Tame, Tova, Kamo? The big names who may be in the running to co-host Morning Report

Friday, 10 October 2025

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OPINION: One of the most high-profile and sought after roles in New Zealand media is up for grabs, and the question now turns to who may plug the gap.

Corin Dann, the well-respected and long-serving host of RNZ’s flagship show Morning Report, is going to be the broadcaster’s new business editor. That means a recruitment drive to fill his place on the breakfast programme.

Though Morning Report’s ratings have slipped in recent years, and it now trails behind Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking Breakfast as the top-rated morning news show in the country, the programme still carries a level of prestige that makes it an attractive gig.

Not to mention, a refreshed hosting line-up will bring a well-overdue reset at RNZ.

That was highlighted by the recent release of a self-commissioned report into RNZ, conducted by former news boss Richard Sutherland, that noted slipping on-air standards and called for a “high-profile” external hire to renew audience interest - though it’s understood the emphasis on increased broadcast standards predates that report.

So who could step into Dann’s shoes? Assuming that RNZ wants to stay with a male-female partnership, the obvious frontrunners to join Ingrid Hipkiss behind the desk would be Patrick Gower or Jack Tame.

Gower has filled in on Morning Report in recent months, with success, though does appear more at home when given the chance to step in for Kathryn Ryan in the Nine to Noon slot or on one of the network’s weekend morning shows.

Nevertheless, he is an established broadcast talent and a formidable interviewer, especially when he has the chance to stick it to a politician.

The question is whether Gower’s more bravado style, though often tempered during his stints on RNZ, would rub Morning Report listeners up the wrong way. His impact on ratings is unknown, but he would be an exciting, slightly risky and definitively headline-grabbing hire. Exciting being the key word - it’s something that RNZ should be striving for.

He’s also settled in as the host of his multi-platform show Paddy Gower Has Issues, airing on Three, and since leaving Newshub has tended to focus on lighter or more positive news. Whether he’d want to return to the relentless grind of the news cycle, and in the early morning slot, remains to be seen.

Which takes us to Tame. As host of TVNZ’s Q&A, he remains the country’s best - and most feared - interviewer. Part of that likely comes from the weekly cycle of Q&A, giving more time to prepare and go for the jugular. His recent one-on-one with then-Te Pāti Māori candidate Oriini Kaipara being just one example.

The security of moving to Morning Report over sticking with the taxpayer funded Q&A could be one reason why Tame would look to make the shift. There’s no question Tame and Q&A have become appointment viewing for a certain audience, but the show’s longevity in the current climate is questionable - last year’s wave of cuts to news programmes at TVNZ are likely to be front of mind.

Sticking with political reporters who have broadcasting experience, there’s Lloyd Burr. He was the last host of Newshub’s AM and has recently been doing double duty as both a writer for Stuff and political correspondent for ThreeNews. Perhaps a slightly leftfield bet, but another accomplished broadcaster with interviewing chops.

Nathan Rarere, the current host of RNZ’s early morning show First Up and a sports presenter on Morning Report, can’t be discounted either. He would be a familiar voice, but is clearly less of a celebrity pick than some of the other names likely to be in the mix.

There’s no reason why RNZ couldn’t choose to pair remaining host Ingrid Hipkiss up with another woman. Alexa Cook has been a regular replacement for Dann alongside Hipkiss, as has Midday Report host Charlotte Cook, though should RNZ opt to follow Sutherland’s advice for a high-profile external hire then both Cooks would be discounted.

The names that have to be floated include Tova O’Brien, currently on maternity leave from Stuff, and Miriama Kamo.

O’Brien went on leave from Stuff last year as the host of a weekly political podcast, and though she’s due back at the publication in the near future, it’s not clear whether her podcast will return with her. She will undoubtedly be a well-utilised member of Stuff’s reporting team wherever she ends up, but any uncertainty over her position at Stuff could play to RNZ’s advantage.

O’Brien brings a stacked CV, as a former political editor in the press gallery and as a - admittedly short-lived - morning radio host at the demised Today FM. She may feel there’s unfinished business there. Given her return to Stuff will likely involve a significant amount of TV work for ThreeNews, O’Brien may feel that her time as a TV journalist is behind her, though her video experience would be an asset to RNZ as it slowly builds its multi-platform offerings.

Kamo, who hosted TVNZ’s Sunday until it ended in 2024, is understood to have come close to locking in the Morning Report gig the last time a role was available, when Hipkiss took the job. It shows that there’s interest from RNZ in her as a hire. She would bring experience and trust.

Whoever is hired, they’ll need to provide a calm and confident voice. Hipkiss has dramatically improved since stepping up to replace Susie Fergusson, but remains a less consistent and confident interviewer when compared with Dann - a divergence most apparent when up against seasoned interviewees like Winston Peters.

The wildcard option would be to use Dann’s exit as a chance for a complete refresh of the show. A Jack Tame and Tova O’Brien partnership, for example, would be formidable - possibly enough to lure back some of the listeners that have floated away to ZB or turned off the radio entirely. Think back to the Covid era when Kim Hill spent several stints co-hosting the show, routinely making headlines and creating viral social media moments due to her bolshy style.

Against the backdrop of all this is the future of TVNZ’s 6pm news bulletin. It’s been speculated that long-serving presenter Simon Dallow may choose to step aside next year, meaning two of the biggest roles in local broadcasting could both be up for grabs within the next 12 months.

Whether that would see a name like Tame choose to stay at TVNZ, rather than jump ship, is pure speculation - but hosting the 6pm news on TV1 is the dream job for pretty much any broadcaster and Tame has to be a frontrunner for that position.

It suggests some major shuffling of the decks will take place across the media landscape in the months ahead. Would Sam Hayes choose to leave Three for the increased security (and higher pay packet) at TVNZ? What would that mean for the Stuff-produced bulletin? Can Morning Report use this reset to claw back lost listeners?

Stay tuned to find out.

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