Best Duncan Grieve Podcasts (2025)

1
The big job ahead for TVNZ’s news and content chief and Google is dealt a blow 45:14

4d ago45:14

45:14

The job of chief news and content officer at TVNZ has been one of the most talked-about leadership roles in New Zealand media. Last week, it was announced that Nadia Tolich will leave her position as managing director of Stuff Digital to take up the role. Glen Kyne joins Anna Rawhiti-Connell to discuss the enormity of the task ahead for Tolich and …

1
Are print magazines really making a comeback, or is it wishful thinking? 1:04:14

12d ago1:04:14

1:04:14

It’s been five years since Bauer exited New Zealand, devastating the magazine industry and heralding an era of enormous disruption for media in this country. Iconic Auckland title, Metro Magazine, was a casualty of that closure. The publication has found its feet again and is flourishing under independent ownership. As Auckland evolves, so too does…

1
What Trump’s tariffs could mean for media and the latest on NZME 48:46

19d ago48:46

48:46

Last week, NZME’s board laid out its case against Jim Grenon’s attempt to take control of the board, introducing previously unspoken concerns about editorial influence to the fight. It prompted a new round of reactions and letters and the introduction of a few new players. Following Donald Trump’s tariff announcement, $6.6 trillion was wiped off th…

1
Careless People, Adolescence and where Meta is at 1:03:18

27d ago1:03:18

1:03:18

It's been a rough PR month for Meta, with two of the most-discussed cultural artefacts of the year both directly concerning their two biggest products. Duncan Greive is joined by Anna Rawhiti-Connell to discuss Careless People, the explosive memoir by New Zealand diplomat Sarah Wynn-Williams about her time at Facebook; and Adolescence, the extraord…

1
Analysing the Grenon Letters – and is Trade Me buying Stuff? 53:32

1M ago53:32

53:32

Glen Kyne joins Duncan Greive on the Fold to discuss a torrid few weeks in media ownership, with billionaire Jim Grenon's attempt to install a new board at NZME and revelations that both parts of Stuff are potentially in play. Kyne and Greive discuss both of Grenon's letters, both the business analysis and the vision for news, while also looking at…

1
A Gen X, a Millennial and a Gen Z talk about culture, media and reputations across generations 1:00:28

1M ago1:00:28

1:00:28

Love Song is a piece of research that Live Nation has been running for six years. It targets Gen Z and its relationship with music and culture, and – they don’t just do it for fun – about how brands can fit into all that. Duncan Greive is joined by his colleagues Gabi Lardies and Lyric Waiwiri-Smith to talk about that research, using it as a jumpin…

1
Kevin Chesters says there never was a golden age of advertising 53:39

1M ago53:39

53:39

Kevin Chesters has 30 years of experience leading strategy on both agency and client sides, serving as CSO at W+K London, Dentsu, and Ogilvy, as well as Head of Strategy at BT, the UK’s equivalent of Spark. He joins Duncan Greive on The Fold as part of The Spinoff’s 2025 partnership with the Comms Council. The pair cover off Chesters' career, what …

1
A new world order: big tech and regulation in the second coming of Trump 1:02:37

2M ago1:02:37

1:02:37

The second Trump administration has blown apart a multi-decade long rules based order for trade. The White House has put the whole world on notice that it will use tariffs against any perceived slight against its companies. What does that mean for our media reforms? How are we hamstrung by our trade agreements? Do we even have sovereignty on the in…

1
Emergency pod: A revolution at NZME? 33:04

2M ago33:04

33:04

Glen Kyne joins Duncan Greive for an emergency episode of The Fold after an NZX announcement this afternoon revealed that new NZME shareholder James Grenon is seeking to clear the board and install a new set of directors, himself included. He owns 10% of its shares, and claims the backing of 37% more – putting him very close to a majority for the m…

1
The Big Three #3: Sky has turned itself around – and the rugby deal seems when, not if 57:42

2M ago57:42

57:42

In the third of a three part series analysing the results of the Big Three media companies (or those that release their results, anyway), Glen Kyne joins Duncan Greive to look into an impressive result for Sky. After weeks of bad headlines driven by a failing satellite and seemingly stalled negotiations with NZ Rugby, news it had won back the right…

