The Fold

4.7 (118)
NEWS COMMENTARY
UPDATED WEEKLY

Conversations about the intersections of media, culture and technology in New Zealand, hosted by Duncan Greive, founder of The Spinoff.

5 DAYS AGO

The biggest media stories no one is talking about

Glen Kyne joins Duncan Greive on The Fold to discuss a clutch of curiously under-covered stories which suggest major changes coming to streaming entertainment and news publishing. There’s Netflix’s massive deal with France’s biggest broadcaster to host its live channels and a vast library of content, along with a group of UK TV companies banding together to sell ads across their networks. Then there is the continual encroachment of AI into platforms, including the sharp rise on both Spotify and YouTube – along with the chance of a fightback, in Cloudflare’s desire to create a “pay-per-crawl” model. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

51 min
30 JUNE

The double radio life of BrianFM's mysterious owner

Andrew Jeffries might be the most influential New Zealander in the global music industry you've never heard of. For many years he was a senior executive, in charge of programming more than 800 stations at iHeartRadio, the biggest radio company in America, with massive digital and events businesses too. But while he worked on the big show by day, by night he built out a really different operation. BrianFM disobeys many of the rules he enforced in his main job – no DJs, no ads, and a very eclectic and constantly changing playlist. He joins Duncan Greive on The Fold to explain the two sides of his extraordinary career. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

52 min
23 JUNE

TVNZ turns to sport – will it turn away from Shortland St? Plus a big result for Stuff

Glen Kyne returns to The Fold to recap the big takeaways from a new interview with TVNZ CEO Jodie O’Donnell. TVNZ is back in profit and looking at rugby and the Olympics, with an intriguing pay-per-view model on the horizon. He and Duncan Greive also discuss the implications of a widening lead for Stuff in Nielsen’s digital news rankings, and close on what the structural separation of WBD internationally means for Three and the rest of the local business. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

45 min
16 JUNE

Why festivals are failing as live music is booming – and the battle for Western Springs

Campbell Smith trained as a lawyer, but was quickly drawn into the music business. He started out offering advice on bFM, then began representing artists like Brooke Fraser and The Naked and Famous. Then came his first promotional gig – running one of the country's most iconic festivals in the Big Day Out. At the same time he represented recorded music rights holders in a doomed battle against music downloading in the Napster era. He joins Duncan Greive to reflect on all this and discuss the current state of live music, while explaining his decision to wind down his management career, and his involvement with the campaign to turn Western Springs into a permanent music venue. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

59 min
11 JUNE

Bauer, five years after part II: The Listener and Are Media rise from the ashes

Are Media was a new company born out of the end of Bauer, taking some of its biggest magazines and running them on a much leaner model. Are's NZ GM Stuart Dick and The Listener's editor Kirsty Cameron join Duncan Greive on The Fold to talk about bringing those magazines back to life, and how Cameron revived a title which had lost its way at times in the Bauer years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

46 min
9 JUNE

Bauer, five years after part I: Ensemble, Here and the rise of the independents

New Zealand's magazine industry suffered a catastrophic event five years ago, when many of the biggest and most famous titles in our history shut down on a fateful Zoom call. The first of a two part series looks at the independent publications which rose up in its wake. Duncan Greive is joined by Rebecca Wadey and Zoe Walker Ahwa, founders of Ensemble to discuss lifestyle media and first joining then leaving Stuff. Next comes Simon Farrell-Green, to talk about why after years editing Home, he decided to leave the title alone and instead start a new magazine named Here, which turns five years old this month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1h 4m
3 JUNE

Emergency Pod, part II: Inside the final showdown at the NZME's annual meeting

A massive day of media news concludes with Duncan Greive joining Anna Rawhiti-Connell on The Fold to break down the NZME ASM, which marked the conclusion to an epic three month saga involving Canadian billionaire Jim Grenon. He and former National finance minister Steven Joyce were both elected to the board, with shareholders were both elated and terrified for what that might entail. Greive traveled straight from the meeting to tell Rawhiti-Connell what went on. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

40 min
3 JUNE

Emergency pod: Trade Me buys 50% of Stuff Digital – what?! And why?!

Glen Kyne joins Duncan Greive on The Fold to discuss today's announcement that Trade Me has purchased a 50% stake in Stuff Digital, with an explicit focus on growing its property audience. Kyne and Greive break down the strategic rationale, the challenge it represents to NZME and how this new battle might play out in the coming months and years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

35 min

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4.7

out of 5

118 Ratings

Hi-protein media diet

27/09/2024

tinokapai

I genuinely feel after listening to Dunc’s Folds that my raw material, my feedstock for a fuller understanding of media is richer. There are probably some great Omega-3 fatty acids in there also. Not sure if listening perks my skin and hair, but it definitely lowers inflammation and help fight depression.
Simon Drought

17/02/2023

Simon Drought

Great stuff Dunc. Keep it coming !
10/10 will listen again

02/10/2022

Gizzyboynz

Great host, interesting guest, NZ topics. Love it
Top notch media insights!

01/10/2022

collinbjork

I’m a podcasting and science communication lecturer at Massey, and this podcast is essential to helping my students and myself wrap our heads around this rapidly shifting media landscape. Love the ethos of the Spinoff and Duncan’s team. Nga mihi!