MediaWorks announces 2017 programming line-up

MediaWorks CEO Michael Anderson and other senior staff made a number of major announcements for 2017 at a recent trade event, as well as the results from the latest GfK Total New Zealand Commercial Radio Survey – which placed MediaWorks as the most listened to radio network in New Zealand with more than 2.2m listeners.

Michael Anderson said: “MediaWorks reaches 3.7 million NZers every month or 95% of all Kiwis – on our Radio, TV and Digital platforms. They are highly engaged with our content and this drives our desire for creativity to be at the centre of everything we do. Our scale, great content – and our unrivalled talent pool – is our point of difference in this market.

“For 2017, we will continue to work very closely with our customers to deliver fantastic opportunities around our content and enable their brands to engage with our listeners and viewers.“ 

Duncan Garner is the new host of its 6-9AM weekday news programme The AM Show.

Duncan will front the brand new morning show on TV3 & RadioLIVE, building on the success of the Paul Henry cross-platform format but with a new approach, new set and new sound.

The AM Show will retain some familiar attributes, but with a number of changes and additions.

MediaWorks’ Chief News Officer Hal Crawford said Duncan’s years of experience across talkback radio, the press gallery and current affairs made him the perfect fit for the job.

“Duncan will continue to deliver the fast-paced, informative and entertaining start to the morning that New Zealanders have grown to love with Paul Henry. He has immense reporting and presenting experience, and we are looking forward to him continuing the success of a format that has transformed the breakfast market.”

Host Duncan Garner said: “Content is king and that’s what the team and I are going to deliver – the best news, the best interviews, the best information you need to start your day. I also want to make sure everyone has a bloody good laugh too.

“Paul is a brilliant broadcaster who has changed the game in the mornings – I’m looking forward to building on that. Our new show will be warm, seriously smart, irreverent and funny. I can’t wait to rip into it.”

Other members of The AM Show team, and a replacement host on RadioLIVE’s Drive show, will be announced in the near future.

With sadness, MediaWorks can confirm that Paul Henry will be stepping down from morning presenting in 2017.

Since the launch of New Zealand’s first multi-platform breakfast programme Paul Henry in April 2015 and Paul’s earlier foray into late-night news with The Paul Henry Show from January 2014, he has been informing, entertaining and dividing audiences.

“I’m really proud of what we’ve done,” says Paul. “But it’s time for me to enjoy a life without the nightmare of 2.30am alarms. I don’t need to explain myself; you’ve seen how successful this broadcasting experiment has been.”

“Too many people spend their lives waiting to live. I don’t want to fall into that trap.”

Paul will remain part of the MediaWorks family, making guest appearances on 7PM’s new 2017 programme The Project and other potential roles to be announced next year.

Paul Henry Executive Producer Sarah Bristow says: “We’ve done incredible things, turning an idea and an untested format into something New Zealanders have loved waking up to. The results speak for themselves and to the hard work of our amazing team.”

“We are very sad to see Paul go, but thank him for his incredible work,” says MediaWorks CEO Michael Anderson. “It won’t be the same without him but the show must go on. We have the best team in the business to do it and we’re sure audiences will love The AM Show.”

The show will finish at the end of 2016. 

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