Mike Hosking, Tourism Minister Matt Doocey and a wayward phone call to RNZ: ‘I have uncovered a scandal!’

‘I have uncovered a scandal’ teases Newstalk ZB Mike Hosking, as he reveals a tale of sabotage allegedly involving his RNZ rivals. But RNZ says there has been a genuine misunderstanding.

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Minister of Tourism Matt Doocey tapped the numbers into his phone to speak to Newstalk ZB host Mike Hosking. 

A voice on the other end of the line answered. 

Doocey introduced himself, explaining he was calling for the pre-arranged interview with Hosking – the pair were scheduled to speak on Thursday morning about the proposed new levy on overseas visitors and tourism’s contribution to GDP. 

According to Hosking, the person on the other end of the line allegedly responded along the lines of that there was no longer an interview. 

The minister’s office confirmed this morning he was told by the person on the other end of the line that the interview was not happening. 

Tourism Minister Matt Doocey. Photo / Mark Mitchell 

According to Hosking – who was relaying the tale of events to his listeners this morning – Doocey thought that was unusual, hung up and carried on with his day.

Meanwhile, Hosking’s producer at Newstalk ZB was wondering where the minister had got to and why he hadn’t called in, as had been arranged.

It turns out, Doocey had been given the wrong number by his office – a staff member had mistakenly written down a studio number for RNZ instead of Newstalk ZB.

You can see where this might be heading.

“I have uncovered a scandal that involves the state broadcaster, Radio New Zealand ...! Something nefarious, underhand and possibly dastardly has been uncovered,” Hosking teased his listeners this morning.

But RNZ has said it appears there has been “a genuine misunderstanding”.

Hosking explained that after Doocey’s no-show over the phone, his producer chased the minister down.

“Here’s a bit of insight into how the radio industry works. Matt Doocey was due to ring in, Matt Doocey is nowhere to be seen at about five minutes past seven,” said Hosking.

“What’s happened to Matt Doocey? We start chasing him down.

“It turns out the person in his office had written down the wrong number for him.

“So obviously, [that’s] immediate incompetence that needs to be dealt with forthwith. Do the basics brilliantly, I thought was the National Party. It’s not.”

Mike Hosking also interviewed Lisa Carringtion this week. Photo / Jason Oxenham 

Hosking’s team eventually tracked down the minister and conducted the interview. 

Off air, they were digging deeper – who did that phone number belong to? Yes, as it turned out, RNZ. 

“So Matt Doocey, minister of the crown rang up the state broadcaster as funded by you and I through our tax money and said ‘Matt Doocey reporting for the Mike Hosking Breakfast’,” said Hosking. 

“To which point they said, ‘You no longer have an interview with the Mike Hosking Breakfast.” 

But RNZ denies that specific response was used. 

An RNZ spokeswoman said: “Having spoken to the staff member who received the call, this appears to have been a genuine misunderstanding. 

“On receiving the call, they explained that we had interviewed the Minister the day before and there was no interview scheduled that morning. The staff member did not mention Newstalk or Mike Hosking.” 

Hosking had several questions on his show earlier. 

“One, do I secretly admire them for being so quickwitted that the first thing they do is instead of going, ‘Oh, you’ve probably got the wrong number’, or ‘Whoops, you’ve rung Radio New Zealand, sorry’, they say, ‘You no longer have an interview with Mike Hosking Breakfast’? 

“That’s quite sharp to be honest, [it’s] probably worth looking into employing that person, whoever they were, because there are some people here who aren’t remotely that sharp. 

“Second, is it underhand? 

“Third, is that just competition and that’s life? And would we have done the same thing if we were alert enough to do the same thing? 

“Fourth, is it just pure, straight up and down sabotage?” 

Editor-at-Large Shayne Currie is one of New Zealand’s most experienced senior journalists and media leaders. He has held executive and senior editorial roles at NZME including Managing Editor, NZ Herald Editor and Herald on Sunday Editor and has a small shareholding in NZME. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Here's a bit of insight into how the radio industry works.
Yesterday morning leads story Matt Doocy on the Mike Hosking Breakfast.
Matt Doosey was due to ring in. Matt Doocey's nowhere
to be seen. At about five minutes past seven. We
go to as what's happened to Matt Doocy? We start
chasing him down. It turns out the person in his
office had written down the wrong number for him to ring,
So obviously immediate in confidence and needs to be dealt

(00:21):
with forthwith do the basics brilliantly? I thought was the
National Party? It's not so. Anyway, he rings the number
that's written down in front of him. Person answers the
phone Hello. He goes Hello, It's Matt Doocy reporting for
the Mike Hosking Breakfast, to which he hears the words,
oh you no longer have an interview on the Mike
Hosking Breakfast, goes on, what's unusual, hangs up and he disappears. Anyway,

(00:45):
we eventually track him down and put him there. Whose
phone number was that? Whose phone number was that? That
phone number belonged to Radio New Zealand. So Matt Doocy,
Minister of the Crown, rang up the state broadcaster as
funded by you, and I threw our tax money and
said Matt Doosey reporting for the my Cosking Breakfast, to
which point they said, you no longer have an interview

(01:05):
with the Mi Cosking Breakfast. Now that's not true. Of course,
that's a lie. They lied, They made it up and
they lied. Now several questions for you. One, do I
secretly admire them for being so quick witted that the
first thing they do is instead of going, oh, you've
probably got the wrong number, or whops, you've rung radio
in New Zealando, sorry, they say you no longer have

(01:26):
an interview with the my Consking Breakfast. That's quite sharp,
to be honest. Probably worth looking into employing that person,
whoever they were, because there are some people here aren't
remotely that sharp. Second, is it underhand? Third? Is that
just competition and that's life? And would we have done
the same thing if we were alert enough to do

(01:48):
the same thing. Fourth? Is it just pure straight up
and down sabotage and you shouldn't lie and make stuff
up that isn't true? What are your thoughts on this?

Speaker 2 (01:56):
Fifth?

Speaker 1 (01:58):
If we find out and I can who the person is.
Should I name and shame them? Thoughts? Please? Sex, I'm sorry?

Speaker 2 (02:11):
Should we just ring them?

Speaker 1 (02:13):
Yeah, but they won't be the same that it's a
general line. What if it's someone different?

Speaker 2 (02:17):
Seven?

Speaker 1 (02:17):
Yes?

Speaker 2 (02:19):
Was it Russian state interference?

Speaker 1 (02:21):
Very good question, hard to tell. Was the a bird
in the background?

Speaker 2 (02:28):
Eight? Is there like, you know, an anchorman? Yes, it's
sort of like an internewsroom rivalry. And eventually we'll have
to go down to the oh yeah, you know, to
the basketball court and with our aeriels and our zip
guns and have a fight.

Speaker 1 (02:46):
You no longer have an interview with the mic Asking Breakfast.
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