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Question marks are hanging over the future of a proposal to ban the 24/7 tethering of dogs, so will the new coalition government commit to outlawing the practice? And if not, why? Plus - Stuff Chief Political Correspondent Tova O'Brien gives us the lowdown on Christopher Luxon's first State of the Nation address as Prime Minister, how the Blackcaps can get one up on the Aussies, and the baffling number of people who sleep with a light on.
The Finance Minister, Nicola Willis, has faced her first big test, delivering the mini budget. Tova O'Brien is in to assess how it all went. How using the internet to find out if news is real or fake can lead to more misinformation - it's all due to "data voids." Plus we have top tips on the best films and TV to catch over the holiday and what not to give your children's teacher.
At last, the moment some of you may have been waiting for, Aotearoa's most potentially prestigious political ceremony: The first of at least one Poli Awards. Or, as they're affectionately known in Poliwood, The Polis. Join host Tova O'Brien and a cast of national treasures, including Sir John Key, Helen Clark, Paddy Gower and Tom Sainsbury, for a glittering extravaganza honouring those who made a lasting impact on 2023's battle of the ballot box.
National and Act are waiting on the count of special votes to see if they need Winston Peters to govern - Stuff's Chief Political Correspondent, Tova O'Brien, gives her shout on how things will play out. A former Labour Chief of Staff casts light on what it's like to negotiate with the New Zealand First leader. Why Labour lost so many Maori seats plus the impact the election result will have on the economy and climate policies and Australia rejects an advisory Voice to Parliament for First Nation people.
The first leader's debate of the campaign - Tova O'Brien assesses how well the two Chris's went. The four year Russell Brand investigation by media, the Ig Nobel science award for inventions that make you laugh, then think plus the art installation that could be a crime.
As National announced its long-awaited tax plan, some journalists took a hard look at its numbers, while others focused more on political strategy and impact.
Both Labour and National launched their political campaigns at the weekend, but was there a winner? Stuff's Chief political correspondent, Tova O'Brien, gives her verdict. Immigration staff says the visas system is in a shambles, the peril of being a name doppelganger for a famous or infamous other plus when is the best time to send an email, if you want it read.
As National announced its long-awaited tax plan, some journalists took a hard look at its numbers, while others focused more on political strategy and impact.
Introducing Stuff's whip-smart new political podcast, hosted by Tova O'Brien and featuring Luke Malpass and Andrea Vance.
National's tax plans are out, but so are the calculators to see if it all adds up. Tova O'Brien has been gauging reaction. We look at how wages and retail are faring with BNZ's Chief Economist, are female surgeons really better? And why are we obsessed with workplace TV?
Stuff's Chief Political Correspondent, Tova O'Brien, gives Newsable her verdict on Labour's tax policy if it returns to government, which includes removing GST on fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables. Plus a mysterious disappearance in the Australian outback, getting rangitahi off the vapes and a legal battle over emojis.
Stuff's Chief Political Correspondent, Tova O'Brien, give us her analysis of the impact of Kiri Allan's resignation. Quick fashion giants Temu and Shein are fighting for supremacy in the courts. The Football Ferns take on Philippines tonight, plus the tale of the climber and the lost teddy.
Tova O'Brien is joining Stuff and is this special episode of Newsable she opens up about recovering after the demise of Today FM, what she has been doing for the last 3 months and the dread of missing out on covering an election.
Tova O'Brien is joining Stuff and she talks for the first time since the demise of Today FM. The Football Ferns open the Fifa Women's Football World Cup tonight plus how did we get in this cost of living crisis and the Barbie film on screen today.
Colin Peacock talks to Mark Leishman about the media response to the Prime Minister ruling out wealth taxes; Tova O'Brien returns - while other editors go out; a distressing trial - and covering the crimes of Sir James Wallace.
Within New Zealand's tight-knit fashion industry questions have been swirling about Adrian Hailwood's design practices, after it emerged the same dresses worn by the likes of Tova O'Brien, Wendy Petrie and even former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern are widely available through Chinese manufacturers trading on wholesale site Alibaba. So what's going on?
After just a year of broadcasting, Today FM hosts Tova O'Brien and Duncan Garner took over the airwaves this morning to dramatically declare that Mediaworks was considering axing the fledgling radio brand. Duncan Greive sits down in this bonus monopod to discuss the potential future that faces Today FM's employees. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mediaworks' Auckland-based Today FM has stopped live on-air programming. Today FM hosts Duncan Garner and Tova O'Brien told listeners a short time ago the station and staff were being cut. The station was facing uncertainty after the recent resignations of Chief Executive Cam Wallace and head of News Dallas Gurney. Kathryn speaks to RNZ Mediawatch presenter, Colin Peacock.
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. 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."
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. 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."
Opinion: If only it were an April Fool's prank but alas on the 1st of April next year travelling to work, home, school, study, and kid's sport - it's all getting way more expensive. It was a toss-up whether the Government was going to keep the fuel tax cut and public transport subsidy in place but it's chosen saving over spending as we've all been directed to do by the reserve bank governor. And it's symbolic too. Symbolic of the broader budget that the government is trying to convince us it's running in an election year. 'Getting the basics right' is how Grant Robertson is pitching 2023 - which begs the question, have you been failing to do so to date? He wants this to look like a frugal, no-frills, no-wild helicopter cash, money scramble in an election year. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
New Zealand's third COVID-19 wave is picking up speed right before Christmas. Daily numbers have broken through the 8,000 mark this week - 8,428 to be exact - the highest daily total in four and a half months. The Ministry of Health predicts around 10 to 11,000 cases a day by December 25th. But how can you make your Christmas less 'sick-mas' and spread cheer and not the virus over the silly season? This has raised the question about whether to add a layer of COVID protection, heading into summer. The Ministry of Health has passed advice to the Government to consider bringing back the use of masks - particularly on public transport, the Deputy Director General of Health Andrew Old told Tova O'Brien on Thursday. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Come April next year, it's the end of the line for half-price public transport. The Government has briefly extended the scheme from January to March 31st, but said it's not sustainable long-term. There is good news though, for the million-odd community service card holders. They will still be able to access cheaper fares. But FIRST Union said moving towards free public transport should be the ultimate goal. Research and policy analyst Edward Miller spoke to Tova O'Brien on Thursday morning and said the removal of half-price fares is disappointing.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
One year ago Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of Cryptocurrency company FTX, was one of the world's richest young entrepreneurs, peaking at a net worth of over 40 billion New Zealand dollars. Today, he sits in a jail cell in the Bahamas, without a cent to his name, likely awaiting extradition back to the United States where he will face charges of wire fraud that could carry a life prison sentence. " Senior Special Writer for the Wall Street Journal Justin Baer has been across the case and told Tova O'Brien on Wednesday morning Bankman-Fried has been laying his case in the media for weeks. "In recent weeks, Bankman-Fried has gone public many times," said Baer.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
"There is an insidious culture within Pharmac where I believe patients and patient outcomes are not a priority," Smalley told Tova O'Brien.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
New Zealanders who were burned by the managed isolation lottery system are disappointed the Government is skirting around an apology. An investigation by the Chief Ombudsman found officials did not adequately consider the 'very real impact' the lottery system had on people's lives Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier said Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ) also failed to consider individual circumstances for those trying to get a ticket home in the virtual lobby. He added he would follow up with the hundreds of complainants to see if an apology from the Ministry of Innovation, Business and Employment (MBIE) is necessary. But Grounded Kiwis spokesperson and lawyer Alexandra Birt told Tova O'Brien, New Zealanders deserve acknowledgement.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sometimes, even if you're horrendously late to the party and everyone's angry with you, if you finally show up with a karaoke machine and Rashuns - all will be forgiven as we join forces to sing off-key Bon Jovi together. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A 13-year-old girl from the UK whose blood cancer was deemed incurable has just been given a second chance at life, thanks to a potentially groundbreaking new treatment. Alyssa has been cured using base editing - a technology which modifies a building block in the genetic code, to teach it how to fight off disease. It's the first time the immune system has been redirected to fight cancer - and Alyssa is the very first of 10 patients to trial the new drug. Immunologist Professor Waseem Qasim was one of the project leaders at Great Ormond Street Hospital. Qasim told Tova O'Brien the medical technology has made leaps and bounds in the last several years.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On Tuesday morning, Tova O'Brien and Duncan Garner faced off once again on the Debate Club segment. This segment is all about winning, and getting the listeners to side with the stronger argument. How it works is a subject is chosen, both sides of the debate are disputed, and the winner is decided at the end. The moot for today was - The government will scrap the RNZ/TVNZ merger. O'Brien is arguing they won't, while Garner is arguing they will.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
After months of despair, frustration and mounting pressure on the health system, nurses and midwives have finally been added to the immigration green list fast-track for residency - with immediate effect. Several other roles including teachers, drain layers, and motor mechanics can apply for the second-tier green list from next March - they still have to work for two years here before being eligible for residency. There's also a new temporary residence pathway for bus and truck drivers, through a sector agreement to help employers attract workers. But there are doubts the shake-up will ease the nursing shortage, Kerri Nuku from the Nurses Organisation told Tova O'Brien the changes fail to address the elephant in the room.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
For a lot of New Zealanders, Fiji is about winter holidays, cocktails by the pool, and that welcoming 'Bula smile'. But of course, the Pacific nation is a lot more complicated than that. On Wednesday Fijians go to the polls – with two former coup leaders running for prime minister. In one corner, the current PM and leader of the 2006 coup, Frank Bainimarama from the Fiji First party. In the other corner, former PM and leader of two coups in 1987, Sitiveni Rabuka, and his People's Alliance Party. It will be the third election under the constitution introduced by Bainimarama – a constitution with language which still allows for the possibility of military intervention, and contains sweeping limitations on free speech. To discuss the upcoming election Tova O'Brien spoke to Dominic O'Sullivan, professor of political science at Charles Sturt University in Australia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
National's candidate in the Hamiton West by-election has been celebrating his resounding victory. National had tried to pretend Tama Potaka was the underdog but he was always going to be the top dog - the question was by how much — and in the end, it was a lot, about 2,300 voters. The question is now what does the result mean for the general election - Hamiton West is a bellwether seat, almost always predicting which party will get the most votes across the country. Tova O'Brien spoke to Hamilton West's new MP Tama Potaka about how the celebrations went and if he thinks his result will impact the upcoming 2023 election. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Is it shaping up to be a very COVID-y Christmas? It could go one of two ways, with COVID-19's current Omicron wave expected to peak within the next few weeks. The end of the school and business year breaking the circuit, hastening the decline in cases… Or, seasonal gatherings could act as superspreader events leading to a rolling spike in cases. One group especially concerned about the possibility of a longer, rising wave is Grey Power, whose members are older and more vulnerable to the effects of the virus. To discuss this and explain how older Kiwis are preparing for Christmas, Tova O'Brien spoke to Grey Power's health group chair Jo Millar.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
US star athlete Brittney Griner will be settling back into life at home, after being released from a Russian prison 10 months after her arrest for minor drug charges. The man she was swapped out for, on the other hand, arms dealer Viktor Bout, has a slightly darker rap sheet… Referred to by some as Russia's ‘Merchant of Death', Bout was serving 25 years in the US for charges which included conspiring to kill US citizens and aiding a terrorist organisation. Tova O'Brien spoke to former US judge Shira Scheindlin, who presided over Viktor Bout's case in 2012, to discuss the swap.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The political turmoil in the UK sparked some spectacular emotional reactions - and language not normally fit for broadcast. Meanwhile, one radio host here was pondering just what words should be used on the air and in political interviews.
