Staff were told of the impending closure at a meeting this morning. Scroll down for the latest updates.
Warner Bros Discovery is proposing to shut down its news wing, Newshub, from the end of June this year. The proposal, first shared to staff this morning and later to all media, includes the closure of all Newshub’s multi-platform news operations and output, and new local programming would only be in collaboration with local funding bodies and other partners.
Glen Kyne, senior vice president, head of networks, at Warner Bros. Discovery ANZ said today’s news was the result of ongoing pressures in the New Zealand media landscape.
“Every time we think we’ve landed on stable footing, something comes along and makes it unstable again, forcing us to look at ways of further reducing costs. We’ve now reached a stage where any further reduction in costs means proposing major changes,” he said in a statement.
“This is why we are proposing to shut down the newsroom. This would mean stopping all news production including the Newshub website from June 30.”
Follow along for live updates below
Sinead Boucher calls out David Farrier for his ‘rumblings’ about Stuff
Former TV3 journalist David Farrier wrote an edition of his Substack Webworm under the headline ‘Journalism in New Zealand is collapsing’. Within it he not only detailed the news about Newshub, but also made unsourced reference to alleged issues at Stuff. “Rumblings are coming out about money troubles at New Zealand’s biggest news producer, Stuff, and some journalists are pointing to it as the next media company that might shut down.”
This has prompted an extremely strong reaction from Stuff owner and publisher Sinead Boucher, who wrote an all-staff email to reject the insinuation. “Today’s news has also brought out those who love to take potshots at Stuff, and our strong position in the media marketplace. They have been doing this for years – referring to ‘rumblings’ about our financial position and organisational strength.”
She went on to talk about its position, including stating that the company is “debt-free” – a pointed response to a curious speculative passage in last week’s Media Insider column from the NZ Herald’s Shayne Currie. “I want to unequivocally call them out for this and ensure you all know they are simply wrong. Despite the challenging economic conditions we face currently, and the lobbying we are doing to ensure global media giants pay fairly for the content they publish, Stuff is a profitable, debt-free, standalone, independent media business fit for the market we find ourselves in.”
Media minister ‘missing in action’, says predecessor Willie Jackson
The former broadcasting minister has said that the impending closure of Newshub leaves a “real gap” in the media, and taken aim at his successor for being “missing in action”.
Willie Jackson, speaking to The Spinoff, said he visited Newshub’s office in the press gallery to pay his respects and wish them all the best.
“I spent 10 years with Radio Live [formerly part of the Newshub newsroom] and you see lots of good journalists come through. We all mixed together, TV and radio. It was a great time… my heart goes out to them, it’s very sad,” he said.
Asked about whether the government should be intervening, Jackson hit out at the current broadcasting minister Melissa Lee.
“I think the broadcasting minister has been missing in action from the time she’s come in. She’s only been in three months, but what we hear is she’s opposed to the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill, she’s got problems with public media, she doesn’t exactly provide any sort of encouragement,” Jackson said. “Obviously, it’s a big thing for government to intervene… but you wouldn’t get past first base with this lot. What exactly do they support?”
However, Jackson then admitted that if Newshub’s closure had been made public this time last year, the former Labour government probably wouldn’t have stepped in either.
“They [Warner Bros Discovery] came to see me about a month before the election and they were clear that things were not looking good,” said Jackson. “They didn’t say it was the end of the day or anything and they didn’t ask for financial support but it was clear things were not looking good.
“It’s probably not likely we would have gone down that track, but we would have considered it because we have a passion for supporting media.”
Jackson said that the decision last year by former prime minister Chris Hipkins to ditch the proposed merger between RNZ and TVNZ showed how cost of living pressures had made it harder for the government to act. But, he added, “we would have certainly heard them out and would have looked to see if there’s anything we could do, maybe we would have been able to facilitate support for them”.
WBD source: 300 jobs to go by June
A source familiar with the Warner Brother Discovery proposal told The Spinoff that the company’s current headcount within its broadcast business is 400 full-time equivalent staff. Under the new proposed structure, 75% of those currently working there would lose their jobs, leaving a local business with around 100 staff. The Spinoff has asked for clarification around how many of the 300 jobs lost currently sit within the Newshub operation.
