Duncan Garner, Rachel Smalley to return to radio airwaves at MediaWorks

Duncan Garner will be returning to MediaWorks. Photo / Supplied

MediaWorks has confirmed that Duncan Garner and Rachel Smalley will be joining its new talk radio brand.

They'll join current Newshub political editor Tova O'Brien, who was announced as the station's breakfast host earlier this week.

Garner spent more than 20 years working across TV, and radio, most recently as the host of the AM Show.

Smalley also has extensive radio, TV and digital print background, working in the
media industry for more than two decades, including as a foreign correspondent for TV3 and
as the of Newstalk ZB's Early Edition for four years.

MediaWorks director of news and talk Dallas Gurney has been on a hiring spree, recruiting talent to take charge of new radio brand in 2022.

"Given COVID-19, there's obviously been a huge uptake in audience engagement with news
content. But we want to build a brand which looks beyond the next few years, takes a
long-term view and introduces a new, diverse audience to talk radio," Gurney said.

"We look forward to sharing more details on our new brand, some more new faces and how
we'll be doing things with news and talk at MediaWorks in the weeks and months ahead."

There has been a number of significant changes at the MediaWorks-owned Magic Talk radio brand over the last year.

Peter Williams recently announced his departure from hosting Magic Morning, having decided to retire after nearly half a century in broadcasting.

Last year, broadcaster Sean Plunket also departed the station in the aftermath of controversial comments made by stand-in host John Banks.