After an extraordinary decade with Three, during which she became the zeitgeist face of the press gallery, Tova O'Brien abruptly resigned late last year. After an ugly and public employment relations authority case, she finally got to start a new gig in a new medium with a new station at Today FM. Despite all that, she is crackling with energy as she joins Duncan Greive on The Fold. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Today FM's Tova O'Brien said recently - tongue in cheek - it was easier to get President Zelenskiy in Ukraine on her show than our own leader. Her colleague Lloyd Burr got no response when he wanted her on a Today FM podcast about Labour's leaders. They're not the only ones at the network waiting in vain for Jacinda Arden to get in touch . . .
Andrew talks to Kathryn about Today FM host Tova O'Brien travelling to Ukraine for an extensive interview with President Zelenskyy and how it was funded. His marriage might be over, but Rupert Murdoch's doing ok. His company News Corp's annual profits have jumped by a third to a US $1.67 billion. And there's been glacial progress for most of NZ media in negotiating with Google and Meta for additional revenue.
On the show today: Tova O'Brien live in Ukraine What's your family tea? The dumbest advice we've ever heard See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Today on the show - we talk to Tova O'brien who is over in war torn Ukraine and has just spoken to the president of the Ukraine. Thank fact it's Friday returns, with facts about Egyptian erections and shitty coffee. And National Party leader Chris Luxon joins us in studio talking Uffindell, his Rock 2000 picks and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The government came under fire over some misdirected cost of living payments this week, but the more enduring story might be who didn't get paid, rather than who did.
On the podcast today we start our new challenge "I can do that". Sharyn has her first beat off and we get Dan Hoskings to prank Tova O'Brien from Today FM. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this week's edition of Midweek Mediawatch, Hayden Donnell talks to Karyn Hay about a murderers' row of interviews for National leader Christopher Luxon and the free speech implications of Elon Musk's Twitter takeover.
Before its launch, the boss of new talk station Today FM promised a new approach eschewing anger and antagonism just for the sake of engagement. The first fortnight's been a mix of some of that - as well as some old-school contrarianism from hosts notorious for it in the past. Mediawatch asks Dallas Gurney where it's all heading.
NZME goes solo in negotiations with Google and Meta (Facebook) and Andrew says this will disappoint the broader media industry in NZ, who have applied to the Commerce Commission for approval to bargain collectively with the digital giants. Also Today FM has launched with Tova O'Brien doing the breakfast show. Andrew looks at how it's going so far. Andrew Holden is a journalist for more than 30 years including five as Editor of The Press (in Christchurch) and four as Editor-in-Chief of The Age in Melbourne.
MediaWorks launched its latest talk radio network this week - Today FM - promising a constructive approach in contrast with its predecessors and its rivals. It sounds like an upgrade, but there's still plenty of opinionated bluster for familiar names from the past. Mediawatch listens in on the first week.
In this week's edition of Midweek Mediawatch, Hayden Donnell talks to Karyn Hay about a good start for Tova O'Brien and a not-so-good one for Duncan Garner on new talk station Today FM - and the weekend papers airing more of the grievances of the Covid convoy crowd at Parliament.
As the director of news and talk at MediaWorks, Dallas Gurney is responsible for overseeing the launch of Today FM, the company's new talk radio brand set to replace Magic Talk and, they hope, offer a viable alternative to talk radio giant Newstalk ZB. He joins Duncan Greive to talk about why MediaWorks decided to scrap Magic Talk, the long-term vision behind Today FM and the contentious ERA decision keeping Tova O'Brien off the air until mid-March. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
In this week's Midweek Mediawatch Hayden Donnell talks to Karyn Hay about the employment dispute keeping Tova O'Brien off the air and creating bad blood between broadcasters. Also - non-commercial RNZ falls foul of the advertising watchdog, good and bad in the latest North & South - and Hilary Barry cops a big bill for chocolate fish.
A proposed walk and cycle bridge over the Waitematā provoked a furious media backlash over the goverment's wasteful spending. Why don't roading projects get the same treatment?