Tribute tweets continue to flow
I am heartbroken for my Newshub family, and so proud to have spent 20 of the best years of my life in 3 News newsrooms, working with the most fantastic talented humans you could ever hope to meet. It’s hard to grasp the enormity of what we have lost 💔
— Ingrid Hipkiss (@ingridhipkiss) February 28, 2024
Such terrible news for the talented team at Newshub. Cut my teeth at TV3 some 25 years ago and spent the majority of my career there. On so many occasions, TV3 set or shaped the news agenda, forced One News to deliver a better product, and was a much-needed voice for the…
— Rachel Smalley (@Rachel_Smalley) February 28, 2024
Damn! I worked in the Newshub newsroom all last year and was constantly blown away by the incredible work ethic and team spirit. Small teams working long hours, incredibly devoted to what they do. We deserve and need good news media.
Gutted.
— Eli Matthewson (@EliMatthewson) February 28, 2024
What a legacy. @NewshubNZ
30+ years of outstanding journalism.
3 decades of award winning journalists, astute editorial leaders, first class camera sec and a wonderful whānau of supporters.
Absolutely devastating for AotearoaNZ and journalism.
Poho kererū mātou i a koutou.— Mihingarangi (@Mihi_Forbes) February 27, 2024
NZME’s chief executive enters the conversation
As we reported earlier, a number of people high profile local media moguls – including The Spinoff’s founder Duncan Greive, Stuff’s owner Sinead Boucher and RNZ’s chief executive Paul Thompson – have commented on the developing Newshub situation. Now the head of NZME, the parent company of the NZ Herald and Newstalk ZB among others, has joined in on the discussion.
NZME chief executive Michael Boggs said that although Newshub was a fierce competitor of his company, he nonetheless believes “it’s sad to see one of our fellow media organisations in such a difficult situation.” He called on the many New Zealanders who have friends and whānau working at Newshub to reach out to offer support to their loved ones.
Boggs also used his statement as an opportunity to explain that NZME, unlike Newshub, has started 2024 off in a good position and their consumer and business confidence is heading in the right direction. “We have a clear, focused strategy that puts us in good stead for growth well into the future,” explained Boggs.
MPs asked about Newshub closure as they head into the house
MPs have been asked to comment on the impending closure of Newshub as they head into question time this afternoon.
Willie Jackson, the former broadcasting minister and an ex-broadcaster himself, said he hadn’t expected today’s news and said Newshub bosses had not asked for funding the last time they spoke.
“They certainly made their impact and stamped their mark in terms of media and news in this country. It’s a shock for everyone,” Jackson said.
His successor, current broadcasting minister Melissa Lee, signalled there was little government could do in this situation.
“It is a structural issue,” she said, also confirming she had spoken to Warner Bros executives yesterday. Lee said she felt for the journalists and other staff facing job losses.
One voice we haven’t yet heard from is deputy prime minister Winston Peters, who has been a consistent critic of the media – and of Newshub in particular.
The Newshub team are heading to the pub to drink their sorrows away
As reported by Stuff, some of Newshub’s Auckland staffers were seen heading to their local watering hole for a few, or maybe quite a few given the situation, drinks. Stuff reporters have noticed a “steady stream” of Newshub employees heading to the pub, including high profile broadcaster Patrick Gower.
It mirrors events after the abrupt closure of Today FM last year, when staff were also seen heading to the pub.
Closure of Newshub ‘bad news’ for democracy – Hipkins
Labour leader and former PM Chris Hipkins said today was a “sad day” for news media and democracy in New Zealand.
As the Herald reported, Hipkins said that democracy relied on having “informed debate” and a “diversity of media sources”, adding that it was “problematic” that New Zealand would now only have one televised news network.
“Newshub is a very large player in the New Zealand media sector and in the New Zealand journalism space. This is bad news for the overall heart and health of our democracy,” he said.
Labour’s media spokesperson and former broadcaster Willie Jackson hasn’t responded to The Spinoff’s request for comment.
