Today FM

On Thursday morning after 9.30am, the station reverted to playing music rather than its usual talk show format with Duncan Garner. Both Garner and early host ...

In a tweet this morning, Tom Day, producer of the Tova show, said Mediaworks has made a proposal to shut down Today FM, and have given employees until the end ...

"This is a difficult time for the team and our priority is supporting them as we work through this process." "We're scared. "This is betrayal," Garner said. "We're all gonna lose our jobs, and the station is gonna go off the air." "We've been on the air for a year; we were told we had the support of everyone, from the chief executive through to the board, through to the executive. Garner said, "the company is bleeding cash".

Today FM hosts Duncan Garner and Tova O'Brien have been abruptly pulled off-air as a stationwide meeting has been called. MediaWorks' board has proposed to ...

“In the meeting, Wendy Palmer ... Garner said the whole Today FM news team was in the studio, crying and “shell-shocked”. She said the team had previously been told they had the support of “everyone” at MediaWorks, including the chief executive and the board. O’Brien said they had been “instructed to play music” ahead of the meeting with Palmer. He said he was “gutted” and “disappointed”. Day said the board wanted to keep a digital part of Today FM and also keep parts of the news operation. said that the MediaWorks board had decided to make the proposal to shut down Today FM.” MediaWorks was consulting with the team “about the future of the station”, she said. “It was a big shock, but it wasn’t a surprise,” he said. “This is a difficult time for the team and our priority is supporting them as we work through this process.” Palmer said Today FM was the “baby” of former chief executive Cam Wallace and former station boss Dallas Gurney, both of whom left MediaWorks within the past fortnight. Palmer released a statement on Thursday morning, saying Today FM had been taken off-air “at the MediaWorks board’s request”.

Today FM has abruptly abandoned its scheduled broadcasting and staff at the station fear they are about to lose their jobs. Host Duncan Garner revealed on ...

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.” “We were last on board you see as a station here. As news may or may not come through.” Certainly some concerns in the background about the finances for the company overall. Could it be that we are first offloaded? I believe the decision could come today.” He also told listeners: “Broadcasters here at Today FM have been called in to see the boss. MediaWorks put a brave face on the ratings in December, saying: “Today FM remains a long-term project for MediaWorks and there won’t be a full national picture until next year when the results are decoupled from Magic Talk.” “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.” ”Wendy Palmer said at the meeting MediaWorks board had decided to shut down Today FM.” He told media he had had “better days” and that he was absolutely “gutted”. Tova O’Brien’s line producer Tom Day told media outside MediaWorks the board “have made a proposal to shut down” TodayFM.

In an extraordinary few minutes of radio, the Mediaworks hosts say that the new talk radio station could face cancellation as an all-staff meeting is ...

“There are a lot of very upset people,” said the source. A Today FM source told the Spinoff that O’Brien had led a delegation into the office of Wendy Palmer, interim chief executive, at the end of the breakfast show. I don’t think anyone is going to let Tova and I keep just gobbing off here.” After O’Brien joined him on air, Garner said: “This is going to be over pretty quick… We were going to go for at least five years and that’s when we were going to start seeing results. “We haven’t been entirely upfront with our listeners,” said O’Brien.

Today FM hosts Duncan Garner and Tova O'Brien have been abruptly pulled off-air as the future of the station hangs in the balance. The board has proposed to ...

“In the meeting, Wendy Palmer ... Garner said the whole Today FM news team was in the studio, crying and “shell-shocked”. She said the team had previously been told they had the support of “everyone” at MediaWorks, including the chief executive and the board. O’Brien said they had been “instructed to play music” ahead of the meeting with Palmer. He said he was “gutted” and “disappointed”. Day said the board wanted to keep a digital part of Today FM and also keep parts of the news operation. said that the MediaWorks board had decided to make the proposal to shut down Today FM.” MediaWorks was consulting with the team “about the future of the station”, she said. “It was a big shock, but it wasn’t a surprise,” he said. “This is a difficult time for the team and our priority is supporting them as we work through this process.” Palmer said Today FM was the “baby” of former chief executive Cam Wallace and former station boss Dallas Gurney, both of whom left MediaWorks within the past fortnight. Palmer released a statement on Thursday morning, saying Today FM had been taken off-air “at the MediaWorks board’s request”.

