No More for Kim and Corbett?

Jeremy Corbett (L) and Kim Adamson. Photo / Herald on Sunday

One of New Zealand's biggest breakfast radio partnerships has hit static, with Kim and Corbett set to to be split up despite stronger ratings.

Jovial and sparky on air, the Auckland-based More FM duo Kim Adamson and Jeremy Corbett are not so in real life, with Adamson confirming his contract is not being renewed in October.

It is the latest move in a tense situation over Adamson's future which saw him, Corbett and newsreader Hilary Barry refuse to go on air one morning late last year.

Adamson, who has been in radio almost 40 years and alongside Corbett for the past 16, admits to be "a little hurt" over the non-renewal of his contract.

Leaving the show was not his choice but was "something that the management had decided", he said.

Adamson acknowledged the situation had created a strain on his working relationship with Corbett, who is expected to stay on air.

"But we are big enough and old enough and we've been together long enough to know that's life. We are fine, I mean we are professionals at the end of the day, we deal with it. After 16 years together, any change ahead is a bit strange."

Adamson, Corbett and Barry refused to go on air late last year, unhappy with the way they were being treated over "what we wanted as a team".

Adamson said: "I was really upset with what was said so I said 'Look, I can't go on air feeling this way'. It was purely over negotiations in the contract. So the other guys basically said, 'if you are upset, we'll just sit here in the office'. To be honest, they were upset by the way I was treated and so we sat out the show."

Management were "a bit annoyed", said Adamson.

He said he had no idea whether he would be retained in the MediaWorks stable but he was hoping to stay with the company. "We are having ongoing discussions ... The management will read this and go 'stuff him' but I have great respect for the team."

Although Adamson said More's ratings had been doing well, and had increased in the past three surveys, the station still just scrapes into the top 5 for Auckland. According to Research International, Newstalk ZB continues to hold the highest Auckland breakfast share, with 18 per cent, followed by ZM (8.7 per cent), Coast (6.5 per cent), The Rock (6 per cent), More (5.2 per cent) and The Edge (5.1 per cent).

Barry, who had been on air with Kim and Corbett for about 10 years, shifted to MediaWorks' news station, RadioLive, earlier this year.

More FM general manager Wendy Palmer said the company was looking at a revamp. "We haven't made any decisions whatsoever. We are considering options; we are looking at new elements. No decision has been made on line-up." Barry's move was "completely amicable", she said. Kim and Corbett were fine, said Palmer.

Adamson said his work now with Corbett tended to be as a technical producer. "In the old days I did crazy calls and things. I mean with Corby and I as a partnership, things have changed gradually.

"The reason we have stayed together so long, is that from my point of view, I am probably Jeremy's biggest fan. That's the only way to describe how I feel. I mean there are too many egos in this industry."