Why was Newshub in the financial pickle that lead to today’s announcement?
On Newshub’s own story about their closure, James Gibbon, the head of Warner Brothers Discovery (Newshub’s parent company) Asia Pacific operations, has provided some context to the local broadcasters financial situation which lead to today’s announcement. Gibbon largely pins Newshub’s dire economic position on the loss of TV advertising revenue.
“Advertising revenue… has disappeared far more quickly than our ability to manage this reduction, and to drive the business to profitability. We simply cannot afford to produce news in-house. This doesn’t mean news isn’t valuable. We just haven’t found a way to make it work financially here in New Zealand,” he is quoted as saying on Newshub’s website.
Prime minister given heads up on Newshub decision
Prime minister Christopher Luxon was told in advance of today’s announcement that Newshub could be shuttered by the end of June.
According to the Herald, the prime minister was given a 45 minute heads up on the 11am staff meeting.
So far, the government has not spoken about the Newshub closure and requests for comment to broadcasting minister Melissa Lee haven’t been responded to.
Also according to the Herald, Newshub broadcaster Patrick Gower was said to have given staff a “morale-boosting speech” at the end of the staff meeting. Gower hasn’t responded to The Spinoff’s request for comment, but fellow Newshub staff have been seen leaving the central Auckland studio.
RNZ and Stuff bosses speak to the news
In a statement Paul Thompson, the CEO of RNZ, said he is deeply saddened by announcement of the probably closure of Newshub’s newsroom. “Any reduction in New Zealand media is devastating, both for those hardworking journalists and content creators who will be directly impacted, but also for New Zealand society as a whole,” Thompson explained, adding, “The role that a diverse media plays in a healthy functioning society and democracy should not be underestimated. We all benefit from having a local media that is strong, telling the stories of New Zealanders.”
Stuff’s owner Sinead Boucher has also added her two cents to this discussion through a statement of her own, calling the news heartbreaking for the local media industry, journalists and New Zealand’s democracy. “This is not just about the 6pm news,” she said. “It is Newshub’s digital news website and all of the content their dozens of journalists and hundreds of other staff deliver each day.” “Newshub and its stable of really talented journalists have delivered extremely strong journalism over many years, and have been a fierce and respected competitor. They have had a huge impact on this country and we will all be poorer for its loss,” explained Boucher.
Bill Ralston on a ‘death blow to NZ media’
The imminent shutdown of the newsroom and a swathe of local productions at Three represents a “death blow”, says New Zealand television news veteran Bill Ralston. “It’s a death blow not just for Three’s news operations, but it’s a death blow, frankly, to New Zealand media, when you reduce the amount of [output] to this extent.” It was also, he told The Spinoff, “a real blow to the local production industry. Because this won’t be the end to the cutting. They’ll be axing whatever they can to save them money, and that includes a lot of New Zealand based television.”
Ralston, who was the “wild” political editor in the early years of TV3 and went on to head the news department at TVNZ, said the company had across 35 years endured “a history of really appalling financial management by its owners. People have done some crazy things in terms of corporate management.” The latest decision, a “shocker”, suggested the channel would essentially involved “regurgitating foreign material”.
The closure would have a range of knock-on effects, most immediately in the devastation for those who faced losing their livelihoods, and beyond that in removing a critical part of a struggling news media, Ralston said. “You reduce the volume of media. TVNZ loses the competitive aspect. The risk for TVNZ news is it becomes very complacent.” Since its launch in 1989, the commercial rival had brought “ferocious competition” to TV news, prompting its state-owned rival to “really lift its game”.
What shows are we set to lose?
During his interview with RNZ’s Midday Report about this shocking news, The Spinoff’s founder Duncan Greive explained what shows New Zealand is set to lose out on.
“What we’re going to see, as I understand it, is that Three will be a brand in New Zealand in name only, in the sense that what we have commonly understood it to be, which is this sort of scrappy upstart kid brother to TVNZ in a way, this cross-town rival that never had the same resourcing but always gave it a good fight across all types of programming, including news, none of that stuff will exist any more.”