Today FM staff have been seen leaving the MediaWorks building in Auckland's CBD after the radio station abandoned its scheduled programming this morning.

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.” “We were last on board you see as a station here. As news may or may not come through.” Certainly some concerns in the background about the finances for the company overall. Could it be that we are first offloaded? I believe the decision could come today.” He also told listeners: “Broadcasters here at Today FM have been called in to see the boss. “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.” Tova’s asked for assurances that we are safe and hasn’t received them. ”Wendy Palmer said at the meeting MediaWorks board had decided to shut down Today FM.” He told media he had had “better days” and that he was absolutely “gutted”. Tova O’Brien’s line producer Tom Day told media outside MediaWorks the board “have made a proposal to shut down” TodayFM.

The station was a bold, future-facing investment to diversify revenue streams. Yet internal opposition has broken the brand, writes Duncan Greive.

Most of all, imagine looking back on this decade from 2030, with your AM/FM networks, and trying to get excited about another batch of outrageous stunts to gin up the numbers for survey week. But the whole point of having a CEO is to allow them to lead. The way its brands keep ageing up – playing older and older catalogue music – reveals the lie at the heart of that proposition. If you want to have a business which is not happily heading into the sunset, you need a plan. But in some respects it’s apt – a banger from the GFC era, the last time that any legacy media forms felt like they still owned the culture. It always was a tall order – the best way to have a successful talk radio brand is to have launched one decades ago. The vision was to create a new talk and news brand that would over time give Mediaworks space in a whole new market, and allow it to imagine a future beyond the slow value decay of its radio assets. He told the Today FM team not to even look at ratings for two years, and always emphasised that this was a long-term, strategically motivated play to expand the range and scope of what Mediaworks stood for. It asked everyone from the company’s owners to staff working on other brands to trust that in a decade’s time this would all make sense, and that the dividends of a digital-forward brand which cut through into news and politics would echo throughout the business. Now it’s gone, detonated within days of the departure of Cam Wallace, the CEO who placed the big bet on Today FM diversifying Mediaworks’ radio brands from the fading music stations into a serious play into news and talk. But it’s worth remembering what was said when Wallace announced Today FM way back at the start of 2022. It turned out that the following 30 minutes were the last moments of the station as originally conceived.

After a fiery and sudden end to broadcasting this morning, star host Tova O'Brien and MediaWorks colleagues have headed to the pub as the future of Today FM ...

“In the meeting, Wendy Palmer... Garner said the whole Today FM news team was in the studio, crying and “shell-shocked”. She said the team had previously been told they had the support of “everyone” at MediaWorks, including the chief executive and the board. O’Brien said they had been “instructed to play music” ahead of the meeting with Palmer. Day said the board wanted to keep a digital part of Today FM and also keep parts of the news operation. He said he was “gutted” and “disappointed”. said that the MediaWorks board had decided to make the proposal to shut down Today FM.” MediaWorks was consulting with the team “about the future of the station”, she said. “It was a big shock, but it wasn’t a surprise,” he said. “This is a difficult time for the team and our priority is supporting them as we work through this process.” Palmer said Today FM was the “baby” of former chief executive Cam Wallace and former station boss Dallas Gurney, both of whom left MediaWorks within the past fortnight. Palmer released a statement on Thursday morning, saying Today FM had been taken off-air “at the MediaWorks board’s request”.

Today FM is facing closure as Tova O'Brien and Duncan Garner expressed their concern about the future of the new talk radio station, ...

We passionately believe that we have done incredible work and so we're just frustrated that the board doesn't believe that, and I think they've got it blatantly wrong." I love our amazing team, so many people do such great work at Today FM," he added. "We're scared. Speaking to media after the meeting, Day said: "They want to keep parts of digital with the business and they want to keep parts of news. "This is a difficult time for the team and our priority is supporting them as we work through this process." "We're all gonna lose our jobs, and the station is gonna go off the air."

Host Tova O'Brien said on-air that the company had 'f***ed us'.

