Exclusive: AM host Ryan Bridge to move to primetime for new current affairs show to replace The Project; RNZ’s bizarre move to target an already saturated audience; Big moves in the advertising world; TVNZ star
jumps ship to Sky; Star journalist and gold medalist engaged.

A new interview-based show, hosted by Ryan Bridge, will move into Three’s 7pm weekday slot early next year following the demise of The Project – a bold move by Warner Bros. Discovery to return to a harder-edged style of current affairs in primetime.

Bridge, 36, who hosts AM each weekday morning, will switch to the other end of the day, as Three returns to a less expensive but harder format, focused on one-to-one interviews. Newshub political reporter Lloyd Burr will replace him on AM, alongside Melissa Chan-Green.

“I’m bloody excited,” Bridge told Media Insider in an exclusive interview. “It’s very, very exciting.”

The name of the 7pm show has yet to be announced but Bridge will be the sole host, reminiscent of the days of Campbell Live, Holmes and Close Up.

It is an audacious move by Three which has run the more relaxed but expensive format of The Project for six years. The Project – which finished last week – had about 24 staff including hosts Jesse Mulligan, Kanoa Lloyd, Jeremy Corbett, and a revolving roster of other stars.

The company also paid a hefty international licensing fee for the use of The Project brand. Its axing has given Three a blank canvas upon which to build the new 7pm show, free of any contractual obligations.

In returning to a harder-edged show, Three will be banking on viewers wanting 90 minutes of news in primetime. Like The Project, TVNZ’s Seven Sharp at 7pm is a mixture of lifestyle and softer, human-interest stories.

“It’s different from what has come before in that it’s going to be much harder, I think, in its approach,” says Bridge. “It’s more news-focused and [with an] emphasis on live.

“[That’s] something that I definitely have a preference for. Obviously, you have to do some pre-record stuff, but I just love being live on telly – that’s what I love doing in the morning.

“A return to that style of interviewing at 7pm is the goal and I guess the big get for us will be that big daily news interview. Whatever is the most important or the most interesting interview of the day will be what we’re aiming to put up front.”

The show will start in the new year – an official date has yet to be announced.

Bridge has been at AM for the past two years, waking up between 2.30am and 3am each weekday, and working alongside Chan-Green.

Three is also announcing this morning that Burr will replace Bridge on AM.

“I’ve been fortunate to have a front-row seat to many news events over the past 13 years – but the seat I’m looking forward to the most is the one on AM,” says Burr.

“I’m excited to join such a brilliant, dynamic team and I couldn’t think of anyone better to share the couch with than Mel.”

Bridge has a strong news background, starting his career as a Radio Live news reporter in Auckland before moving to the parliamentary press gallery.

He then ventured on an OE, through South and Central America, and eventually worked in Beijing, for Chinese state media.

“That was a really interesting experience. It’s a very different country to New Zealand in terms of media freedom. It opened my mind to the way that things are done overseas and made me appreciate even more what we have at home and how lucky we are.”

While working on a piece for TV3′s Story, then TV3 news boss Mark Jennings offered him a fulltime role.

More recently, on the AM show, he has built a reputation as a hard-edged interviewer, especially with politicians.

“I’ve always been a curious person, but I think the fun thing about news is you get the opportunity to ask whatever you like and have the great privilege of [interviewing] people who are making the decisions or people who need to be held accountable.

“I think there’s nothing quite like a live interview to get that job done.

“That’s really what I’m most excited about – just the opportunity to be able to do that at a time of the day when it’s currently not really being done and where I can sleep in a little bit more!”

Bridge says he’s been inspired by a wide range of interviewers in the past including Mary Wilson, Lisa Owen, Paul Henry and even Graham Norton.

“My grandma always used to say, ‘Don’t be afraid to be yourself’.

“I like to laugh at myself and there are also a myriad of amazing characters around the country. I think it would be completely remiss to have a show at seven and not include them. There will definitely be lighter moments in the show. It’s not going to be just straight down the line interview, bang, bang, and not have any levity.”

For Bridge, the new role is bittersweet in one sense – saying farewell to Chan Green and the AM team. Their last show together will be next Friday.

