Former Newstalk ZB host Rachel Smalley.
Trouble at Whakaata Māori, with around 25 roles expected to be cut and an employment dispute with its former lawyer; Heather du Plessis-Allan’s baby news; RNZ’s latest baffling move over Kiri Allan podcast; but first, a well-known name is linked to a new role in the PM’s office.
Former broadcaster Rachel Smalley is understood to be a frontrunner to become a new head of communications for Prime Minister Christopher Luxon - alongside a list of potential candidates to fill the separate role of chief press secretary.
Smalley is a vastly experienced journalist, broadcaster and strategic communications consultant, and is known to be widely respected within the Government, especially on the Beehive’s 9th floor.
The former Newstalk ZB and television host was warmly greeted by Luxon at a chance encounter in an Auckland cafe ahead of the election last year - he very publicly praised her for her work in holding Pharmac to account over its drug-funding policies.
With health being a big, ongoing issue this political term and beyond, Smalley’s experience - she founded the patient advocacy group The Medicine Gap - is likely to be seen as an enormous advantage.
Smalley’s potential new role - nothing is yet confirmed - is understood to be separate from potential replacements for chief press secretary Hamish Rutherford, whose resignation was confirmed on Wednesday morning, several hours after Media Insider revealed he was planning to leave the role.
Rutherford’s departure by the end of the year - and deputy chief press secretary Jasmine Higginson’s upcoming maternity leave - will lead to a major reshaping of Luxon’s communications team.
The head of communications role, previously filled by Joanne Black (she resigned soon after the election), is seen as a strategic role, likely overseeing all of the Beehive communications, press secretaries and communications strategy. The chief press secretary role is much more operationally aligned to Luxon. Depending on how the structure works, both roles could report to the chief of staff, or one might report to the other.
Other outside names in the mix for either of the roles could include former TVNZ political editor Jessica Mutch McKay, Air New Zealand head of communications Rachel Morton - she is also a former director of communications for the Act party - and The Post political editor Luke Malpass.
Within National’s ranks, Higginson is a potential candidate for the chief press secretary role, as is Mikaela Bossley, who works for Christopher Bishop.
Act leader David Seymour’s director of communications, Simon Clarke, and former National Party press secretary Finn Stichbury, who has been working for the broader party, might also be considerations.
Rutherford told media this week that he wanted to take time out for his family.
“Several of you have messaged me this morning. I can confirm that I have resigned as chief press secretary,” Rutherford wrote.
“It has been an absolute honour to work for Christopher Luxon both in Opposition and for the year since the election, but it has become clear to me over the past few months that I am not prepared to do the full term. I’m available until the end of the year as required.
“In terms of what comes next, right now I’m looking forward to a decent summer break and spending more time with my family. The one consistent piece of parenting advice I’ve received is that you will miss your kids being small. Frankie was born less than a month after I started in 2022 so that’s the priority in the near term.”
The week we catch up with Helen Clark’s former chief press secretary and Jacinda Ardern’s former chief of staff, Mike Munro.
As Whakaata Maori (formerly Māori Television) announces “significant” job losses - around 25 roles are set to be cut under a proposed restructure, the organisation told Media Insider last night - it is also involved in an employment dispute with a previous senior leader.
It is understood the TV company’s former in-house counsel Josie McNaught, an experienced and respected journalist and writer who qualified as a lawyer in 2016, has raised a personal grievance case over the way her role was disestablished earlier this year.
It is understood the parties are in mediation.
A Whakaata Māori source tipped off the Herald to the situation, along with a number of allegations about the way McNaught was treated.
McNaught, who is now contracting as a lawyer with the Broadcasting Standards Authority, said she could not comment when approached yesterday.
A Whakaata Māori spokeswoman said: “It is not appropriate to comment on employment matters including by way of either confirmation or denial of the existence of claims, due to obvious privacy considerations.”
More than 25 roles are set to be cut from Whakaata Māori alongside other content cuts to address a budget reduction of more than $10 million over the next two years.
According to its 2023 annual report, 170 staff work at the organisation.
“If the strategic realignment proposal proceeds in its current form, subject to consultation, there will be a net reduction of 25.5 FTE roles,” a spokeswoman told Media Insider last night.