“We were last on board you see as a station here. Tova O’Brien’s line producer Tom Day said the MediaWorks board “have made a proposal to shut down” Today FM. As news may or may not come through.” Certainly some concerns in the background about the finances for the company overall. Could it be that we are first offloaded? we are looking to retain people who are in digital. it was a five-year plan but we have only been on-air for a year.” I believe the decision could come today.” He also told listeners: “Broadcasters here at Today FM have been called in to see the boss. Much to all my listeners and co-workers,” she posted on Facebook. The decision around TodayFM that the board have come to is that we will close TodayFM”. Time to pivot.

The radio station's website said a full update on the future of the station is set to be given at 5pm. Staff had been drinking in the building's outside ...

“In the meeting, Wendy Palmer... Garner said the whole Today FM news team was in the studio, crying and “shell-shocked”. She said the team had previously been told they had the support of “everyone” at MediaWorks, including the chief executive and the board. O’Brien said they had been “instructed to play music” ahead of the meeting with Palmer. Day said the board wanted to keep a digital part of Today FM and also keep parts of the news operation. He said he was “gutted” and “disappointed”. said that the MediaWorks board had decided to make the proposal to shut down Today FM.” MediaWorks was consulting with the team “about the future of the station”, she said. “It was a big shock, but it wasn’t a surprise,” he said. “This is a difficult time for the team and our priority is supporting them as we work through this process.” Palmer said Today FM was the “baby” of former chief executive Cam Wallace and former station boss Dallas Gurney, both of whom left MediaWorks within the past fortnight. Palmer released a statement on Thursday morning, saying Today FM had been taken off-air “at the MediaWorks board’s request”.

Staff have been given just hours to provide feedback on the plan to shut the station down.

Today FM falls silent as owner MediaWorks loses its nerve in the battle with Newstalk ZB and tells staff it's over.

Today opted for a staff briefing at peak audience time, with two of the biggest stars on air or just coming off air, for a 'proposal' to close the station and a consultation period lasting only until Thursday afternoon. There's been some salutary examples overseas - CNN cancelled its vastly costly CNN+ online play just weeks after it launched; here, Radio Sport was put out of its misery early in the pandemic. Heaven knows what the listeners thought. All the while, Newstalk ZB and in particular Mike Hosking's Breakfast Show, rode supreme, undented by anything Today FM threw at them. Reader donations are critical to what we do. A weird mix of Abba, Billy Joel and others, punctuated from the radio grave by the voice of Today FM, Paul Henry, talking up the talk station that was no more. Their producers were also amply enticed from other jobs, one with what was said to be an "eye-wateringly" high salary. O'Brien, Garner, Leah Panapa and Mark Richardson in the afternoons, Lloyd Burr, Rachel Smalley and others were big names and reputedly rewarded appropriately. "I don't think anyone is going to let Tova and I keep gobbing off here." Or, as it turns out, almost a year. But MediaWorks executives preached patience, that listenership isn't built in a day. "We're all going to lose our jobs."

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 ...

Tova O’Brien’s line producer Tom Day said the MediaWorks board “have made a proposal to shut down” Today FM. “We were last on board you see as a station here. As news may or may not come through.” I believe the decision could come today.” Could it be that we are first offloaded? “Today as the news was delivered to the team I watched people I care about deeply burst into tears. Certainly some concerns in the background about the finances for the company overall. it was a five-year plan but we have only been on-air for a year.” “We passionately believe we have done amazing work. Much love to all my listeners and co-workers,” she posted on Facebook. He described radio as an “intimate job” that you pour your soul into. I feel bad as I’ve let my family down.”

In a voiced message, the short announcement said Today FM will be replaced by a new station on the same frequency in April. The rest of the message said Black ...

“In the meeting, Wendy Palmer... Garner said the whole Today FM news team was in the studio, crying and “shell-shocked”. She said the team had previously been told they had the support of “everyone” at MediaWorks, including the chief executive and the board. O’Brien said they had been “instructed to play music” ahead of the meeting with Palmer. Day said the board wanted to keep a digital part of Today FM and also keep parts of the news operation. He said he was “gutted” and “disappointed”. said that the MediaWorks board had decided to make the proposal to shut down Today FM.” MediaWorks was consulting with the team “about the future of the station”, she said. “It was a big shock, but it wasn’t a surprise,” he said. “This is a difficult time for the team and our priority is supporting them as we work through this process.” Palmer said Today FM was the “baby” of former chief executive Cam Wallace and former station boss Dallas Gurney, both of whom left MediaWorks within the past fortnight. Palmer released a statement on Thursday morning, saying Today FM had been taken off-air “at the MediaWorks board’s request”.

