Former RNZ news boss Richard Sutherland’s review – released to the NZ Herald today under the Official Information Act – does not hold back on myriad issues afflicting the station, resulting in “persistent audience decline”.
It describes the proliferation of on-air voices – “especially in news” – who don’t meet audience expectations, and it says an audit of all RNZ National presenters is urgently needed.
The report acknowledges that tightening on-air standards and “potential presenter changes” will cause friction.
“Both come with legal and morale risks and must be handled carefully with HR involved. But the reality is, some people shouldn’t be on air. Standards matter. Ratings matter. It’s time to stop dodging the hard calls.”
Sutherland’s report says there is “much to be proud of on RNZ National” – including strong journalism and smart interviews – but change is needed: “Irrelevant things eventually get turned off.”
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Internal issues
Among issues, says the Sutherland review, “RNZ suffers from a lack of audience clarity, internal cohesion and urgency”.
“In interviews, only a couple of staff articulated a straightforward vision of who the audience or even who the potential audience could be. In other words, they were producing content without a clear understanding of who they’re speaking to.”
It says those interviews with staff reveal “blame-shifting, low ambition and a belief that radio is in terminal decline”.
RNZ National’s radio audience has steadily declined since the Covid pandemic news peaks in 2020 and it now sits at 467,700 – its lowest number in more than five years, according to GFK figures released in May.
RNZ, which once led the market based on cumulative audience, is now eighth, behind commercial news rival Newstalk ZB and six music stations (Breeze, More FM, ZM, The Edge, The Rock and Mai FM).
In commissioning Sutherland’s review, RNZ and chief executive Paul Thompson are striving to rebuild the cumulative audience to at least 500,000 within the next 12 months.
Sutherland’s review makes a number of recommendations.
On talent, the report says there needs to be a priority on hosts “who connect with listeners” and that RNZ needs to “refresh key slots; make at least one high-profile hire”.
Hosts should not have any off-air projects during a six-month turnaround timeframe, and there needs to be “consistent tone, clarity and performance”.
The report does not specify any names.
RNZ chief executive Paul Thompson.
Under audience focus, it says RNZ should be targeting people aged 50+, with a primary target of 50-69-year-olds. It says tone, content and delivery need to be aligned to this group.
Sutherland acknowledges in the report that setting this target “is a blunt instrument, and there will be criticism that it lacks nuance. Given the urgency, a blunt instrument is needed. Nuance can wait”.
New audio boss
Sutherland also recommends a new executive role of head of audio – something that RNZ is already moving on, with recruitment under way for a new chief audio officer.
Much of RNZ’s response to the independent review throws the ball into the court of this new executive.
Sutherland says the most worrying theme in his review “was the view that RNZ regards live listening as a sunset activity, rather than a growth opportunity”.
“Disturbingly, this belief was held by staff at every level of RNZ, from junior producers through to executives. It shows a lack of understanding of how the performance of RNZ as a whole is measured by the board, external competitors and other commentators, politicians from across the spectrum and most importantly of all for a public media entity, the public itself.
“Stamping out this belief will require significant involvement from the board, the chief executive and the executive team.”
RNZ, rightly, has been proud of its digital growth – this report squarely highlights the need for focus on traditional listenership.
The report outlines the need for a cultural reset for radio, with a clear audience focus, ambition and leadership with extensive broadcasting experience.
“Remote work has weakened collaboration and agility. Returning to the office is essential for content teams.”
Richard Sutherland. Photo/ RNZ
Auckland focus
The report says Auckland is home to 33% of New Zealand’s population; Wellington has 10%. “While the Capital remains politically important, the views and preferences of its residents are the tail wagging the RNZ National dog.”
The review says RNZ National won’t grow until it focuses on the part of the country that is growing. Key to this strategy, the review says, is fully moving the Morning Report show to Auckland.
“Producing the programme from Wellington creates editorial distance from the wider audience and reinforces the feeling of political insulation and dependence on government.”
Sutherland highlights risks and mitigations with his recommended changes.
Some staff and union pushback was “inevitable”.
“Change on this scale will make people uncomfortable, but the alternative is worse. If RNZ National keeps bleeding audience, the whole organisation loses credibility, influence and funding. The importance of this reset needs to be communicated to the wider RNZ with urgency and clarity.”
Relocating Morning Report to Auckland “will ruffle feathers in Wellington”.
