Today FM has abruptly abandoned its scheduled broadcasting and staff at the station fear they are about to lose their jobs. Video / NZ Herald
A stunned Today FM host has 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.
Marc Peard was a part of the sports team at Today FM, which abandoned scheduled programming this morning. Before being taken off-air, high-profile hosts Tova O’Brien and Duncan Garner revealed to listeners that the MediaWorks-owned station’s future looked grim.
It is now advising on its website’s homepage a full update will be unveiled in an announcement at 5pm.
Marc Peard in a previous role working at The Hits radio station. Photo / File
In a post to Facebook today, Peard shared his anguish over the announcement.
“It’s heartbreaking, it’s devastating, it suxs [sic] that it’s ended,” he wrote.
“Today as the news was delivered to the team I watched people I care about deeply burst into tears. People not knowing how they will make their next rent payments and how they will feed their kids.”
He described radio as an “intimate job” that you pour your soul into. He explained he now feels “embarrassed I was open and vulnerable”.
“I feel embarrassed I cared so much... I feel bad as I’ve let my family down.”
Peard revealed he’s struggling to find strength through this difficult time.
Bosses to reveal station’s fate at 5pm
Stunned Today FM staff have headed to the pub after being told today the station will close and given mere hours to make submissions on the decision.
Hosts Leah Panapa and O’Brien and her producer Carol Hirschfeld were among staff who headed to a nearby bar.
“Let’s go nuts,” a staff member could be heard saying, as cheers and whistles sounded on their arrival at the venue.
Today FM hosts Tova O'Brien and Leah Panapa head to the pub with colleagues after news the station is to close. Photo / Sylvie Whinray
Today FM abruptly abandoned its scheduled programming this morning - but not before O’Brien and host Duncan Garner revealed on air that the MediaWorks-owned station’s future looked grim.
It is now advising on its homepage a full update on the embattled station will be unveiled in an announcement at 5pm.
Devastated. Love our strong Today FM whanau. Thank you for your messages.
Tova O’Brien’s line producer Tom Day said the MediaWorks board “have made a proposal to shut down” Today FM. Speaking to media outside after the meeting, he said he had had “better days” and that he was absolutely “gutted”.
“We received notifications that there would be a meeting at 12.15pm but it was brought forward. They told staff to start playing music.
“Wendy Palmer [acting MediaWorks chief executive] said at the meeting MediaWorks’ board had decided to shut down Today FM.”
The staff have been given until the end of today to make submissions towards the proposal, Day said.
“It is very little time. I am pretty gutted. We have a really good team who work hard.
The meeting came as a bit of a shock but also wasn’t a surprise, Day said.
“We passionately believe we have done amazing work. We are frustrated the board doesn’t see that . . . it was a five-year plan but we have only been on-air for a year.”
Day said at this stage he had not been informed whether or not he would come back tomorrow.
He said he will take his time to make submissions.
“The board’s decision will be made following the submissions. I believe the decision could come today.”
In an extraordinary few minutes of radio, Garner was joined on air by fellow host O’Brien, who said the company had “f***ed us”: “We are all going to lose our jobs,” she said.
Today FM staff including Tova O'Brien leave MediaWorks building after the station was taken off-air this morning amid a proposal to shut the station down. Photo / Sylvie Whinray
“We’ve been on-air for just a year, we were told we had the support of everyone from chief executive to the board to the executive.”
Garner said: “This is betrayal.”
He also told listeners: “Broadcasters here at Today FM have been called in to see the boss. We don’t know what’s going on. Tova’s asked for assurances that we are safe and hasn’t received them. Certainly some concerns in the background about the finances for the company overall.
“We were last on board you see as a station here. Could it be that we are first offloaded? I hope not. But that’s the axe hanging over us.
“It’s going to be a pretty difficult show but I am going to give it my best and be as honest as I can be with you. As news may or may not come through.”
The station has now abandoned its regular programming and is playing music instead.
Garner said: “We’ve been pulled off air right now.”
O’Brien, who joined Garner in the studio, added: “Without even being given a chance.”
O’Brien told the host, “it sounds like it’s over”.
A second tweet said: “MediaWorks said Today FM was a five-year plan. They have completely lied.”
NZME chief executive Michael Boggs said despite NZME and MediaWorks being fierce competitors, the two companies also have a strong relationship, working together for the betterment of the media industry.
