Ali Pugh and Dave Fitzgerald for The Hits breaky in Christchurch

TV personality and Christchurch local Ali Pugh will join Dave Fitzgerald next Monday on The Hits Christchurch for a new local breakfast show.

Pugh has been a regular guest on Fitzgerald’s show on The Hits recently, and NZME chief content officer Mike McClung says it was these stints that revealed a great dynamic.

“From the first moment Ali dropped in as a guest with Dave, I knew we were on to something special. She’s a brilliant talent and we’re rapt to have her join our line-up on The Hits”.

Pugh will add radio to her busy week and continue her role as a reporter with TVNZ. She said, “I’m so excited, Christchurch is a great city and holds such a special place in my heart so to be joining Dave in the mornings and bringing some laughs to Canterbury is a dream come true.”

Fitzgerald, who has been in radio for 22 years, can’t wait to get started. “Ali is great, we clicked straight away and I’m excited to kick off the show.”

NZME GM Christchurch Greg Cassidy said, “We feel there’s a real sense of local lacking here in Christchurch. Many of our clients are squeezed out of any local advertising opportunities with the networked shows and this change is about giving local Christchurch businesses opportunities they haven’t had for years.”

The announcement builds on news announced earlier this month that Sarah Gandy, Sam Wallace and Toni Street would expand their Sarah Sam and Toni breakfast show into more North Island markets.