Today FM hosts Duncan Garner and Tova O'Brien react live on-air to the shuttering of the radio station. Video / NZ Herald
MediaWorks acting chief executive Wendy Palmer is on leave after four weeks in the job and just over a week after axing news radio station Today FM and its star-studded team of broadcasters.
Former New Zealand Rugby chairman Brent Impey told the Herald that his partner, Wendy Palmer, has gone on leave overseas with her daughter.
“She took a short-term contract (with MediaWorks). Before she started she was going on holiday. She has gone offshore. That was pre-arranged before she started the role,” Impey said.
In a statement, MediaWorks said: “Interim CEO Wendy Palmer is taking a long-planned Easter break with family, during which time commercial director Liz Fraser will be acting CEO.”
The company did not comment on whether it was appropriate for Palmer to go on leave so soon after Today FM went off-air.
The NZ Media News social media site has reported Palmer is on leave for two weeks.
On March 30, a total of 30 hosts, production staff, and contractors at news radio station Today FM learned their roles were disestablished, while a further 20 jobs are under review.
Some of the staff include well-known broadcasters Tova O’Brien, Duncan Garner, Lloyd Burr, Rachel Smalley, Mark Richardson and Dom Bowden.
Speaking to media outside after the meeting, O’Brien’s line producer Tom Day said he had had “better days” and that he was absolutely “gutted”.
Duncan Garner, broadcaster and former Today FM host, has written about the experience of finding out he lost his job live on air. Photo / Jason Oxenham
Garner opened up on the “deep” humiliation of losing his job live on air and revealed he felt like there had been a death in the family after the shock closure, in an opinion piece penned on Stuff.
Host Marc Peard described colleagues’ fear of “not knowing how they will make their next rent payments and how they will feed their kids” after the embattled news radio station dramatically had the cable pulled.
On March 30, Palmer said it was “an emotional day” for Today FM staff after the company decided to close the Auckland-based talkback and news radio station.
She said it was a “difficult decision to close Today FM from tomorrow”.
“This is an emotional day for the talented team who put everything into building a new talk platform in Aotearoa,” Palmer’s company-wide message to staff read.
“They have worked tremendously hard to build the brand and there have been great successes along the way.”
Palmer said Today FM “needed time and significant ongoing investment in order to grow its listenership”.
In a recording of an all-staff meeting obtained by the Herald, Palmer told workers they hit a “significant block in terms of revenue” late last year.
Former MediaWorks chief executive Cam Wallace. Photo / NZME
When MediaWorks announced on February 27 that Cam Wallace was stepping down as chief executive and Palmer would be acting chief executive, the board said she was a highly experienced media industry leader with 25 years of deep and relevant experience that would be invaluable as the business continues to focus on near and long-term strategic objectives.
