier said he expected Sky Box subscribers to have fallen by about 14,000 in the second half of financial year 2026. That was in line with recent run rates and was partially offset by \u201csolid\u201d average revenue per user growth.<\/p>\n On Neon, he said: \u201cWith the removal of HBO content in mid-June, all focus will be on subscriber trends over the last two months. We expect revenue to meaningfully fall in FY27 to $36m from a ~$50m prior run-rate.\u201d<\/p>\n He also expected about 12% revenue growth for the Sky Sport Now streaming platform.<\/p>\n While Sky was unlikely to specify its Three revenues, he said \u201cslowing declines in total linear advertising would be taken well\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cWe also expect a meaningful focus on the outlook. SKT\u2019s last three-year targets were released in FY23 (for FY26); with the acquisition of Sky Free and renewal of key sports rights, we expect SKT to be in a position to provide new medium-term targets.\u201d<\/p>\n He believed a dividend target of more than 35c per share by FY29 \u201cwould be taken well by the market\u201d. <\/p>\n The company was also in a \u201cvery attractive net cash position\u201d of $60m\u2013$70m, and clarity on how it intended to return this to shareholders or invest it at attractive rates of return \u201cwould be welcome\u201d.<\/p>\n Sky TV shares closed at $3.34 on Thursday – up two cents for the day.<\/p>\n TVNZ<\/p>\n TVNZ will also deliver its full financial year results next Friday \u2013 this might be the most politically noisy result. <\/p>\n As Media Insider first revealed last month,<\/a> the company is forecasting almost $50m of cumulative losses across two years as it invests in its transformation from a traditional broadcaster to a digital-first media business.<\/p>\n TVNZ is forecasting a $20.7m financial loss in 2026 and a further $28.1m loss next year as the state-owned broadcaster deliberately and heavily invests in its five-year digital strategy.<\/p>\n The broadcaster has previously signalled it would fall into the red over the next two years \u2013 the scale of those expected losses has been revealed in its new statement of performance expectations.<\/p>\n TVNZ is a Crown-owned entity – it is not funded by the taxpayer, with almost all of its revenue coming from advertising.<\/p>\n However, its financial performance has been under heavy scrutiny from the Government after several years in which it did not pay a dividend.<\/p>\n Earlier this year, TVNZ announced a $2.4m net after-tax profit<\/a> for the six months to December 31 and a $1.6m dividend. This was on the back of revenue of $134m for the half-year, down 12% on the same period in the previous year.<\/p>\n NZME<\/p>\n NZME, publisher of the NZ Herald and BusinessDesk and owner of OneRoof and Newstalk ZB and a suite of entertainment radio stations, will deliver its six-month financial result on Tuesday.<\/p>\n In a research note last week, Forsyth Barr analysed NZME\u2019s acquisition of Stuff\u2019s Wellington printing press.<\/a> NZME plans to relocate it to Auckland.<\/p>\n \u201cManagement expects annualised operating savings of c.$7m once installed, subject to print volumes, against total project investment of up to $15m over two years,\u201d said Forsyth Barr analysts James Lindsay, Georgio Toulis and Gordon Sims.<\/p>\n They lifted NZME\u2019s spot valuation to $1.20, reflecting higher peer multiples, model roll-forward and lower long-term publishing costs.<\/p>\n They also expected to hear on Tuesday, \u201cdetail on investment phasing, lease and transition costs, and the bridge to management\u2019s c.$7m savings estimate\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cFocus will also be on OneRoof execution and broader advertising conditions. We forecast 1H26 total revenue of $170.1m (+2.5% against the prior year) and operating ebitda of $25.4m (+6.3%), supported by the FY25 cost reset.\u201d<\/p>\n In a later research note, Forsyth Barr also considered NZME\u2019s fortunes in light of MediaWorks, its major radio industry competitor, being acquired by the publicly listed Australian media firm Sports Entertainment Group for $130m.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThe acquisition gives SEG immediate scale in New Zealand radio and national distribution for its sports, events, and digital content,\u201d Forsyth Barr\u2019s trio of analysts said.<\/p>\n \u201cMediaWorks already holds the larger commercial radio audience share, so the transaction does not alter the existing scale gap with NZM. <\/p>\n \u201cThe key change is MediaWorks\u2019 access to SEG\u2019s sports content and digital capabilities. NZM has a smaller dedicated sports-audio offering, limiting direct programme overlap, although MediaWorks should be able to sell advertisers a broader mix of music, entertainment, and sports inventory. <\/p>\n \u201cFor NZM, we view the transaction as supportive of our valuation and modestly negative for competition. We make no changes to our forecasts or NZ$1.20 spot valuation.