NZME backs new breakfast show on The Hits

NZME’s new breakfast show with Sarah, Sam and Toni will expand to 13 new regions throughout the North Island on The Hits next month. 

NZME Chief Content Officer, Mike McClung says rolling the show out to additional markets is a natural progression for the network.

“Sarah, Sam and Toni have brought an exciting fresh burst of fun, energy and warmth to breakfast radio in New Zealand. They’ve got great chemistry, are well known and loved by Kiwis and most importantly we know our listeners enjoy waking up with them each morning,” he said.

The Sarah, Sam and Toni show follows the highly publicised departure of Polly and Grant who leave The Hits following a contract dispute, detailed by Polly on Facebook.

“In the contract are some clauses … about social media that are really restrictive, basically being gagged really,” she said at the time; she never returned following her Facebook post.

McClung says, “Polly and Grant have had a fantastic run on radio, but their relationship with NZME has now come to an end. They have both been a huge part of listeners’ lives over many years and have certainly earned a memorable part in New Zealand broadcast history. We wish them all the best for the next stage of their careers and thank them for their incredible efforts”.

NZME is also excited to announce additional investment for The Hits in the South Island with a new breakfast show for Christchurch with Dave ‘Fitzy’ Fitzgerald and an as yet unannounced line-up around him to be announced shortly.

There is also new breakfast shows in Nelson, Marlborough, Timaru, Oamaru and the West Coast. These changes enhance the existing The Hits local breakfast show line-ups in Dunedin, Southland, Queenstown and Hawkes Bay.