Media Insider: RNZ Saturday Morning show faces format, presenter changes under new proposal
The weekend show once hosted by broadcasting legend Kim Hill is set to undergo more changes, including fewer roles and a full move to Auckland, amid a backdrop of challenging ratings.
RNZ is poised to make big changes to its Saturday Morning show, including returning to a single and possibly entirely new host, Media Insider understands.
RNZ confirmed on Wednesday evening that it had presented a proposal to staff which involved a reduction in overall roles, in part to help make the show “financially sustainable”.
Sources say RNZ met with Saturday Morning staff, including presenters Susie Ferguson and Mihingarangi Forbes, yesterday. Sources say staff were left shocked.
It is understood the current 8am-12pm show has about six staff, a mix of full and part-timers, split between Auckland and Wellington.
The broadcaster is seeking feedback from staff – including presenters and producers – on the proposed changes, including fully relocating the show to Auckland.
Media Insider understands RNZ is also proposing to reduce the number of presenters from two to one.
It is unclear whether that might be Forbes (who is Auckland-based), Ferguson (who is Wellington-based), or someone completely new. Sources have indicated that the latter scenario is possible.
RNZ has started fully relocating this week into its new, modern studios and offices, on levels six and seven of the TVNZ building in central Auckland.
Like some other RNZ shows, such as the weekday Morning Report, Saturday Morning has had challenging recent ratings.
Its total audience is 169,100, according to the latest GFK survey. That was a drop of 10,000 on the same comparable 8am-12pm period of the previous survey.
Audiences had fallen in Auckland and Wellington but were up slightly in Christchurch, according to the GFK data.
RNZ statement
In a statement to Media Insider on Wednesday evening, an RNZ spokeswoman confirmed that a proposal had been shared with staff.
“Proposed changes to Saturday Morning are part of RNZ’s ongoing work towards the strategic goal of developing its live listening audience.
“The proposal sets out changes aimed at reducing the size of the team responsible for the programme to ensure the programme is financially sustainable and to tap more readily into the Auckland market through moving the full presentation and production of the show to Auckland.
“We have shared the proposal with impacted kaimahi [staff] and will not be commenting further on the proposal while we await their feedback.”
Kim Hill years and subsequent changes
Broadcasting legend Kim Hill hosted the Saturday Morning show for 21 years – from 2002 to 2023.
Upon her retirement, former Morning Report co-host Ferguson took the role, initially as sole presenter. In August 2024, Ferguson was joined by broadcaster Forbes as co-host, and the show started an hour earlier, at 7am.
“I’m super excited to be part of a new kaupapa and sharing ideas to entice new audiences,” Forbes said at the time.
“We have no shortage of ideas for an updated Saturday Morning, and look forward to sharing our plans once we’ve locked them in," Ferguson said at the time.
RNZ made further tweaks this year, with its Country Life show starting at 7am, and Saturday Morning returning to its 8am start time.
Audience focus
RNZ has been under intense scrutiny over its traditional radio listenership.
After encouraging radio audience results in the latter half of 2025, when it twice lifted its overall numbers, RNZ National’s listenership fell back to below 500,000 in the first GFK survey of 2026.
RNZ National now has 492,900 listeners, down from 500,300 at the end of 2025. That compares with commercial radio news rival Newstalk ZB’s audience of 657,400, an increase from 603,600 in the same period.
The audience drop is starkest at breakfast, with Morning Report’s audience falling back to 336,500, close to the 333,200 recorded in the first survey of 2025 – its worst result in the past six years.
After a scathing review of its audio performance by former news boss Richard Sutherland last year, RNZ has been changing out formats and talent in various shows.
In her first media interview since being appointed to the role in October last year, chief audio officer Pip Keane said last month that there were no sacred cows.
Looking ahead at the time, she said these latest ratings would give her and the recently appointed executive editor of news programmes, Sarah de Croy, guidance on future changes.
“I’ll really have the time, now that Sarah has started ... to actually sit down with all of the teams.
“We’ll dissect those GFK results, and we’ll look at where we’re tracking. What shows need to make changes, and which ones don’t need to make any changes.
“We’ll slap each other on the back if we need to and say we’re doing well here and we’re doing well there. But I think our audience needs to know that we’re open to change.
“If things need to be changed, they will be changed.”
Keane and RNZ national content director Ali Ventura led the meeting with Saturday Morning staff yesterday, Media Insider understands.
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.