“I just absolutely love working with her,” he says. “She’s been so supportive – she’s an absolute sweetheart. I’m going to miss being with her all the time.”

He says Burr, with his own background in the parliamentary press gallery, will be fantastic and he and Chan Green will make a great team.

“There will probably be tears,” he said of his own announcement this morning about his pending departure.

Opinion: Leaked – RNZ’s puzzling new audience strategy

RNZ is developing “a new digital experience” targeting 30- to 49-year-olds – putting it on a likely collision course with commercial media companies in a new strategy that appears to contradict earlier promises about how it would spend a big $25 million annual boost in public money.

An internal RNZ document obtained by Media Insider says the new digital experience – the broadcaster is planning a special mobile app with a new brand name and an extension of its existing website – “is intended to sit somewhere between Facebook … and Stuff”.

But, says the document, it would offer “additional value by being free of advertising, which enables a calmer and less ‘busy’ experience with none of the toxicity present in social media comments”.

RNZ went to market last week to find a technology partner to help build the digital experience. A design of how the app could look features in the document obtained by Media Insider.

The new strategy threatens to shift an already well-established 30- to 49-year-old audience group away from the likes of the NZ Herald, Stuff, Newshub, 1 News and The Spinoff websites and apps, therefore undermining those companies’ own advertising revenues at a time when most commercial media companies are facing serious financial headwinds.

The other, possibly bigger risk is a waste of taxpayer money, with RNZ investing in an audience segment that is already saturated with options, including RNZ’s own existing website and app.

In my opinion, it is a puzzling, provocative and problematic strategy from the public broadcaster.

It also arguably flies in the face of earlier promises by RNZ chief executive Paul Thompson that the $25m funding boost delivered by the previous Labour Government earlier this year would not be used to simply replicate what commercial companies were already doing.

“I’ve actually slowed down our planning,” Thompson told me in September. “I think the key thing is to not just look at the additional money but look at all of the money and have a thoughtful strategy.

“Our big challenge is to deliver more against our charter. It’s not to be carnivorous around other people’s audience or to grow for the sake of it. We have to actually deliver to the charter.”

In The Press in May, Tom Pullar-Strecker wrote that Thompson had told him there would not be any purpose in RNZ “ploughing its resources into areas where the media sector is currently strong, for example by trying to replicate Stuff or the New Zealand Herald’s online platforms”.

RNZ’s new ‘digital experience’

The document obtained by Media Insider – titled Digital Experience Strategy – was drawn up by an outside digital agency last month.

It recommends “three key areas of change”:

The RNZ document says: “Through research and testing a prototype, it was determined that the new digital experience needs to be … familiar, quick and easy to use; be up to date; be succinct (short content with no clickbait); contain a variety of stories and different content formats; be trusted; and offer a way for people to customise the content and media formats they see.”

In my opinion, the recommendations could easily have been written a decade ago, while the design prototype of the ‘digital experience’ is fine but nothing out of the ordinary.

While the stated principles include trusted content with no clickbait, headlines on the prototype include: “Best signs at the teachers’ strike”; “Why is Taylor Swift skipping NZ on her world tour”; and a video titled “Is it love at first hi-vis”.

Meanwhile, the description of 30- to 49-year-olds as “younger audiences” will be flattering to those in that group – especially those in their late 40s.

In reality, that age group is already extremely well-served by commercial media, many of whom are also focusing on targeting a truly under-served youth market – the 15- to 24-year-olds.

NZME this year launched its social-platform-led brand What the Actual; Stuff has brought in new snackable vertical video content on its main website; and since 2017, TVNZ has had Re:, its youth-focused news platform.

Last year, an in-depth piece of NZ on Air research found: “Each day less than one in three 15-24-year-olds watch TV, local on-demand sites or listen to the radio – media where they will have a better opportunity to engage with NZ content. Instead, they are predominantly on social media, overseas online video sites, SVOD and playing online games.”

So why isn’t RNZ training its news sights on that under-served age group, rather than 30- 49-year-olds?

To be fair, RNZ has had a rocky time in previous attempts to target youth audiences.

From 2013 to 2018 it operated The Wireless as a separate website targeting 18- to 30-year-olds but this folded into the main RNZ website and eventually stopped after reportedly failing to make significant inroads.