“If you think about The Block, that’s gone, if you think about Married At First Sight New Zealand, which I understand was in production, that’s gone, all the sort of entertainment type shows, the channel won’t exist as we know it under this proposal should it go ahead.”
Spinoff founder Duncan Greive speaks to RNZ
The Spinoff’s founder, Duncan Greive, has always surveyed the New Zealand media landscape with a watchful eye, and for that reason, RNZ’s Midday Report gave him a call to kōrero about this news.
“There’s flow-on impacts to the kind of programming we’ll see on our TVs, to the plurality of voices in our media and this is the kind of big bang people were fearing within media but hadn’t come to pass until today,” said Greive, adding “It gives it a real kind of urgency,” to the industry at large.
“On the other side of this,” he explained, “there will not be a single television news broadcast … on a platform that isn’t [funded] by the government. If you described that to someone who isn’t from New Zealand, that sounds like an autocracy.”
As many as 200 jobs on the line at Newshub
While Newshub has about 60 journalists on staff, they aren’t the only people at risk of losing their jobs. There are also news producers, camera operators and other behind the scenes staff that ensure Newshub’s programming can air every day.
According to Stuff, it could be as many as 200 people in total.
It would mark the end of 35 years of Newshub (formally 3News) on television.
Warner Bros boss approaches media outlets ‘directly’
Warner Bros Discovery boss Glen Klyne has approached newsrooms, including The Spinoff, “directly” today to provide further context around the proposed closure of Newshub.
“The first thing you should know is that today’s announcement was of a proposal that we will now spend two weeks in consultation. What this means is that absolutely nothing changes for our business in the immediate term,” he said. “What we announced today is a proposal that we will now consult on with our people. After that consultation period we will then obviously review and then make a final decision. At this stage we are proposing to move to our new structure after June 30.”
Expanding on this, Klyne said that the proposed closure would impact the Newshub newsroom and see Warner Bros no longer commissioning content that it would fully fund. In short, that will mean further calls to the likes of NZ On Air for financial backing of new projects.
“Under the proposal, WBD ANZ would work with both government funders and other partners to co-fund locally produced content for our platforms.”
The Spinoff has asked broadcasting minister Melissa Lee for comment, but received no response.
The boss of Newshub’s parent company explains the decision
Glen Kyne, the boss of Newshub’s parent company Warner Bros. Discovery NZ, has explained the decision to cease operations. “Free-to-air and news are expensive businesses to run. Put simply, the economic headwinds means the returns are not there. These proposed changes will be hard if they are implemented, but we think they are necessary, which is why we have commenced consultation.”
Consultation will occur through to mid-March and a final decision on the future of Newshub will then be made in early April after the organisation carefully considers feedback on the announcement.
Ex-Project co-host ‘devastated’ for Newshub colleagues
Broadcaster Jaquie Brown, a long-serving co-host of former 7pm show The Project, has told The Spinoff she’s shocked by news of the network’s impending closure.
“I’m devastated for my friends and colleagues at Newshub who have lost their livelihoods,” she said. “Newshub has always been a trusted source of news and information, to think about that not being there is surreal. This will change everything.”
As it stands, Newshub will continue to operate as normal – including tonight’s 6pm televised bulletin.
Newshub presenter Ryan Bridge speaks to the announcement
Ryan Bridge, one of Newshub’s top presenters, told other media that he is “thinking of all of our colleagues at the moment,” as he walked beside local broadcasting legend Mike McRoberts into this morning’s hui. The latter was also seen comforting the former following the hui. This announcement means that Bridge will never get the chance to broadcast his new current affairs 7pm show which was set to replace The Project.
The monopoly elephant in the room
Former minister of internal affairs, Peter Dunne, has said the quiet part out loud in expressing his concerns about Newshub’s closure.
Thoughts today with @NewshubNZ staff. Concerned about potential return to state monopoly on television news and current affairs.
— Peter Dunne (@honpeterdunne) February 27, 2024
“Thoughts today with Newshub’s staff,” he said. “Concerned about potential return to state monopoly on television news and current affairs.”