“A small presence can remain, if necessary, but the priority is the audience, not internal comfort.”
Sutherland said RNZ could “expect noise from commercial competitors”.
“They’ll call it panic or failure. Ignore it. RNZ is doing what it takes to compete.”
There was also the risk of criticism from former staff, advocacy groups and commentators. “That’s part of the territory. RNZ’s job isn’t to keep insiders happy – it’s to serve the public. And that means acting decisively, not waiting for permission. Hold your nerve.”
RNZ chair Jim Mather, left, and chief executive Paul Thompson at Parliament’s social services and community select committee. Watching on from behind are TVNZ chairman Alistair Carruthers, COO Brent McAnulty and chief executive Jodi O’Donnell. Photo / Parliament
RNZ responds
The review says RNZ National can recover “but only if it chooses to”.
“Recovery depends on three things: reconnecting with listeners, lifting editorial and cultural leadership and setting hard performance standards. This isn’t a time to manage slow decline. It’s time to compete, to win back relevance, one listener at a time.
In a separate response to the Herald, RNZ listed a number of responses to Sutherland’s recommendations – many of them defending the current situation.
On the big recommendations of reviewing hosts, hiring new talent, reporting lines, and an audit of on-air talent, RNZ points to the new position of chief audio officer. It is clear that person has a major job ahead.
On the recommendation that Morning Report be relocated, RNZ states: “Morning Report will have a more Auckland-focused team and include more Auckland-based kaimahi. However, there is still a need for resource outside of Auckland, including, importantly, for resilience.”
On the recommendation that future leaders must have direct and extensive experience in live broadcasting, RNZ states: “This will continue to be the case for live radio-related positions.”
On getting people to return to the office, RNZ states: “The office is the default working environment. Our WFH policy was reviewed in August 2024 with the default position being that kaimahi (staff) must be in the office for at least three days a week.”
RNZ says its audio plan sets out four key changes “that are the first step in the development of an overall live listening strategy”.
These were to appoint a chief audio officer; targeting the available audience – “broadly 50-69 but work on this is ongoing”; more training for on-air staff; and a greater focus on Auckland.
“The plan is the result of us considering a range of information, including: audience data and feedback; the state of the wider market; feedback from kaimahi; the importance of live radio in our mix; the expectations of our board and shareholders and the advice requested from former Head of News, Richard Sutherland on RNZ National’s current performance and options for improvement.
“The Sutherland advice should be seen in the context of being one of several inputs into RNZ’s audio plan. Not every suggestion or recommendation in the advice will be implemented. It represents one view of the strengths and weaknesses of RNZ National and suggested changes.”
RNZ tweaks
As Media Insider reported last week, RNZ appears to have landed on one of the solutions to lifting its drooping Morning Report ratings – replicate part of the opposition’s recipe.
As part of a series of tweaks, the show is now hosting a new segment after 8am on Wednesdays – two politicians going head-to-head in a panel debate.
That will sound very familiar to regular listeners of Newstalk ZB, which has been broadcasting a political head-to-head segment in exactly the same timeslot for years – stretching back, in fact, to the days when Paul Holmes was breakfast host.
Newstalk ZB breakfast host Mike Hosking. Photo / Michael Craig
An RNZ spokeswoman said last week: “The use of panels, allowing for debate between those with opposing political viewpoints has been used across RNZ National’s schedule, with The Panel being one example.
“We’ve also had the two deputy leaders appear together on First Up since the last election. It’s this pairing of Nicola Willis and Carmel Sepuloni that is moving to Morning Report.
“Political panels are a successful way to bring a balanced discussion to our audience and a segment we felt the Morning Report audience would find beneficial.”
As with all of these panels and segments, you’re really only going to engage listeners with strong, lively discussions and a healthy dose of conflict. The host plays a critical role in both.
RNZ’s Mediawatch show also reported last week that Morning Report would be featuring a sports panel on Fridays and a weekly conversation with a chief executive.
There were also some production tweaks, with a “smoother” handover each morning between the host of the 5am First Up show, Nathan Rarere, and Morning Report hosts Corin Dann and Ingrid Hipkiss.
RNZ Mediawatch host Colin Peacock reported that with the pending departure of Morning Report executive editor Martin Gibson, RNZ was taking the opportunity to make some changes. “They’re going to restructure how they staff and produce it. There’s going to be more of an Auckland presence and input into it.”
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.
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