The Fold

Join Rachel Bayfield, Chief Technology & Innovation Officer at PHD; James Davidson, Chief Strategy and Planning Officer at PHD; and Helen Brown, Chief Investment Officer at PHD, as they dive into the trends shaping local media. They dissect pivotal deals like Trade Me's stake in Stuff and Sky's acquisition of Three, the rise of clean-room technology, and the evolving creator economy. With compelling predictions for 2026, they also tackle the challenges of TV fragmentation and the potential risks of AI on trust in advertising.

Duncan Greive goes solo to deliver a quick response to the NZ Screen Awards, which fused film with television in a way which showed a lot of promise while also needing some serious tightening. There were big wins for The Convert, and a big beautiful crowd, but Tinā felt neglected and the randomised nature of the awards meant that energy came and went. The highlights more than justified the exercise – but a more streamlined and sequenced show should be the aim for 2026. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join Anna Rawhiti-Connell, Head of Audience at The Spinoff, as she delves into the changing landscape of children's media in New Zealand. Discover how YouTube's dominance has overshadowed traditional TV and learn about the struggles local content faces in terms of discoverability. The conversation also tackles the Broadcasting Standards Authority's research on trust in news, revealing generational divides in media consumption. Anna highlights how trust varies based on content type and age, painting a nuanced picture of modern news engagement.

Toby Manhire, editor-at-large at The Spinoff, discusses a journalistic blunder that involved misidentifying a wine importer as ex-New York Mayor Bill de Blasio. He shares a personal story about a mistake he made at the Guardian and examines how AI is exacerbating errors in newsrooms. The conversation shifts to succession planning at RNZ and TVNZ, evaluating potential hosts and the challenges of finding the right fit. Toby emphasizes the importance of managing talent wisely for a smoother transition in local broadcasting.

Liam Rātana, editor of The Spinoff Ātea and a commentator on Māori media, dives into the recent upheavals in the Māori news landscape. He discusses the funding cuts to iconic shows like Te Karere and The Hui, explaining how shifting audience preferences towards digital platforms have shifted the funding focus. Rātana highlights the rise of agile regional providers targeting younger viewers and reveals innovative strategies using local content to engage audiences. With a looming fiscal cliff, he emphasizes the need for transformation in how news is delivered to Māori communities.

Glen Kyne returns to The Fold to discuss the background, stakes and possible outcome of a small battle that sets up a much larger question: how do we regulate the internet? It's one successive governments have thought about then studiously avoided. The BSA might just have forced them to confront it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The biggest phenomenon in pop culture released her latest album a week ago. Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl smashed records wherever it went, but was also greeted by an unfamiliar reaction: indifference. Not just by critics, but by her fans too. Duncan Greive is joined by The Spinoff’s Alex Casey and Lyric Waiwiri-Smith – two lifelong Swift fans who also felt the bubble pop this week – to discuss an album that promised much but felt like a letdown to many. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From a traditional "direct" medium to a data-driven powerhouse, out-of-home media has undergone a true evolution. Over a 17-year period, the out-of-home space has gone from commanding a mere 3% of industry ad revenue to approximately 18%, expanding to fill the void left by fragmenting media channels like linear television. Duncan Greive is joined by Kurt Malcolm, Head of Trading and Platforms at JCDecaux NZ, and Richard Thompson, Founder of D3, to discuss how innovations like knOOH - a cross-industry collaboration to measure audience - have contributed to the continued rise of out-of-home in Aotearoa. This is the final episode of our partnership with JC Decaux. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Critic Te Arohi is the student magazine of the University of Otago, and turns 100 this year, making it the oldest student media in the country, as well as one of its most awarded and impactful. This week, Duncan is joined by the current editor and one of its recent former editors to discuss the evolution of the magazine and how student media, which naturally has the youngest adult demographic in the country, keeps up its mission, despite still relying on the oldest distribution strategy of them all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices