New data, published for World Radio Day 2026, reveals the extensive reach and trust the medium has across the globe.
New data, published for World Radio Day 2026, reveals the extensive reach and trust the medium has across the globe.
Radio might be one of the oldest media channels around, but with over three million New Zealanders still tuning into the airwaves on a weekly basis, it continues to have a strong hold on the attention of today’s listeners. We chat to TRB general manager Peter Richardson about why radio is still grooving despite all the changes in media.
In an unusual step, TRB this year announced the winner of the Outstanding Contribution to Radio award at the same time as releasing the full list of finalists for this year’s edition of the event.
Amid some major changes in the radio industry as NZME and MediaWorks embarked on their new multi-platform strategies, Gill Stewart stepped down as general manager of The Radio Bureau in February after around ten years in the role. And she’s now stepped up to the position of chief executive of the Marketing Association, replacing Michael Pryor.
Until recently, advertising across MediaWorks’ various properties was sold by independent sales arms. And while this approach worked at a time when the lines between channels were clearly defined, it has become largely impracticable to a company that is already running integrated campaigns on major shows and is also on the verge of launching an ambitious cross-channel show fronted by Paul Henry. Since last May MediaWorks has been restructuring its sales teams, and the company’s head of revenue Liz Fraser and commerical director Paul Hancox believe they have now finalised a structure that is better suited to a landscape typified by blurred media lines.
In response to ongoing speculation about the future of The Radio Bureau, NZME and MediaWorks have released a joint statement saying that the future of the industry body “remains solid and secure”. Several sources in the industry have confirmed to StopPress that TRB will not be dissolved and that MediaWorks and NZME are working closely with the independent radio stations to re-shape the organisation to make to ensure it remains relevant in the media landscape. And this restructure has led to some additional staff changes. Update: TRB confirms three new appointments.
The radio industry has been fizzing in recent months. MediaWorks claimed that it was leading the charge on a new research methodology, NZME then decided to independently finance an industry-wide T1 survey after it was scrapped earlier this year, and then Gill Stewart stepped down from her position as the general manager of The Radio Bureau (TRB). So is there still a place for TRB?
Industry happenings at TRB, MediaWorks, SenateSHJ, Pead PR and Frucor Beverages.
Ogilvy & Mather has claimed July’s Orca Award for placing an advertising message inside a music track. At 55 seconds into ‘I See Red’, Tim Finn interrupts the song urging people to go online and sign ‘The Last 55 petition’ to help save the Maui’s Dolphins. Joe Holden from BIG scored a merit award with the stories of Landrover’s origins told in a “true oldschool storyteller’s” voice.
Colenso BBDO has won the June/July Orca award from the Radio Bureau with its doggie radio station K9FM, which already picked up a silver at the recent Cannes Lions. K9FM is a campaign for Colenso’s client Pedigree that dogs can listen to at home while their owners are out working. It stems from research that found that classical music calms dogs down, ambient sounds keep them stimulated and a relaxed voice eases their separation anxiety.
Although the release of last week’s ad spend figures by the ASA served to confirm trends that have been obvious for quite some time, a general consensus among those in the industry is that the figures don’t give an accurate reflection of changes that are occurring in the industry. Several senior industry figures share their thoughts on the structure of the annual ad spend report.
T-shirts are blank canvases best left that way – this is the idea behind DraftFCB duo Freddie Coltart and Matt Williams’ radio campaign for AS Colour Apparel, which has won the May round of the new ORCA award year.
The Radio Industry Research Committee (which includes representatives from TRB, Mediaworks, and the Radio Network) has released its half yearly commercial radio listenership survey, which shows a year on year drop of 52,400 weekly listeners in the aged 10+ bracket.
NZGirl’s Regretgasm campaign pushed all the right buttons, winning the December / January Outstanding Radio Creative Award (ORCA) from The Radio Bureau.
The best moment of my life was undoubtedly winning the meat pack at a friend’s wedding, closely followed by the time when three loyalty cards came due on the same day. So it was pleasing to learn that an ad celebrating sexy meat for Pak ‘n’ Save’s Meat Week has won DraftFCB the October ORCA.
Ogilvy’s Adam Barnes and Hywel James have taken out the March/April round of the new ORCA year after judges Karl Fleet (Campaign Palace), Lachlan McPherson (Publicis Mojo), Harriet Crampton (The Radio Network) and Chris Schofield (DDB) chose their KFC ads ‘Poor Old $5’ and ‘Ginga Note’ as the best of the bunch.
