Mike's Minute: The Legacy of Newstalk ZB

I hope if you read it or caught it over the weekend you enjoyed  the coverage of Newstalk ZB's 100th birthday.

I can tell you for nothing it is an honour and a joy to be a small part of what has become this country's greatest radio success story.

Although it has taken various iterations over the years, from a fledgling operation limited in hours by the Government through to the publicly listed operation it is today, there are very, very few companies in this country that have stood the test of time and been as successful as we have for that whole period.

One of the ironies of the success is that many companies that haven't made it got overtaken in some way by progress; technology, AI, change of customer habits, and yet radio despite having been written off so many times, has not just survived but boomed.

The radio industry in general in this country is in remarkable health. Yes there have been changes and re-shapings, expansions and retreats, start-ups and close-downs. But the industry has broadly consolidated into what it is today; profitable and used in some way by the vast, vast majority of New Zealanders each and every day.

And at the top of the pile is us.

As far as I know it remains an industry that has more stations per head of population than anywhere on Earth.

We de-regulated the industry and for a while you could buy a frequency for about three cents and start your own station. Many did because why wouldn’t you? Have a crack.

However talk radio is expensive and that’s why, comparatively, not as many had a go and as history shows us those who did venture into the area ran into trouble.

Part of the issue was Newstalk ZB. ZB has been so good for so long the truism is that to make a mark you have to find a weakness. They couldn't find one, or at least not a big enough one.

Critics often argue the ZB audience is rusted on. That is to insult the audience and show an ignorance for quality.

Part of ZB's success is never taking the audience for granted and you do that by forever looking to improve, never resting and always pushing a little harder.

The audience isn't rusted. It just hasn’t had a good enough reason to dabble elsewhere.

Longevity is the other trick. Well, longevity and consistency. The Newstalk ZB breakfast show has had two hosts in 40 years. No one comes close to matching that.

It has produced some of the greatest names the industry has ever known. It's covered the news and told our stories.

It's reflected this country and its journey better than anything and anyone.

The good news is I honestly feel not only are these its best days so far, but there are, at 100, more and better ones to come.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Get there. I hope have you read it or caught
it over the weekend you enjoyed the coverage of zb's
one hundredth birthday. I can tell you for nothing. It
is an honor and joy to be a small part
of what has become this country's greatest radio success story.
Although it has taken various iterations over the years, from
a fledgling operation limited in ours by the government of
the day through to the publicly listed operation it is today.

(00:21):
There are very very few companies in this country that
have stood one the test of time and two been
as successful as we have for that whole period. One
of the ironies of the success is that many companies
that haven't made it got overtaken in some way by progress,
you know, technology AI at the moment change of customer habit.
And yet radio, despite having been written off so many times,

(00:43):
has not just survived but boomed. The radio industry in
general in this country is in remarkable health. I mean, yes,
there have been changes, of course, they have reshaping's, expansions
and retreats, startups and closed downs, but the industry is
broadly consolidated into what it is today, profitable and used
in some by the vast, vast majority of New Zealanders
each and every day, and at the top of the

(01:05):
pile is US. It remains, as far as I know,
an industry that has more stations per head of population
than anywhere on Earth. We deregulated the industry and for
a while you could buy a frequency for about three
cents and start your own radio station, and many did.
Why wouldn't you have a crack talk radio? Though as expensive?
And that's why comparatively not as many had to go,

(01:26):
and as history shows, as those who did venture into
the area ran into a bit of trouble. Part of
the issue was ZB. ZB has been so good for
so long. The truism is that if you make a mark,
you've got to find a weakness. They couldn't find one,
or at least not a big enough one. Critics often
argue the ZB audiences rusted on that's to insult the

(01:47):
audience and also to show an ignorance for quality. Part
of zb's success is never taking the audience for granted,
and you do that by forever looking to improve, never resting,
always pushing a little bit harder. The audience isn't rusted,
it's just hasn't had a good enough reason to dabble elsewhere.
Longevity is the other trick, longevity and consistency. The News

(02:09):
Talks That'd Be Breakfast show has had two hosts in
forty years. Two hosts and forty years. Think about it.
No one comes close to matching that. It has produced
some of the greatest names the industry has ever known.
It's covered the news and told our stories. It has
reflected this country and its journey better than anything and anyone.
Good news is I honestly feel not only are these

(02:30):
its best days so far, but there are at one
hundred more and better ones to come.