Staff at Whakaata Māori were called to a series of meetings yesterday, where the publicly-owned broadcaster outlined the restructuring plans.
Its chief executive, Shane Taurima, told a parliamentary select committee last week that proposed cuts would be “significant”.
As the Herald’s Julia Gabel reported, Taurima told the committee that Whakaata Māori’s funding would drop by $10.3 million over the next two years, by around $6.3m at the end of this financial year, and by another $4m the following year.
“As our last resort, we’re now having to look at the wider organisation, and so we’re carrying out that review as we speak. We expect to be able to go back to our staff and to the organisation by the end of this month with a proposal.
“The impact that the funding loss will have on content, it will be significant. We’re still working through the exact reduction that will be made, but there will be a significant reduction in the investment in content.”
Whakaata Māori’s Te Ao Māori News reported that the mood at a Thursday morning staff meeting, where the proposed cuts were outlined, was “sombre”.
It also reported the broadcaster was proposing to cancel its only daily TV news bulletin, moving to a digital format.
In a statement, Taurima described the changes as “a crucial step in addressing the financial challenges we anticipate over the coming years, with a projected funding reduction of over $10 million by 2027″.
“The proposal will enable us to continue sharing authentic Māori stories that revitalise te reo me ngā tikanga Māori across digital platforms, ensuring they thrive for future generations in Aotearoa and globally.”
The proposal “builds on changes made in Phase One, which included reducing the senior leadership team from seven to four roles, refocusing content investment on high-impact projects, and transitioning the Te Reo Channel to an online-only platform by March 2025 to enhance digital engagement”.
Te Ao Māori News reported that the phase one changes “saw the ejection of Hinurewa Poutu and Blake Ihimaera from the kaiurungi level, preceded only days earlier by the sudden resignation of Maramena Roderick”.
Some staff have also been raising questions about why a new “chief adviser” role has been advertised at a time of proposed cutbacks.
“We are currently advertising the new chief adviser role, which replaces the executive operations manager position,” a spokeswoman told Media Insider earlier.
“This change aligns with our updated senior leadership structure. The chief adviser will provide strategic support to te tari kaihautū, co-ordinate executive operations, and lead key projects.”
Whakaata Māori’s studio facility was used by chief executive Shane Taurima for a private party recently, raising eyebrows among some staff, and questions about who funded it.
Whakaata Māori says it was all above board.
“On Sunday, August 25, Shane Taurima hired part of the Hawaikirangi facility for a private whānau gathering,” a spokeswoman told Media Insider.
She did not answer a question about the reason for the party.
“No Whakaata Māori funds were used for the event. All costs, including hireage, catering, and related expenses, were covered privately. The facility is available for public hire at standard commercial rates, which were applied in this case.”
She said the Hawaikirangi facility was a “versatile, state-of-the-art space available for public hire, accommodating everything from media productions to private functions, corporate meetings, and conferences”.
Newstalk ZB host and Herald on Sunday columnist Heather du Plessis-Allan has announced she is pregnant.
The ZB Drive host revealed on air on Thursday that she is 23 weeks into her pregnancy.
Du Plessis-Allan married Newstalk ZB political editor Barry Soper in 2009.
“Quick PSA to you is that from the start of next year, I’m not going to be here anymore. No, don’t worry about it - I am coming back. I’m just going to have a baby, aren’t I?” she told listeners.
“Just going to take a little break, have a baby, just pop one out, maybe just rock it for the first three months or so, you know, do all of that stuff and then I’ll come back to work.
“So yes, what I’m trying to say is that I am pregnant.”
This will be du Plessis-Allan’s second child after her son Iggy was born in 2022.
She told listeners she is expecting a baby girl: “So that’s nice, isn’t it? We get one each. How about that? Iggy is going to be a big brother to a little one.”
Du Plessis-Allan said it “is not as exciting” as her first pregnancy, instead lamenting the drop in agility and energy.
“The first one, you’re like, ‘Oh my Lord, I’m pregnant!’ It’s the most wonderful and glorious experience.
“The second one, you’re like, ‘Oh dear God, I need some sleep, this is uncomfortable’. I can’t even bend down and tie my shoelaces. This is a crime that this is done to women’s bodies.
“But anyway, glorious and happy, and kicking at the moment.”