In 2020, there was public outrage – and eventually a big backdown – when RNZ proposed moving Concert FM on to AM, freeing up FM for a new youth music brand.

RNZ launched Tahi as a digital audio play in late 2021, but this is focused on music and culture, rather than news.

Strategy signed off by exec, RNZ goes to market

In a separate request for proposal (RFP) document, RNZ is seeking a technology partner to help it develop the new digital experience, which will be “mobile-focused”; “built as a web experience (accessed via rnz.co.nz)”; and “extended to a mobile application”.

The RFP says RNZ’s digital audience has tended to accumulate around its traditional audience base – “typically those 40 years old or older across all platforms”.

It also reveals that the RNZ executive has signed off on the recommended approach.

“We created a basic prototype of the new experience which we tested through qualitative and quantitative audience research. The research found interest in the proposed experience that coalesced around a target audience of 30 to 49-year-olds and confirmed some of the features an experience might need for it to be engaging.”

The RFP says RNZ is part way through designing the new-look experience which will also come up with “a name and related branding for the experience”.

The RFP sets a deadline for proposals in mid-January. The contract is expected to start in February or March, working through to September.

The RFP specifically notes that RNZ is not asking for a “fully costed proposal”.

That will come later once respondents are shortlisted and participate in a “planning and approach phase”.

RNZ responds

Early yesterday afternoon, I put a range of specific questions to RNZ about the new strategy – including questions about possible risks and how the new strategy reconciles with the CEO’s earlier public comments.

RNZ did not answer these questions specifically; instead, it gave a general response.

“We do not believe that there are any New Zealanders who shouldn’t have the opportunity to access public media and we will continue to create new content and improve our platforms to reach more people,” said a spokeswoman.

She said RNZ worked to the obligations set out by its charter.

“The Charter says RNZ should have services which are innovative and engaging. And what RNZ offers via these will be distinctively RNZ public media content.”

She highlighted several aspects of the Charter requirements, including that RNZ be “predominantly and distinctively of New Zealand”; “that we inform, entertain, and enlighten the people of New Zealand, and provide programmes which balance special interest with those of wide appeal, recognising the interests of all age groups”; and that also, ”we take advantage of the most effective means of delivery.”

The Charter also states, as its first key point, that the public company’s purpose is to serve the public interest.

With many commercial media companies already covering the travails of Taylor Swift and why she can’t make it to New Zealand, it’s puzzling to know why RNZ feels the need to chase the same stories and audiences, as public interest pieces.

Revealed: New RNZ show

RNZ is, meanwhile, launching a new multimedia current affairs show.

It is seeking an executive producer and producer for the video show. Both roles are being established as six-month fixed-term contracts “to establish season one of the programme”.

“This role will suit someone with experience attracting and managing high-profile guests. You’ll be responsible for empowering the team to make interesting, energised and agenda-setting programmes,” say the job advertisements.

A spokeswoman said: “RNZ is excited to be bringing New Zealand a new video-based weekly current affairs show in 2024. We will be announcing more details about this show in the New Year. We are looking for a media partner to share the content with to ensure it reaches as wide an audience as possible.”

TVNZ star switches to Sky

TVNZ sports broadcaster Kimberlee Downs is joining Sky.

She will start in February as a presenter and reporter and Sky says it “can’t wait” to welcome her.

“Kimberlee will contribute to our rugby coverage in particular, and given her experience and talents, is likely to feature in our Paris 2024 Olympic coverage and other major events and sports,” says Sky chief corporate affairs officer Chris Major.

“As a talented female broadcaster with a bright future, Kimberlee joins a formidable team of women on air at Sky, helping to fulfil our commitment to helping women and girls ‘See the Possible’ in sport broadcasting, both in front of and behind the camera.

“That team includes Kirstie Stanway, Laura McGoldrick, Rikki Swannell, Storm Purvis, Courtney Tairi, Honey Hireme-Smiler, Ravinder Hunia, Taylah Johnson, Anna Wilcox and Taylor Curtis.

Star ad leader leaving MediaWorks

MediaWorks’ head of agency Jaana Collins – one of New Zealand’s best-known and respected advertising leaders – is leaving the business.