Supporters of publicly-funded media in New Zealand are feeling fairly tormented at present, with the National Government’s apparent ‘nice to have’ stance manifesting itself in a five year funding freeze for Radio New Zealand and the imminent switch-off of TVNZ7. But Nielsen’s Year That Was report, which includes info on New Zealand media trends, has provided more proof of the importance—and popularity—of Radio New Zealand National by showing it was the top ranking radio station in New Zealand in 2011 with a market share of 11.1 percent.
Last year's winner DraftFCB's Murray Watt
Voting for the 2012 People’s Choice Award is now open at The Radio Bureau (TRB). Last year, Murray Watt from DraftFCB took out both the Grande ORCA and the People’s Choice award. What happens this year is up to you.
February was the last month of the ORCA year and two very different ads came out on top. BCG2’s Chris Long and freelancer Martin Brown took the win with the euphemism-heavy ‘Ridiculously Refined’ ad for Jesters Pies. While at the other end of the spectrum, Sarah Litwin-Schmid and Emily Drake from Saatchi & Saatchi took the Merit for their powerful ‘Jane’ ad for Women’s Refuge.
The first Radio Industry Research Committee radio survey of 2011 has been released, with the Edge, Newstalk ZB and The Rock all claiming various number one station status. But, take away all the press release trickery and competitive gamesmanship and the the radio industry as a whole will be feeling pretty chuffed with a 5.1 percent increase in the number of humans tuning in to commercial radio since the last survey.
To leverage its sponsorship of the Radio category at this year’s Axis awards, the Radio Bureau ran a very impressive promotion to choose the decade’s best radio ad and gave away some top notch booty to the voters/winners on awards night, including a couple of round the world airfares. Now it has released its ‘unofficial’ Axis awards video, which, in a rare bacon-free performance, is hosted by ‘that guy’ Leigh Hart, whose typically awkward interviewing style and complete lack of shame makes for a fairly entertaining spiritual journey through the exciting world of advertising—and advertising stereotypes.
The creative hoedown/showdown known as the Axis awards are just around the corner and to celebrate its new sponsorship of the radio category, The Radio Bureau has launched a campaign to get punters to vote for the best New Zealand radio ad of the past decade. And what a glorious collection of advertising creativity it is.
December and January results for the Radio Bureau’s ORCA winners have meshed into one with Jonathan McMahon & Lisa Fedyszyn from DDB Auckland taking the winning honours for their McDonalds ‘Signs You Love Caramel’ ad. And sticking with fast food ads, Graeme Clarke & Sam Dickson from Colenso BBDO were awarded a close Merit for their Burger King ads ‘The Boss’ and ‘The Wifey’.
Every six months, about 15000 radio listeners scattered across the country take pen to paper—or pen to diary as the case may be—and share their most intimate of radio listening habits as part of Research International’s Research Audience Measurement Survey (RAMS). And the results for the second half of the year are out.
The industry is gearing up for its Effie fest on Thursday night. And for those lucky/immensely talented enough to have made it through to the finals, as well as all the other tag alongs present for the festivities, there are plenty of extra-curricular activities on offer from the event sponsors, including the official post-awards shindig that’s being put on by The Radio Bureau (TRB) and New Zealand Post Targeted Communications’ slightly mysterious mobile-phone related tomfoolery.
The Radio Bureau’s August ORCA winners have been announced and DDB has taken its second gong of the year, with Joe Hawkins and Dave Brady, who were were finalists in the 2009 Grande ORCAs for the National Foundation for the Deaf ads, getting the nod for their self-referential Lion Nathan – Stella Artois Légère campaign.
The months are obviously getting closer together: the May winners of the ORCA’s were announced last week as The Radio Bureau did a bit of catching up. And the June certificates have also been handed out, with Karl Fleet and Tom Paine from Colenso BBDO taking out the top prize for their V Pocket Rocket Campaign for Frucor. Feast your ears on the June winning effort here.
In spite of the breakfast door shutting on TV3’s Sunrise show last week, it seems breakfast shows on the radio spectrum are doing just fine and dandy, if the results of the latest radio survey (available on The Radio Bureau site) are anything to go by.
Suave winners/cocktail crooners Matt Simpkins and Kelly Lovelock of DraftFCB
The August winner of The Radio Bureau’s ORCA award are Matt Simpkins and Kelly Lovelock of DraftFCB for their 70th anniversary humour spot for the NZ Listener. Have a listen here.
All monthly winners have a chance to …