The Last Dance for Local Radio

After a flurry of emails and phone calls this week I discovered that The Radio Network has initiated another round of redundancies.

This time it’s the local news that will suffer as they take out some 18 Newstalk ZB staff throughout the country. The breakfast announcers will be next. Watch this space.

One of these Newstalk ZB staff who is leaving is an old mate of mine and I find it abhorrent that he should end his career in this manner. Ian Ferguson was one of the original Hauraki pirates aboard the Tiri and has been an outstanding broadcaster and great bloke for many years. I can I only say to Ferg – “you’re better off away from these non-radio people” and have a great retirement down South.

The Radio Network has filled it’s ranks with ex-RNZ public servants and henchmen with absolutely no radio experience. They say they are bringing in fresh blood which is quite accurate as they seem to be very good at blood letting.

On the other side of the great duopoly court is Radioworks who are teetering on the brink of extinction. Surely Ironbridge will take their losses and run. They are an investment company after all.

I can only hope that it gets broken up and the stations are sold individually to some savvy radio people who think past the bottom line. Radio needs to be run by broadcasters not accountants.

Imagine if Radioworkds was sold off to individual operators, TRN would have to go local again. Or would they even care?