Hal Crawford, news director at MediaWorks, will leave the company in February next year. The announcement comes days after news of MediaWorks’ TV business going up for sale.
Crawford has been with MediaWorks for three years and will be returning to Australia with his family.
Prior to MediaWorks he was editor in chief and publisher of NineMSN in Australia.
In the announcement, 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.”
His time at MediaWorks has seen him launch The Project and The AM Show, as well as relaunch of the Newshub website.
About the departure, 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.”
MediaWorks said the search for Crawford replacement “will commence immediately”.
