Today FM radio boss quits; what now for the network?

Days after giving a farewell speech for his personal MediaWorks CEO, At this time FM radio boss Dallas Gurney has stop the fledgling community.

Gurney, a former basic supervisor of Newstalk ZB, was employed by MediaWorks to assist launch At this time FM, signing up a swag of broadcasting expertise together with Newshub’s Tova O’Brien, in addition to Rachel Smalley, Duncan Garner, Pauline Gillespie and Leah Panapa.

However the station – which turns one tomorrow – has struggled to make any inroads into the powerhouse Newstalk ZB’s rankings, and there shall be questions whether or not MediaWorks now directs its focus to its radio music manufacturers.

MediaWorks CEO Cam Wallace was farewelled at an business shindig on the Cavalier pub in Auckland’s Ponsonby on Thursday night, with Gurney giving a farewell speech for his boss.

Now he’s following him out the door because the Director of Information and Discuss, and there shall be hypothesis about the way forward for At this time FM. Gurney will depart the corporate in Might – no successor has been named.

“Dallas joined MediaWorks in September 2021 bringing his in depth radio expertise to construct a brand new discuss platform,” stated an inside MediaWorks memo from interim CEO Wendy Palmer.

“As At this time FM clocks up its one-year anniversary, Dallas has determined the time has come to maneuver on to his subsequent profession problem.

“I wish to take this chance to thank Dallas for his contribution to MediaWorks and recognise the management abilities he dropped at the enterprise. I do know he shall be missed by all at At this time FM, the manager staff and the broader firm,” the e-mail stated.

Newstalk ZB’s total cumulative viewers in New Zealand is 691,900 whereas At this time FM sits on 100,400.

MediaWorks put a courageous face on the rankings in December, saying: ”At this time FM stays a long-term mission for MediaWorks and there gained’t be a full nationwide image till subsequent 12 months when the outcomes are decoupled from Magic Discuss.”

Nonetheless, in a number of metropolitan areas, the Magic Discuss quantity has already been decoupled from At this time FM. In Auckland, the station has a weekly viewers of 29,700 in comparison with Newstalk ZB’s 269,900.

Final week, two At this time FM hosts – Leah Panapa and Miles Davis – apologised on-air after saying that utilizing the time period “pregnant individuals” was “shopping for into bullshit”.

Palmer’s memo additionally revealed adjustments to the MediaWorks board.

“I’d additionally prefer to announce additional adjustments to the Board of Administrators. Wayne Stevenson will step down from the board given the diminished chance of an IPO within the close to time period. Wayne joined the Board in 2019 following the merger with QMS NZ.

“He turned Chair following the discharge of the Office Overview in 2021 and has helped us make appreciable progress on implementing the cultural change programme. The Board of Administrators now consists of representatives from our Shareholders, QMS Media and Oaktree Capital.

“I do know that Wayne has enjoved his time with us and we thank him for his contribution and need him the easiest for the longer term.”