With Newshub shuttering, the Three news bulletin will go with it, after three decades of competition with 1News (TVNZ). Without that competition, local viewers will solely rely on the state-owned media for their television news – a rare setup within functioning democracies.
Fellow journalists react to the announcement of Newshub’s closure
Reporters from other Aotearoa media outlets have taken to X, formerly Twitter, to speak to the announcement of Newshub’s June closure. Members of the media are truly distraught by the news.
The Herald’s deputy political editor Thomas Coughlan wrote, “Newshub is just down the corridor from us. They’re colleagues and friends. No one goes into journalism for job security, but you never get used to bad stuff happening to good people.” He added that he is “Devastated about Newshub. They’re a vital independent voice and have produced great work.”
Other Herald staffers have also added their two cents to this kōrero, including senior reporters Nicholas Jones and Simon Wilson. Jones said Newshub’s closure is a “Hard-to-fathom loss for New Zealand journalism and society, and for many friends there,” while Wilson added that this news is “Terrible news today for Newshub staff, who’ve done so much great work. We will be the poorer for their absence. It’s also terrible for all media, and for the country. Aroha to you all, Newshub colleagues.”
AAP’s New Zealand correspondent Ben McKay’s tweet reads, “this is a doomsday scenario for NZ media. you might not have watched, the style might not be your cup of tea, but no one was more committed to breaking news than Newshub. we are all so much poorer if it shuts.”
Tim Watkin, RNZ’s executive producer of podcasts wrote, “Gutted for my friends @NewshubNZ. You have my respect and I’m dumbstruck for you. As a country we need to value our independent and dedicated news folk or this country won’t work. No journalism is perfect but this loss makes us all weaker.”
McRoberts reacts to the news: ‘if we can’t make it work, who can?’
One of Newshub’s star presenters, 6pm co-host Mike McRoberts, has reacted to today’s news.
Spotted outside the Newshub studios in central Auckland alongside Ryan Bridge, who was expected to host a new 7pm show later this year, McRoberts told Stuff: “We’re a pretty good newsroom, if we can’t make it work, who can?”
McRoberts was, according to Stuff, seen “comforting” Bridge.
After The Project was axed last year, Bridge was announced as the host of an unnamed replacement show. The fact this programme was delayed until at least April was observed by some as a sign of more bad news for the network.
Other staff were seen in tears outside the studios, reported Stuff. “People are obviously upset, there are people who have worked here for decades,” said one.
Newshub’s Wellington bureau newsroom chief was only in job for three months
Cherry was previously the editor at The Post, but only for six months in 2023. She left the position after announcements from Stuff that the role would be merged with another in a restructure.
What we know so far
In addition to the above information, here are some further comments from Warner Bros Discovery:
- The proposed new model being consulted on reflects the “ambition to transition the operations to a digitally led business. If implemented as proposed, ThreeNow would be at the core of the model, supported by free-to-air linear channels”.
- This would suggest that, in place of Newshub being at the centre of the business, programming like Married at First Sight and The Block would be the focus.
- “The proposal is a result of a review of our New Zealand business, and while we didn’t come to it easily, it is one that we believe would be financially sustainable for the long-term. There was no single trigger that caused this, rather it was a combination of negative events in New Zealand and globally. The impacts of the economic downturn have been severe, and the bounce back has not materialised as expected. ” – James Gibbons, president, Asia Pacific, Warner Bros. Discovery.
- “If implemented, the proposal would be a significant change to our New Zealand operations. Warner Bros. Discovery would be committed to retaining a local presence, albeit with a much smaller operating model and lower cost base.” – Glen Kyne.
‘A terrible day for journalism’
Stuff senior reporter Paula Penfold has expressed her sympathy for her “friends and former colleagues at Newshub” on X. “This is a terrible day for so many talented staff who give it their all and produce incredible work,” she wrote.
“And it’s a terrible day for journalism.”
Penfold herself has experienced restructuring within her team, as the sole member of the Stuff Circuit team still at Stuff following major restructures across the media company.
6pm news bulletin will go ahead as usual
The 6pm Newshub news bulletin will broadcast as usual tonight despite the news of its own imminent closure. There are more details to come on when exactly operations will cease in each department.
