Newstalk ZB and New Zealand Herald smash audience records

News Release 1pm 25^th November 2021

Newstalk ZB and New Zealand Herald smash audience records; continued growth in digital audiences highlight NZME’s position as New Zealand’s premium media company  

With audience numbers already at unprecedented levels, Newstalk ZB has again delivered a massive jump in listeners~. Newstalk ZB’s NZME powerhouse stablemate the New Zealand Herald, has also hit a new high – with an audience of 2.27 million in October, nzherald.co.nz has recorded its biggest ever monthly audience.⁺  

The latest GfK Commercial Radio audience survey, released today, shows Newstalk ZB’s nationwide audience has attracted nearly 42,000 new listeners to climb to a weekly audience of 713,500~.

The Mike Hosking Breakfast audience now has nearly half a million listeners while Hosking’s share of the Auckland breakfast radio market grew a massive 9.6 share points to 34.9 percent~~.

Newstalk ZB continues to be New Zealand’s number 1 commercial radio station with the largest share of listening~~ and the most listeners of any commercial station in the country~.

“This is a phenomenal result for the Newstalk ZB team. They work incredibly hard to stay right on point for their listeners making sure all the big issues are covered, accurately and fairly. During another period of uncertainty, it’s extremely rewarding that so many New Zealanders have turned to Newstalk ZB,” said NZME Chief Radio Officer Jason Winstanley.

“Our highly professional team of hosts is also vastly experienced. They know intimately what makes great talk radio. They know their audience and their audience knows, loves, and trusts them. In the world of talk radio, that sort of experience behind the mic is impossible to beat. For Newstalk ZB to now command the biggest radio audience ever is a great way to celebrate 100 years of radio in New Zealand.

“It’s also very pleasing to see that NZME has become Auckland’s number one radio network with a market share of 44.2%~~,” said Winstanley.

With its suite of radio stations including music brand powerhouse ZM, an NZME station holds the top spot in the key audience demographics of 10+, 18-34, 25-54 and 45-64-year-olds across New Zealand~~.

Latest audience numbers for New Zealand’s publishing industry were also released by Nielsen Media today, further highlighting the unrivalled connection New Zealand Media and Entertainment has with Kiwis.

With brands such as the New Zealand Herald, nzherald.co.nz, Newstalk ZB and ZM leading the charge, NZME reaches 3.4 million New Zealanders across multiple platforms, delivering commercial partners the audiences they seek, where and when they want.

Audience Data Highlights:

“We’ve seen exceptional audience growth, especially in the past two years across the New Zealand Herald and Newstalk ZB and the latest audience data gives us even more to reach out to our commercial partners with,” said NZME CEO Michael Boggs.

In addition to the nzherald.co.nz’s record monthly unique audience of 2.272 million in October ⁺, in print, the New Zealand Herald average issue readership has increased year on year, for the last six releases in a row^.

“While 2.8 million New Zealanders engage with our news content each month - there is so much more to our audiences. 2.6 million Kiwis come to NZME for their entertainment and 1.1. million for our sports coverage,” said Boggs.

All of the New Zealand Herald’s inserted magazines – including Canvas, Travel and TimeOut - recorded audience growth either year on year or on the previous survey period^. The Herald on Sunday is far and away New Zealand’s favourite Sunday newspaper.

NZME’s continual transformation into a digitally focused media business is highlighted by growth across nzherald.co.nz and its digital subscription service NZ Herald Premium. There are now 135,500 Premium subscribers including 78,500 digital-only subscribers and more than 57,000 print subscribers who have activated their Premium accounts.

“nzherald.co.nz has become a focal point for New Zealanders seeking trusted, quality and distinctive journalism,” said NZME managing editor Shayne Currie.

“We have a vital role to play – in this age of a global pandemic and widespread misinformation on social media – to ensure we provide fair, balanced and accurate information. And that we’re fearless in the pursuit of that truth – challenging the politicians, analysing the response, and providing access to latest data.

“We also have a big responsibility in helping lead the national conversation as we have done with our 90% Project, to ensure most Kiwis are vaccinated by Christmas," said Currie.

NZME Chief Digital and Publishing Officer Carolyn Luey said: “While the New Zealand Herald accelerates its growth as New Zealand’s Herald through the popularity of nzherald.co.nz, our regional publications The Northern Advocate, Bay of Plenty Times, Rotorua Daily Post, Whanganui Chronicle and Hawke’s Bay Today are also doing a fantastic job supporting the communities they serve.”

Our regional daily newspapers and nzherald.co.nz have a combined reach of more than half a million people in those regional communities^^.

“Our newspapers remain an integral part of the community in New Zealand, and by giving nationwide (even international) audiences access to very local stories through NZME’s digital platforms, it means many more community stories are getting the attention they deserve,” said Luey.

NZME continues to advance its strategy to be New Zealand’s leading audio company with continued audience growth led by news and talk network Newstalk ZB, music network ZM and its digital audio platform iHeartRadio.

NZME’s Audio content strategy with its hyper targeted approach to delivering the right content to the right audience, anywhere, anytime, is achieving positive audience shifts which will only continue to grow with iHeartRadio going from strength to strength.

• iHeartRadio Reach – Over 720,000 listeners *
• iHeartRadio listening Hours – 6.3 million hours up 23% *
• NZME Podcasts – 2.3 million listens up 56% **
• #1 NZ Podcast Network***
• NZME has 4 of the top 5 Podcasts in NZ - #1 The Mike Hosking Breakfast, #3 Fletch, Vaughan & Megan, #4 Heather du-Plessis Allan Drive, #5 The Leighton Smith Podcast***

SOURCE: Nielsen CMI Fused Q3 20 – Q2 21 August 2021 AP15+ ^Nielsen CMI Q4 20 – Q3 21 AP15+ ^^ Nielsen CMI Fused Q3 20 – Q2 21 August 2021 AP15+ (Regional Dailies combined with nzherald.co.nz in Northland, BOP, Manawatu-Whanganui & Hawke’s Bay) ~GfK RAM, Commercial Radio, Total NZ 4/2021, M-S 12mn-12mn, Cume (000s), AP10+ (unless otherwise stated) ~~Share *Adswizz AudioMetrix October 2021  **Spreaker Aug 29 – Nov 13 2021 ^#Nielsen DCR October 2021 (daily average) ⁺Nielsen Online Ratings October 2021 ***The New Zealand Podcast Ranker, Triton Digital October 2021 Results

ENDS

For further information please contact:

Kate Grant

NSPR

+64274220079

Kate@nspr.co.nz