She could not be contacted yesterday for comment, but in a statement to Media Insider, MediaWorks chief executive Wendy Palmer said: “In her time at MediaWorks, Jaana has rebuilt an amazing agency sales team and made a significant contribution to MediaWorks in both commercial and culture spheres.

“She has been co-chair of our Moana Network and has also been active in our Women’s Network and mentoring programmes. Jaana has been an inspiring leader for her team and I know she has incredible relationships in the market and will be missed.”

‘Too good to pass up’: GroupM poaches Stanley St star

GroupM has poached another of New Zealand advertising’s stars, appointing Emily Scovell as chief strategy officer.

Scovell, who has been with Stanley St for two years, most recently as chief media officer, will join GroupM in January.

GroupM says her newly created role bolsters its capabilities across all three of its agencies – EssenceMediacom, Wavemaker and Mindshare – “offering higher-end strategic thinking to our clients, with a particular focus on digital and data strategy”.

Meanwhile, GroupM chief digital officer Christophe Spencer takes on an expanded remit as chief product officer, focusing on data, technology, influencers, performance media, SEO, marketing sciences and consultancy to deliver integrated solutions.

“I’m thrilled Emily will be joining us to take on this new role,” says GroupM chief executive John Halpin.

“She has a knack for connecting the dots between strategy, technology, and communication. She will operate as the key link between what we think and what we do, working seamlessly across our agencies, and in close partnership with Christophe, to drive the development of GroupM’s product and our next-era capabilities.

“Christophe is second to none in the data and tech space and in his new role will be able to deliver high-level thinking and solutions to our clients in a critical and fast-paced area.”

Scovell said: “The opportunity to come back to GroupM and be part of the mission to shape the next era of media at the same time as making advertising better was too good to pass up.”

One Good Text

Former editor of The Press in Christchurch and editor-in-chief of The Age in Melbourne, Andrew Holden, was this week announced as the new public affairs director for the News Publishers Association.

Marriage with Madison

The NZ Herald’s very own Markets with Madison host Madison Reidy has announced her engagement to Paralympics gold medalist and businessman Liam Malone.

The pair first met a decade ago – they can’t specifically remember the event – but went their separate ways and reconnected a little over two years ago.

“He asked me on a coffee date after one of the lockdowns lifted. We debated inflation and Reserve Bank monetary policy the entire time. Our relationship is the only good thing to come from inflation!” says Reidy.

When they first started dating, they spent a week in Hahei in the Coromandel. “It quickly became our favourite place.

“We went back last weekend for some much-needed zen. When we arrived, we took our two dogs to the beach for what I thought was a Friday evening walk, but Liam had other ideas. We had the beach to ourselves and he proposed! We celebrated with champagne on a picnic table at the Hahei campground – as casual as it gets, it was perfect.”

A wedding date has yet to be set.

“I spend every waking minute in our newsroom, you know I don’t have time to plan a wedding!! Haha. Whatever we do, whenever we do it, it’ll be relaxed, intimate and wonderful.”

Reidy, 28, says the pair are each other’s biggest supporters.

“We’re both very passionate about what we do and are equally proud of each other. I’d say his sense of humour is his best asset, but I’m funnier …”

Malone, 29, says: “We make a great team. We’re lucky that we share similar interests and are both curious people. It means we can jump in and support each other on a moment’s notice, knowing we’ll have a valuable lens on whatever challenge or idea we’re facing that day. I adore Madison and feel extremely lucky every day that I get to have her as my person.”

Razor’s media charm offensive

New All Blacks coach Scott ‘Razor’ Robertson and NZR boss Mark Robinson appear to be on a charm offensive, meeting around a dozen or so rugby journalists in Auckland yesterday.

The NZR pair hosted editorial staff for breakfast, outlining their approach to the new season. The session was apparently “off the record”, but I’m reliably informed the pastries and coffee went down well.

Let’s hope it’s the beginning of a new era of All Blacks media relations, where players are given more freedom to speak and start to better understand and appreciate the media’s role as the public’s eyes and ears.

Random thought…

Is Candy Cane Lane one of the worst Christmas films ever made? Quite possibly. What was Eddie Murphy thinking?

Who’s going to produce a modern-day Christmas classic, along the lines of Love Actually or the original Die Hard?