Just hours away from the Newshub network’s final broadcast, a mix of bittersweet emotions has flooded the AM studio, with hosts Melissa Chan-Green and Lloyd Burr putting on brave faces as they greet their viewers for the last time.
Earlier this week they spoke to veteran presenters about what it’s like wrapping up and moving on, and as Chan-Green, Burr and their crew deliver their final show, Kiwis around the country are settling in to watch for one last time, and the NZ Herald newsroom is joining them.
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AM has been using its last week on air to say goodbye to the show, including inviting many of its past presenters and other local talent onto the show to reminisce about their time there.
Former Sunrise hosts Oliver Driver and Carly Flynn joined Lloyd Burr and Melissa Chan-Green on the AM sofa to share their experience and advice.
Flynn was visibly emotional as she shared her personal advice for how to move on from the show, joking “it’s time for a sleep-in,” while Driver added that “there’s some great things about not doing it,” including not having to wear suits any more and that “you can grow your hair really long”.
Driver and Flynn, who co-hosted Sunrise, know how it feels. “We were so privileged, I think of it as the golden years of my career,” Flynn said. “We got to be in people’s homes during really amazing moments.”
Meanwhile, Henry was more realistic about the shut down.
“Life is changing. And I don’t know why the people that run outfits fail to see it,” he said. “Did we expect everything to remain the same?”
Veteran broadcaster Paul Henry, who has had several stints on breakfast TV, shared his thoughts on the industry with AM hosts Lloyd Burr and Melissa Chan-Green on Tuesday.
It comes after Chan-Green shared a “love letter” to Three earlier in the week. In a lengthy post on the Newshub website, the much-loved journalist thanked Kiwis for their support over the years.
“Thank you to everyone who has chosen AM,” she said. “You’ve helped us close the ratings gap, kept up the commercial support and the messages of what AM means to our viewers have kept us going over the last six months.”
“It made it feel like we were in this together, and I like to think that’s what morning telly on TV3 has done best all these years.”
Ryan Bridge, left, and Mike McRoberts after the announcement that Newshub would close.
The closure of Newshub – including its website – and other production cuts at Three were confirmed in April, reported Shayne Currie for the Herald’s Media Insider column. Owners Warner Bros Discovery met with staff to break the news, revealing there was no planned deal “at this stage” with third parties and hundreds of jobs would be lost.
The initial announcement came on February 28, revealing Newshub, one of New Zealand’s biggest news providers, would shut down at the end of June. The announcement came during a meeting held by the brand’s parent company, Warner Bros Discovery, leaving staff “devastated”.
Despite stating they would look to co-fund local news, after a five-week consultation period, Warner Bros Discovery confirmed there would be a restructure to 75% of the New Zealand office and Newshub itself reported around 200 staff will lose their jobs.
While the move has been described as a blow for local democracy, with the final Newshub 6pm bulletin scheduled for Friday, July 5, Stuff recently announced it would step in and provide a 6pm bulletin for Three from July 6.