Talkback radio station Today FM is no more and a new station will be taking over the frequency in April, MediaWorks has announced.

An announcement has gone out on Today FM, saying the station has closed and will be replaced by a new station on the same frequency in April.

“In the meeting, Wendy Palmer... Garner said the whole Today FM news team was in the studio, crying and “shell-shocked”. She said the team had previously been told they had the support of “everyone” at MediaWorks, including the chief executive and the board. O’Brien said they had been “instructed to play music” ahead of the meeting with Palmer. Day said the board wanted to keep a digital part of Today FM and also keep parts of the news operation. He said he was “gutted” and “disappointed”. said that the MediaWorks board had decided to make the proposal to shut down Today FM.” MediaWorks was consulting with the team “about the future of the station”, she said. “This is a difficult time for the team and our priority is supporting them as we work through this process.” Palmer said Today FM was the “baby” of former chief executive Cam Wallace and former station boss Dallas Gurney, both of whom left MediaWorks within the past fortnight. Palmer released a statement on Thursday morning, saying Today FM had been taken off-air “at the MediaWorks board’s request”. Palmer said market conditions meant funding was not there for the station to keep going and a number of staff would be leaving the business in the coming weeks.

This morning it was announced Mediaworks' talk back news radio station, Today FM, is facing closure, bringing the end to a short and troubled history.

"Understandably, he's decided to focus on his business and so is leaving Today FM. The station finally launched in March of that year. Mark has played an important role in getting the Tova show off to the flourishing start we have had. We won’t cover the sensational just because we know you’ll call up about it or share it on social media. "We're scared. Previously, chief executive Cam Wallace had also left MediaWorks. "We've been on the air for a year; we were told we had the support of everyone, from the chief executive through to the board, through to the executive. We’re over being scared. “We’re sick of being angry. Not just for myself but the entire team that can’t launch,” she said in 2022. It carried a mission statement of catering to those "who are sick of the same old names talking about the same old news". Today FM took on more of a centrist approach to the news, saying it wanted to encourage debate and avoid sensationalism.

Palmer 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 ...

O’Brien’s line producer Tom Day said the MediaWorks board “have made a proposal to shut down” Today FM. “We were last on board you see as a station here. I believe the decision could come today.” Certainly some concerns in the background about the finances for the company overall. “Today as the news was delivered to the team I watched people I care about deeply burst into tears. it was a five-year plan but we have only been on-air for a year.” “We passionately believe we have done amazing work. Much love to all my listeners and co-workers,” she posted on Facebook. He described radio as an “intimate job” that you pour your soul into. The station’s Facebook page now appears to have been deleted. But, I can confidently say that they have done something like no one else has in the media space. They’ve worked tremendously hard and we’re incredibly proud of the work they have done.

A total of 30 hosts, production staff and contractors at news radio station Today FM were proposed to have their roles disestablished, according to a leaked ...

“We were last on board you see as a station here. Certainly some concerns in the background about the finances for the company overall. As news may or may not come through.” Much love to all my listeners and co-workers,” she posted on Facebook. Market share for Today FM in S4 2022 was 1.4 per cent versus the business plan expectation of 2.9 per cent.” Could it be that we are first offloaded? “With a predicted recession in 2023 the immediate outlook does not look promising, therefore our operating model and expenses need to change to offset the current and any potential future revenue shortfalls. REX, Rural Exchange will still play on this frequency at usual times for now.” The station’s Facebook page now appears to have been deleted. But, I can confidently say that they have done something like no one else has in the media space. They’ve worked tremendously hard and we’re incredibly proud of the work they have done. Time to pivot.

The future of MediaWorks talk network Today FM and its news service are in doubt after a proposal to close the station prompted an on-air staff revolt.

