MediaWorks news director Hal Crawford announces resignation

Thursday, 24 October 2019

Media company MediaWorks is selling its TV business - including Three. (Video first published in June 2020)

MediaWorks news director Hal Crawford will leave the company in February, it has been announced.

The company said that, after three years, Crawford had decided to return to Australia with his family.

Crawford said: 'This newsroom is very dear to me and very dear to New Zealand. It's a special place and very hard to walk away from. I have felt supported by a very fine group of people from the moment I walked in in 2016, and together we have achieved a lot and told some very important stories.'

He had overseen the launch of The Project and The AM Show.

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Chief executive Michael Anderson said: 'I know this has been a really hard decision for Hal and it is one he has made for family reasons. He has been talking to me for some months about his family's desire to move home and he confirmed with me a couple of weeks ago he wants to be back in time for the 2020 school year.

'Hal has achieved a huge amount in his time with us. Newshub has gone from strength to strength under his leadership - for which he should be very proud. I am incredibly sorry to see him go and wish him all the very best.'

A search for his replacement will commence immediately.

It comes as television channel three and the rest of MediaWorks' television business has been put up for sale.

MediaWorks, which is owned by United States private equity firm Oaktree, trimmed its overall loss to $5.5 million last year, but again failed to bring its television business into the black.

Anderson said this year had been 'by far the worst year' since he arrived at the business in 2016 in terms of the decline in television revenues.

'I think Three is not a 'distressed' business. Newshub is a really solid asset.

'What it is, is a good business struggling in a market that is skewed against all of free-to-air, but particularly skewed against Three.'

Mediaworks chief content officer Andrew Szusterman resigned after 17 years with the broadcaster in July.

High-profile presenter Hilary Barry stepped down in 2016.