They include former Warner Bros Discovery New Zealand boss Glen Kyne, an experienced commercial sales boss and C-suite executive, who is contracting with Sky TV as the company continues its hunt for a new chief sales officer.
Another is a face well-known to TV viewers and, more recently, a new army of Newstalk ZB and NZ Herald audiences – Ryan Bridge.
Ryan Bridge’s morning show makes its debut on Three in August. Photo / Michael Craig
His NZ Herald weekday show Ryan Bridge TODAY is also about to be simulcast on Three’s linear channel – a return to breakfast on TV3 for Bridge, who co-hosted the channel’s AM show up until the end of 2023.
Ryan Bridge TODAY – and the earlier half-hour Herald NOW Business show, hosted by former TVNZ journalist Garth Bray – will compete head-on in the linear TV space against Tova O’Brien, Chris Chang and the TVNZ Breakfast show between 6.30am and 9am each weekday.
TVNZ’s own half-hour breakfast business show – hosted by Mei Heron – starts at 6am.
Herald NOW Business host Garth Bray. Photo / Michael Craig
Bridge’s return and the addition of Bray’s show in August will be a welcome boost for Three.
The two shows have been successes for NZME and the NZ Herald, seriously ramping up the company’s video news endeavours. They will continue to screen on the Herald’s website and YouTube each morning.
They have also regularly helped set the daily news agenda – illustrated last week by Bridge’s interview with Foreign Minister and NZ First leader Winston Peters.
As Bridge pressed Peters on matters related to NZ First’s possible post-election coalition partners, and whether the idea of an NZ First-Labour partnership might be entertained, Peters responded: “What’s wrong with you people? Do I need to come and put a brand on your head? We’re not going with Labour.
“Ryan, be fair. I haven’t been around this long to come on this programme to talk about that sort of wanker question.”
Chris Chang and Tova O’Brien on TVNZ’s Breakfast. Photo / TVNZ
As revealed by Media Insider last week, Sky TV has a big challenge with its free-to-air commercial revenue on Three and Three Now – advertising income fell from $102.6m in 2024 to $79.7m in 2025, a 22.3% drop.
Investors will receive the full and latest financial picture when Sky announces its full-year 2025/26 results in mid to late August.
By then, it will also have a good news story to tell the market about the introduction of the two new breakfast shows on its linear channels.
Glen Kyne’s return
Former WBD New Zealand boss Glen Kyne. Photo / Michael Craig
Kyne referred Media Insider yesterday to Sky, which confirmed he was working with the company, understood to be in a contracting capacity.
“Glen is supporting our ad sales team, led by Phil Lucy and David Mackrell, in an advisory capacity over the next few months,“ a Sky spokeswoman said.
“As part of his support, he’s helping assess opportunities for our expanded portfolio as we focus on growing our share of the advertising market.”
Kyne stepped down as Warner Bros Discovery head of networks (New Zealand, Australia, Japan and the Pacific Islands) on July 5, 2024 – the same day as Newshub closed and the day before a new 6pm bulletin, produced by Stuff, launched on Three. Kyne was instrumental in that deal with Stuff.
He is a director of the New Zealand Film Commission and an advisory member for both the Daylight agency and The Spinoff website.
He appears frequently on The Fold, a weekly podcast hosted by The Spinoff and Daylight founder Duncan Greive.
“My career is best known for driving significant digital business transformations, primarily in business turnarounds or arresting underperformance, achieving substantial value creation for shareholders both organically & inorganically (portfolios >$350M), and leading large, multi-country organisations (600+ staff),” Kyne says on his LinkedIn page.
“My strengths include being a strategic problem-solver known for building high-performing, accountable teams that consistently execute.”
Editor-at-Large Shayne Currie is one of New Zealand’s 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.