This is a difficult time for the team and our priority is supporting them as we work through this process." We're supposed to be part of futureproofing this company," she told listeners. Its demise comes shortly after Gurney's departure from the station, which O'Brien attributed to "understandable personal reasons." We keep doing the same thing." Shortly after that John Farnham's Pressure Down, featuring the refrain: Today FM abruptly cut to pop music after breakfast host Tova O'Brien announced she and all her colleagues were losing their jobs - and morning host Duncan Garner said they had "been betrayed." "It's about doing the same thing every day. You were robbed." We were part of this company. "This morning at the MediaWorks Board’s request, we have taken Today FM off air while we consult with the team about the future of the station. MediaWorks talk network Today FM and its news service have been pulled off the air today. This evening, Today FM's social media pages were locked or removed and an announcement was posted on their website calling it a "difficult decision" to take the station off the air.

MediaWorks has shut down its news radio station Today FM after eight hours of consultation with staff, with a new station launching on the same frequency in ...

Palmer said it was a "difficult decision" for the company's board to take Today FM off-air. "And they have f***** us. They've worked tremendously hard and we're incredibly proud of the work they have done. "At the request of the MediaWorks board we have undertaken a review of the entire business to identify further areas of potential cost saving and to reshape the business for the market conditions," she said. "The next live game will be the third ODI starting at 2pm tomorrow. But, I can confidently say that they have done something like no one else has in the media space.

High-profile hosts Tova O'Brien and Duncan Garner are just two among 30 whose roles are being disestablished, with another 20 'under review'.

“This led the board to make the difficult decision to take Today FM off air and to continue to explore options for a news and digital audio strategy.” “We came into this organisation with this promise of a long-term strategy,” O’Brien told listeners shortly before the plug was pulled on Today FM yesterday morning. The brand needed time and “significant marketing investment” to break through and Mediaworks wasn’t in a position to invest further. “Existing brands could utilise the Today FM frequencies at no cost. “If after consultation, your role is disestablished, we would look for redeployment opportunities elsewhere in the business,” the document stated. And while not up for immediate disestablishment, Today FM’s 20-strong news team could also be in line for job cuts.

Stuff has obtained a confidential MediaWorks document naming 30 Today FM staff who are in line for disestablishment – and a review of news yet to come could ...

“All feedback will be reviewed by the Board and Wendy Palmer CEO, prior to the final decision being made. It also proposes job losses: “This proposal allows for MediaWorks to make significant fixed cost savings in 2023 and immediately improve the financial position of the company. “Undertake a review of the newsroom function. The station’s market share also wasn’t growing to what was needed: “Market share for Today FM in S4 2022 was 1.4% versus the business plan expectation of 2.9%”. The document also states there could be more to come – this time in news and “a separate consultation and timeline will follow”. [closure of Today FM](https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/300842932/this-station-is-no-longer-today-fm-mediaworks-radio-station-transmits-last-words) – marked “CONFIDENTIAL – Not for distribution” and titled “Change Proposal March 2023 Today FM”.

MediaWorks' interim CEO Wendy Palmer said it was "an emotional day" for Today FM staff after the company decided to close the Auckland-based talkback and ...

O’Brien’s line producer Tom Day said the MediaWorks board "have made a proposal to shut down" Today FM. "We were last on board you see as a station here. I believe the decision could come today." They have completely lied." As news may or may not come through." "Today as the news was delivered to the team I watched people I care about deeply burst into tears. it was a five-year plan but we have only been on-air for a year." "We passionately believe we have done amazing work. What a ride," the Twitter post read. Much love to all my listeners and co-workers," she posted on Facebook. The station’s Facebook page now appears to have been deleted. They’ve worked tremendously hard and we’re incredibly proud of the work they have done.

The abrupt closure of news radio station Today FM could leave its owners exposed to legal action by high-profile staff, with one expert saying they believed ...

“Today as the news was delivered to the team I watched people I care about deeply burst into tears. This team believed in a long-term vision that has not been fulfilled through no fault of their own.” Much love to all my listeners and co-workers,” she posted on Facebook. If you have advertising booked on Today FM we will move this placement to relevant stations within the MediaWorks stable, ensuring the same or better audience delivery.” “We’d also like to thank everyone who supported Today FM over the last year, from our regular contributors, to our advertisers and especially our listeners. it was a five-year plan but we have only been on-air for a year.” I believe the decision could come today.” In a broadcast on the frequency at about 5pm a message said: “This station is no longer Today FM.” In a separate statement, attributed to Palmer, read: “MediaWorks like the whole advertising sector in New Zealand and internationally, continues to be impacted by an environment with lower revenues and higher costs. In an email to clients, MediaWorks’ commercial director Liz Fraser said, “while providing some incredible content and a highly engaged audience, Today FM needed time and significant marketing investment in order to grow its listenership. They’ve worked tremendously hard and we’re incredibly proud of the work they have done. “This means doing things differently, investing in areas where there are opportunities for growth and reducing costs where possible to fund these activities.

