Here’s the full press release
Magic Music coughing up their FMs?
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So Wilhemina reading drive news it seems? The promotion of that is a bit weird.
I agree with @OnAir - such is ZB, they’re way ahead. I imagine RNZ will be as much of a focus for Dallas and co.
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Guessing she will be reading news and maybe contributing in a banter/discussion role?
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Another factor to consider is who Today FM’s reporters will be. If the promos indicate they’re shaking up news - I as a listener want to see that reflected in their team on the ground.
Producers will be driving the content of these shows too, so who is picked for those jobs is important.
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Wilhelmenia drive newsreader and 7-8pm host?
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Sooo… most interesting bits from MW’s sponsorship opportunities book:
Reimagining the format and making it accessible for a younger audience.
40-54 year old Kiwis who are sick of the same old names talking about the same old news.
Most news at breakfast, with updates every nine mins and as it breaks.
News updates every nine mins on Duncan Garner Today as well.
Shorter, snappier bulletins designed to be easily consumable by busy people.
Presented by some of NZ’s most well-known news broadcasters.
Saturday Breakfast w/ Nigel Yalden - latest news, sport and event information
Robett Hollis Live (2 hr Sat. afternoon show)
Other weekend shows:
Weekend Brunch
Today Sport
Saturday Night Live (crossing up and down the country & playing party anthems)
Sunday Morning
Sunday Cafe (live from a cafe)
REX & Rural Today become “REX Today” airs 11a-12p across all regional markets (exception of Akl, Wgtn, Chch, Hawkes Bay & Tauranga)
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As an all day RNZ listener, I can’t really see myself tuning to TodayFM and some blaring ads personally, but that’s just me…
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@OnAir Apart from Auckland and Christchurch, what about Rodney (92.9FM), Taupo (99.2FM) and Taranaki (89.2FM)? These frequencies used to play host to RadioLIVE before Magic took over (except Rodney, where The Sound broadcasts on 92.9FM).
And does that mean The Sound will be replaced by Magic? The Sound has been on air for 10 years.
I am concerned that, when Today FM launches in Auckland and Christchurch, people in those cities will no longer get their Magic music on FM.
Pretty uninspiring bland… I mean brand, though.
I would have thought something with the word ‘intel’ or ‘info’ or even ‘news’ would have made more sense.
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I would love to know what other names were considered.
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It feels like they set the brief for the station and then forgot who they hired.
Promo video: Feel like news is stuck in a rut? Same old voices, same old stories
Smalley, Garner, Leah, Mark & Polly are not new to radio…
We want this station to be a place where it’s a bit more positive, where we can talk about potential solutions to things rather than slamming each other about the place.
Kiwis are pretty moderate: sometimes we vote left, sometimes we vote right. There’s a big place in the centre and that’s where governments change so there’s a whole audience there that’s not currently served by talk radio. We want to change that.
He said the main difference listeners would hear between Today FM and Newstalk ZB would be the more solutions-focused discussions on Today, compared to what he described as “just provoking audience reactions”.
He promised, “A modern perspective on New Zealand.
“A place we can talk about potential solutions to problems, without clobbering each other over the head all the time.
“There has got to be a home for fair, objective, balanced and dare I say it, a positive outlook on our future,” he said.
And he said Today FM would be firmly focused on “the centre”, rather than left or right.
Provoking audience reactions is what Garner and Richardson do
Richardson has never made any secret of his politics and it’s not hard to work out where Garner stands.
Don’t get me wrong, I think they are good hires and it’s a fairly strong line up overall … but are they kidding themselves ?
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Is the cricket on Today or Magic Music?
They haven’t said but I assume Today as Nigel Yalden has signed on to commentate the cricket and he’s part of the Today weekend line-up
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It’s a good point. It isn’t as fresh as it suggests.
I reckon Today might launch post cricket season anyway… (or at least the big matches of the summer). They said today first quarter, that gives them until the end of March - I suspect they’d want clean air once cricket has finished rather than hop about. Then they can push the remainder of the summer (night-time matches v Australia and low level matches v Netherlands) on Today or elsewhere.
Interestingly though, the NZ Cricket website and release of fixtures only mentioned Rova as the listening option.
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And Tova doesn’t finish at Newshub until the end of January and to give her some time to take a break and prepare for her show, along with relocating to Auckland, I would say Mon Feb 28 will be the launch date.
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Tova on rova 
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Where does she currently live and why would she need to move?
Interesting - haven’t delved into it much but just assumed she might have done it from Welly?
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Mark might be just guessing though I guess…
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