Emile Donovan is the new Nights presenter. Photo / RNZ
Emile Donovan is the new Nights presenter. Photo / RNZ
One of New Zealand broadcasting’s brightest stars has been named as the new RNZ Nights presenter to replace Karyn Hay. And an Australian broadcaster will become the new host of RNZ Concert’s morning show.
Emile Donovan will rejoin the state broadcaster as Nights host, just seven months after he wasnamed co-host of a Stuff podcast, Newsable. The highly regarded producer of Newsable, Jono Williams, also left recently.
Donovan has previously worked at Māori Television and RNZ, and before joining Stuff was a host of the Newsroom/RNZ podcast The Detail.
A biography on RNZ’s website says Donovan was born in Dunedin and raised in Christchurch. He has previously been a producer for RNZ Afternoons with Jesse Mulligan and The Panel with Jim Mora.
In an interview with Stuff earlier this year, Donovan said he had a generalist news sense. “Anything can be interesting if you think about it or look at it in the right way.”
RNZ’s head of radio David Allan told RNZ today that Donovan was “an extremely talented broadcaster and presenter”. It was great to have him back, he said.
A start date has yet to be announced.
“Emile has shown his versatility first as an excellent radio producer and fill-in host for RNZ National and then as host of daily news podcasts The Detail and Newsable,” said Allan. “He’s a talented interviewer and story-teller, who has an outstanding grasp on current events and stories that are interesting to our audiences.”
Donovan told RNZ he was thrilled with his new role.
“It’s brilliant to be returning to RNZ. I spent five years working in and around RNZ - it helped to mould me into the broadcaster I am today, and I have a deep love for it as a broadcaster and an institution,” he said.
“I’m humbled by the trust they’re putting in me to take stewardship of the Nights programme and help it evolve.”
Meanwhile, Andrew Clark will be the new host of RNZ Concert’s Mornings programme.
New RNZ Concert mornings host Andrew Clark. Photo / RNZ
Clark is moving to New Zealand for the role, RNZ reported.
Allan said: “Andrew brings extraordinary experience from a really interesting and diverse broadcasting career in Australia and Europe. Combined with his life-long passion for classical music, we know he’ll be a wonderful addition to the RNZ Concert team.”
Clark told RNZ he had visited New Zealand “many times” and was looking forward to sharing his love of classical music with listeners.
He is taking over from Siliga Sani Muliaumaseali’i who announced in June that he will return to his international singing career.
RNZ reported Clark would host Concert Mornings from 6am-10am Monday to Thursday with Carey McDonald continuing to host the show on Friday through to Sunday.
Former RNZ Nights presenter Karyn Hay. Photo / Supplied
Several days later, Media Insider revealed that she had been the subject of an independent employment investigation following a complaint from a producer about her alleged behaviour.
She had been off air at the taxpayer-funded state broadcaster since February, the same month that terms of reference were drawn up for the investigation, conducted by external employment barrister Richard Harrison.
Harrison’s investigation followed a complaint from an RNZ Nights producer, with the original terms of reference for the inquiry focused on three areas: that Hay allegedly spoke negatively about others, including producers, presenters, and management; that she had allegedly behaved aggressively using a tone of voice that conveyed hostility; and that she had allegedly undermined colleagues in the studio environment, including maintaining unrealistic expectations.
The producer complained of an allegedly toxic and discordant work relationship and claimed that in all his years of employment, he had felt the work culture and environment had been the worst he’d encountered.
Harrison’s investigation was to look at whether Hay’s alleged conduct occurred and – if it did – whether it breached RNZ’s code of conduct and dignity at work policy, or could be construed as general bullying, as recognised by WorkSafe.
Neither Hay nor RNZ would answer a list of questions sent to them at the time, including their responses to, and the outcome of, the three specific areas of focus of Harrison’s investigation.
Twenty-four hours after we sent RNZ an original list of questions in June, the state broadcaster released a statement to the Herald.
“We have just informed our radio team that Karyn Hay, ONZM, has resigned from the Nights programme to concentrate on writing projects. RNZ wishes her the best for her future.”
In an email to all RNZ staff, at the time, Allan described Hay’s departure as a “sabbatical”. The Herald confirmed she has resigned.
“We acknowledge Karyn’s contribution to and mana within the industry and wish her the very best for the future,” Allan said.
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.