AUT's head of radio Matt Mollgaard told Breakfast that Today FM's challenges weren't unique - but he wouldn't predict the death of radio.

This is a hard day for this talented team who put everything into building a new talk platform in Aotearoa. Talk radio "is the hardest one" to get right, said Mollgaard. They’ve worked tremendously hard and we’re incredibly proud of the work they have done. I think we are seeing here a consolidation of media money. "At the request of the MediaWorks Board we have undertaken a review of the entire business to identify further areas of potential cost saving and to reshape the business for the market conditions. "In many ways radio is a bellwether media because advertising tends to drop off from television and radio pretty quickly in a recession...

Despite big coups in Tova O'Brien and Duncan Garner, an awkward outsourcing move pre-dating Today FM could be blamed for the demise.

But there wouldn’t seem to be any easy options. * [cut about 45 staff](https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/131067983/mediaworks-paying-price-for-chief-execs-interest-in-politics-says-staffer) and a similar number of unfilled positions, with one source in the business going as to far as to say the company was [paying the price for Wallace’s interest in politics](https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/131067983/mediaworks-paying-price-for-chief-execs-interest-in-politics-says-staffer). [controversy-prone Magic Talk station](https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/127106243/why-magic-talk-failed-and-the-challenge-facing-the-new-station-today-fm). [probably not helped by Discovery running the ruler over some parts of Newshub in 2021](https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/300306992/newshub-to-close-its-dunedin-newsroom?rm=a). [offloading its loss-making TV arm](https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/300101113/discovery-takes-bet-on-nz-by-buying-television-channel-three) to US media business Discovery for $20 million in 2020. [an integrated newsroom, Newshub](https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/74661758/mediaworks-gets-backing-for-multi-million-cap-ex-spend-from-private-equity-owner). [MediaWorks to bring news reporting back in-house](https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/126724481/mediaworks-to-bring-news-reporting-back-inhouse?rm=a) [MediaWorks chief executive Cam Wallace to step down](https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/131343745/mediaworks-chief-executive-cam-wallace-to-step-down?rm=a) [MediaWorks paying price for chief exec's interest in politics, says staffer](https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/131067983/mediaworks-paying-price-for-chief-execs-interest-in-politics-says-staffer?rm=a) ['They've f...ed us': Today FM staff go to the pub, station's fate due to be announced at 5pm](https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/300842932/theyve-fed-us-today-fm-staff-go-to-the-pub-stations-fate-due-to-be-announced-at-5pm?rm=a) [was struggling to attract a viable audience](https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/300843763/leaked-mediaworks-document-reveals-plan-to-axe-today-fm-staff-and-review-of-news-next).

It "ended with a fierce, confronting brutality that only Private Equity can wield".

Hard-to-change listener habits and taking up a centrist position in the combative zone of talkback radio have caused Today FM's demise, an editor says.

"They really did a lot. MediaWorks had spent a lot of money on the station and executives had the hope till near the end it could succeed. They tried very hard - it was almost heroic in the element of content they put forward, but it's that habit and that scale of talent you're up against." He said the main reason Today FM failed was that it was "a hard ask" to make inroads into the competitive zone of commercial talkback dominated by NewstalkZB "that's been at the height of its powers for years". ["It's that habit and that scale of talent you're up against" - Newsroom's co-editor Tim Murphy duration 5:25](/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018884068/mediaworks-axes-today-fm-live-on-air) [Download](https://podcast.radionz.co.nz/mnr/mnr-20230331-0737-mediaworks_axes_todayfm_live_on_air-128.mp3) ["It's that habit and that scale of talent you're up against" - Newsroom's co-editor Tim Murphy](/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018884068/mediaworks-axes-today-fm-live-on-air) It seemed the owners had been indecisive for some time but when they reached a decision "it was gone".