15 Apr 2024

Newshub staff called for 'important business update' on Tuesday - reports

7:53 pm on 15 April 2024
Newshub's staff have been told June 30 will be their last day on the job.

Newshub's staff have been told June 30 will be their last day on the job. Photo: RNZ/Marika Khabazi

Staff of the soon-to-close newsroom at Newshub have been called to a meeting on Tuesday, Newshub says.

In its reporting, Newshub said it was described as an "important business update".

Newshub said staff members were sent an email on Monday evening about the meeting.

It would be held in the newsroom and the announcement made by Warner Brothers Discovery ANZ head of networks Glen Kyne.

Newshub said reports has emerged that its owner may consider outsourcing production of its 6pm news bulletin for Three and ThreeNow.

Newshub said it had requested comment from WBD.

Last week, WBD confirmed Newhub's operations were to be shut down and 250 people would lose their jobs.

The shutdown included Newshub's website.

The last 6pm news bulletin was expected to air on 5 July.

WBD said talks were ongoing with third parties to provide a pared-back news service - such as a 6pm bulletin for the Three channel.

However, no deals had been announced yet.

Last week, senior Newshub journalist Michael Morrah said he was gutted a plan to have a slimmed-down version of the 6pm news had been turned down by its owners.

Morrah said they had "a relatively constructive relationship" with management.

"We worked extremely hard on the proposal and tried to get as much information and make suitable cutbacks that we thought might pique their interest and we're absolutely gutted that they've decided against accepting our proposal."

Management had told them their proposal would still cause a "downward trajectory" for the business.

He said it was "a very stripped back version" of the 6pm news and it had been "a very difficult" thing to share the proposal with the rest of the staff.

As for any other organisation coming in and trying to salvage a part of Newshub, he was in the dark.

"Whether any deal is struck is unknown ... nor who's in those negotiations."

WBD New Zealand refused to comment.

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