The Spinoff

•

Channel • 10 Shows

News Commentary

News Commentary

Updated weekly
Politics

Politics

Weekly series
Business News

Business News

Updated weekly
Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship

Updated weekly
Music History

Music History

Series
Politics

Politics

Every two weeks
Comedy Fiction

Comedy Fiction

Weekly series

19 JAN

Seven questions which will define 2026 in NZ media

Glen Kyne joins Duncan Greive on The Fold to discuss the biggest questions facing New Zealand's media in 2026. How will the John Campbell signing impact RNZ? Can NZ Rugby arrest its slide into chaos or has Sky got a big problem with its biggest partner? Will TVNZ follow Netflix into podcasts or UGC? Is Jim Grenon done with NZME? Will the Warner Brothers acquisition go through, and how will that change Netflix – and impact New Zealand? Is our government going to keep watching forever, or will it act? Will TradeMe take all of Stuff, and where will that leave mastheads? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

19 Jan

•

59 min
03/11/2025

Notes on an epic journalistic blunder – and succession planning at RNZ and TVNZ

The Spinoff editor-at-large Toby Manhire joins Duncan Greive this week to discuss a very unfortunate case of journalistic mistaken identity. Former Herald reporter Bevan Hurley had an explosive exclusive with former Bill de Blasio, in which the former New York mayor critiqued Zohran Mamdani, the current mayoral candidate he had previously strongly endorsed. Or so Hurley thought – he had in fact been talking to a wine importer by the name of Bill DeBlasio, who holds very different views to his near-namesake. It blew up into an international media storm, which the pair break down, along with a confession from Toby's past at the Guardian. Also, the succession situations at Morning Report and TVNZ’s 6pm bulletin – what are the risks and opportunities for those two big dogs of our news media? And finally, a word on Juggernaut II – the sequel to our hit 2024 podcast which launches next week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

03/11/2025

•

51 min
07/07/2025

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

07/07/2025

•

49 min
03/06/2025

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

03/06/2025

•

33 min
08/12/2025

2025 in review: NZ’s major media companies’ years, ranked from worst to best

Glen Kyne joins Duncan Greive for a two-part finale, ranking the performances of New Zealand’s scale media companies. They take on MediaWorks, NZME, RNZ, Sky, Stuff and TVNZ, based on public facing metrics, conversations and general vibe-based diagnosis. There’s a clear winner, but wide disagreement on the losers. PLUS an instant reaction to the Netflix-WBD deal. RNZ’s Paul Thompson on that bombshell radio report Sky CEO Sophie Moloney on the NZ rugby and Three deals and the depth of its moat Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

08/12/2025

•

1h 5m
27/10/2025

What’s going on with Māori news media?

Liam Rātana, editor of The Spinoff Ātea, joins Duncan Greive on The Fold to discuss a piece he wrote last week, about some seismic changes to the Māori media landscape. Two iconic shows, Te Karere and The Hui, one of which has been on the air for more than 40 years, were turned down for funding in the most recent Te Māngai Pāho round. The decision was in part financially driven – there’s a fiscal cliff coming – but also a recognition that these shows, which have their origins in linear and still feel built around that medium’s preferences, are not necessarily where the majority of Māori find their news. Rātana explains the background, and where Māori media is going – potentially presaging moves mainstream news funders will have to make in years to come. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

27/10/2025

•

41 min
24/11/2025

The deals that defined the year in local media – plus predictions for 2026

Last week we kicked off a new partnership with New Zealand's leading media agency, PHD, which will partner with The Spinoff and The Fold on a series of podcasts on the increasingly complex intersection of media, advertising and technology. We held a live event at The Spinoff in front of a room full of senior marketers, featuring Helen Brown (PHD Chief Investment Officer) and Rachel Bayfield (PHD Chief Technology & Innovation Officer), along with James Davidson, (PHD Chief Strategy and Planning Officer). We reviewed the year in local media, highlighted by a pair of major deals at Stuff and Sky, while surveying big changes in search and the continued strength of OOH and radio. Finally we cast ahead with some predictions for 2026. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

24/11/2025

•

55 min
22/07/2025

Emergency pod! On Sky buying Three – and what it means for TVNZ

Glen Kyne joins Duncan Greive on an emergency edition of The Fold to discuss Sky's move to buy the New Zealand assets of Discovery NZ, including Three and ThreeNow. They discuss the price, what it does for Sky, how Three will evolve and how it changes the game for TVNZ. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

22/07/2025

•

30 min
22/04/2025

The big job ahead for TVNZ’s news and content chief and Google is dealt a blow

The job of chief news and content officer at TVNZ has been one of the most talked-about leadership roles in New Zealand media. Last week, it was announced that Nadia Tolich will leave her position as managing director of Stuff Digital to take up the role. Glen Kyne joins Anna Rawhiti-Connell to discuss the enormity of the task ahead for Tolich and why high profile exits mightn’t be as scandalous as you think. They also analyse the case laid out by Philip Crump on Monday for a Jim Grenon-led board at NZME and reflect on the slivers of hope that recent anti-trust ruling in the US offer those wanting to see big tech reined in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

22/04/2025

•

46 min
11/06/2025

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

11/06/2025

•

44 min

Welcome to The Spinoff Podcast Network, home to a family of titles covering society, pop culture, TV, economics, media, business and more!

Website

The Spinoff

Top Shows

Top Episodes

About