Du Plessis-Allan’s temporary absence from the studio leads to inevitable questions about her replacement, with the likes of new Early Edition host Ryan Bridge and experienced host Andrew Dickens likely to be among the frontrunners.
First, RNZ refused to broadcast the podcast that it had commissioned of musician Anika Moa interviewing former Cabinet minister Kiri Allan.
Now it’s rejected the opportunity for the podcast to be broadcast on the production company’s YouTube channel, where Moa’s other work is housed.
RNZ earlier this week said it had decided not to broadcast the podcast because it did not meet impartiality standards under its editorial policy.
“RNZ makes no apology for upholding its editorial policy,” RNZ chief content officer Megan Whelan said, in supplied written answers provided by spokeswoman Kim Grade.
“We have enjoyed working with the production company and have happily published dozens of their podcasts. On this rare occasion, we decided not to publish. Our decision and the reasons for this were discussed directly with the production company.
“While It’s Personal with Anika Moa is an entertainment, personality-driven interview show, RNZ’s editorial policy applies to all its content and productions, and all content creators whether they are staff or contractors must adhere to the policy.”
The publicly owned broadcaster has refused to elaborate on the actual content that was deemed so contentious. “During the interview, some topics raised included past news events which still have currency.”
However, the podcast is clearly a piece of entertainment content - in line with many of Moa’s other interviews - and in my opinion, could hardly be judged as news.
RNZ seems to me to be more fearful of a public backlash to a soft interview covering serious topics.
Rogue Productions executive producer Charlotte Purdy - who produced the podcast featuring the former Cabinet minister being interviewed by the musician - said she had strived hard to have it broadcast by RNZ, including by suggesting a disclaimer in the opening credits.
She also offered to broadcast it on her company’s YouTube channel. However, RNZ turned down the idea.
Moa is well-known for her offbeat, sometimes very personal and off-the-cuff interviews with a broad range of personalities.
In a TVNZ piece filmed at Parliament last year - before Allan’s career-ending car crash and careless driving charges - Moa introduced with: “Kiritapu, or do you prefer minister or honourable member or Ms Allan or babez with a z?”
Allan: “Totally babez with a z.”
Moa: “Okay babez!”
They high-fived each other at one point in the interview.
Purdy, who said Allan made a special effort to travel from Gisborne to Auckland for the RNZ podcast, is disappointed with the broadcaster’s decision.
“Anika is not a journalist and she took a compassionate approach to Kiri’s very public and well-covered breakdown last year,” Purdy said in a statement earlier this week.
“The show’s format is an intimate heart to heart. It’s called It’s Personal, not It’s Impartial. Actually, I question how impartial RNZ is being with this decision.”
RNZ has refused to allow a senior editor to speak to media about the decision, taking only written questions through Grade.
On the YouTube decision, Whelan said in one of her written answers: “We determined that the commissioned work that we retain ownership of did not meet our editorial policy. For the material to be released for use it would first have to meet our standards.”
Respected National Business Review editor-in-chief (strategy) Grant Walker is stepping down from the role, after six months, for health reasons.
Walker will take time out over the coming months, following a hectic year. “I’m looking forward to getting back to my normal self and then figuring out what I will do after that.”
He was thrilled with what he and the NBR team had achieved in a short time, including a new strategy and new hires such as Mike McRoberts and Simon Shepherd from Newshub. “Everything is teamwork.”
Walker and NBR owner Todd Scott are close - Scott will step back into the fold as publisher in the interim, before deciding next steps early next year.
As is the way in media and the wider business world, new initiatives are launched with much fanfare and then tend to quietly disappear if things don’t perhaps go quite as planned.
Stuff has already changed its much-hyped Newsable podcast from a 6am weekday release, to a breaking news format - now releasing it as required. The organisation has not said if any of the 11 roles that had been attached to the daily podcast have been disestablished.
The publishing company has also just removed its shortform ‘Stuff Shorts’ vertical videos from its homepage. These were launched with an equal level of fanfare - press release et al - last November.
“We’ll be continuing to feature short and vertical video content throughout the site rather than in just one fixed position,” a spokesman said yesterday.
Interestingly, the NZ Herald launched a similar product and presentation recently. Let’s see if it lasts more than 10 months.
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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