\u201d<\/p>\n NZME shares closed at $1.10 on Thursday – up four cents for the day.<\/p>\n Air NZ set to land account <\/p>\n Air New Zealand is about to land a decision on its advertising media agency, with all eyes on whether Dentsu has retained the account after a competitive pitch.<\/p>\n Dentsu and three other agencies are battling for the airline\u2019s business.<\/p>\n There is plenty of turbulent speculation around who the other three agencies might be, with names such as PHD, Accenture and Publicis being tossed around.<\/p>\n An Air NZ spokeswoman said the airline expected to have an update in the next month.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Dentsu says it continues to operate profitably in New Zealand, despite the books showing an $18.1 million post-tax loss last year.<\/p>\n \u201cOur New Zealand business remains strong and continues to deliver a positive operating profit result,\u201d Dentsu NZ group managing director Rachel Anderson-Cormack told Media Insider in a statement yesterday.<\/p>\n \u201cThe FY25 statutory accounts do not provide a complete picture of our underlying performance, as they include a range of non-trading and intercompany items.\u201d<\/p>\n Dentsu hasn\u2019t specified what those are, but its accounts, filed with the Companies Office, show a goodwill impairment charge of $13.36m.<\/p>\n Its overall revenue in New Zealand was $46.7m in 2025, compared with $51.88m in 2024. Personnel costs dropped from $38.08m in 2024 to $33.23m in 2025.<\/p>\n The bottom-line loss of $18.1m compares with a loss of $19.056m the previous year.<\/p>\n Aside from Air NZ, Dentsu has a range of other high-profile media and creative accounts including Woolworths, TVNZ, Placemakers and Movember.<\/p>\n \u201cDentsu remains committed to the New Zealand market and to helping our clients grow,\u201d said Anderson-Cormack, who also highlighted a number of top awards the agency had won.<\/p>\n \u201cWe believe the future belongs to growth partners that can bring together the right capabilities, talent and technology to solve complex business challenges and deliver measurable outcomes. Our focus remains on doing exactly that while continuing to evolve our business in line with client needs.\u201d<\/p>\n She said at \u201ca headline level\u201d, Dentsu\u2019s focus had been on ensuring the company had \u201cthe right capabilities, leadership and technology to help our clients grow\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThat means sharpening where we invest, simplifying the business where appropriate, and building around the areas where we can create the greatest value for clients.\u201d<\/p>\n During the first half of its financial year, it had sold its Salesforce implementation capability. <\/p>\n \u201cWe also welcomed Nikki McKelvie as managing director of Dentsu Creative and Liz Knox as group executive director, technology and operations. These appointments strengthen our ability to connect creativity, media, data and technology around client outcomes.\u201d<\/p>\n She said the New Zealand market remained competitive, \u201cand clients are understandably disciplined about where they invest\u201d. <\/p>\n \u201cWhile the election may create some short-term caution in parts of the market, the broader economic environment remains the more significant factor. Clients continue to invest where there is a clear connection to growth and measurable business outcomes, which is where we are focusing our efforts.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a matter of policy, we do not comment on active pitch processes, provide forward-looking financial forecasts, or speculate on future workforce numbers.\u201d<\/p>\n Radio ratings<\/p>\n Newstalk ZB has extended its overall share over commercial rivals in the latest radio ratings while a new battle is emerging between music stations for second place.<\/p>\n ZB\u2019s overall audience across New Zealand has remained stable at 656,900 (down 500 listeners), but its commercial share increased from 14.4 points to 14.6.<\/p>\n Its closest commercial rival, MediaWorks\u2019 music station The Breeze, dropped 18,900 listeners and 0.3 share points to 9.2.<\/p>\n Public broadcaster RNZ\u2019s radio audience numbers will be released next week.<\/p>\nFormer TVNZ Breakfast host Kamahl Santamaria.<\/p>\n
Maria Dew KC is representing TVNZ. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n
Former Breakfast co-hosts Kamahl Santamaria, Jenny-May Clarkson, Matty McLean and Indira Stewart. Photo \/ TVNZ <\/p>\n
Former Sky TV and TVNZ executive Ciara McGuigan.<\/p>\n
Sky TV chief executive Sophie Moloney. Photo \/ NZME <\/p>\n
TVNZ chief executive Jodi O’Donnell. Photo \/ Sylvie Whinray <\/p>\n
NZME chief executive Michael Boggs. Photo \/ Michael Craig<\/p>\n
Four agencies are in the running for the airline’s media account. Photo \/ Mark Mitchell<\/p>\n
Dentsu NZ group managing director Rachel Anderson-Cormack.<\/p>\n