1
The Big Three #2: TVNZ has survived a year from hell – but challenges loom 36:21

2M ago36:21

36:21

In the second of a three part series analysing the results of the Big Three media companies (or those that release their results, anyway), Glen Kyne joins Duncan Greive to look into the results for TVNZ. The state broadcaster has many huge advantages, but remains hamstrung by the lack of audience revenue – newish CEO Jodi O'Donnell is very keen to …

1
The Big Three #1: NZME's plans (and owners) could reshape our media 37:56

2M ago37:56

37:56

In the first of a three part series analysing the results of the Big Three media companies (or those that release their results, anyway), Glen Kyne joins Duncan Greive to dig into NZME's 2024 results and some quietly impactful future plans. These include a potential sale of One Roof, shedding writers to launch a new TV-like news "channel" and a mys…

1
The Fold Live in Wellington: will Substack save journalism? Or destroy it? 1:04:32

2M ago1:04:32

1:04:32

Duncan Greive is joined by two of New Zealand's most successful Substackers in Bernard Hickey (The Kākā) and Lucy Blakiston (Shit You Should Care About) on stage in Wellington as part of the Fringe Festival. They explore the origin stories of their brands, while delving deep into their relationship with institutional media and the different incenti…

1
Australia's media lost more than half its value in five years. How and why? 51:29

2M ago51:29

51:29

Tim Burrowes is the author of a book and a Substack called Unmade, which are truly essential guides to media in Australia – and a useful way of understanding the similarities and differences which define our two closely linked markets. He joins Duncan Greive ahead of Unmade's first Auckland live event to talk about a torrid decade in Australian med…

1
Emergency monopod: on the seismic media reforms Paul Goldsmith just floated 16:48

2M ago16:48

16:48

Duncan Greive goes solo to break down a discussion document with profound implications for local media. He explains why he thinks this is the best and most coherent policy outline we've seen in a decade, what's in it, what the challenges are and how it would impact local media if it went through. A reminder: The Fold is live in Wellington next week…

1
Bonus episode: How the media covers Waitangi 29:06

3M ago29:06

29:06

Recorded on the sandy shores of the mighty North, guest hosts Liam Ratana and Lyric Waiwiri-Smith (along with regular producer Te Aihe Butler) take over The Fold for a behind-the-scenes look at how the media covers Waitangi. After three days of politician stand ups, haukāinga-led forum panels and more story leads than we had time to cover, what sto…

1
The extremely online weirdness of the Ted Cruz tweet affair 46:15

3M ago46:15

46:15

Toby Manhire joins Duncan Greive on The Fold to discuss a minor diplomatic incident involving Texas senator Ted Cruz, and what it says about the chaotic information space we now operate in. They also discuss former Spinoff writer Madeleine Holden's new Substack, which launched with a tirade for the ages about a recent Apple ad; Sky TV's satellite w…

1
NZME pivots to video in 2025, the problem with TVNZ's cricket hit and DeepSeek explodes the AI world 50:48

3M ago50:48

50:48

Glen Kyne returns to The Fold to discuss the first big media news story of the year – NZME's decision to trade some senior text journalists for a sharp increase in video production. Next we discuss the shocking impact of Chinese-AI lab DeepSeek's world-beating LLM performance on a shoestring budget, Acast's big Between Two Beers podcast pickup and …

1
We’re back! On Meta going MAGA, TikTok’s perilous future and NZ media in 2025 59:02

3M ago59:02

59:02

The Spinoff’s resident social media philosopher queen, Anna Rawhiti-Connell, joins Duncan Greive to recap an epochal month in the geopolitics of social media. They talk about Meta’s hard pivot into the MAGA worldview, and what that might mean for audiences and advertisers. Then, examine the fraught status of TikTok in the US, and think about how it…

1
Summer reissue: Australia has banned social media for under 16s. And that's just the beginning 57:25

3M ago57:25

57:25

The Fold is taking a break over summer. We’ll be back soon with new episodes but, until then, here’s one of our favourites from 2024: In an effort to get out of his doom spiral, Duncan Greive takes a tour across the Tasman to see how our close neighbours are dealing with a similar set of challenges. From a social media ban, to local content quotas,…

1
Summer reissue: Spotify's data alchemist explains the mysteries of music streaming 52:22

4M ago52:22

52:22

The Fold is taking a break over summer. We’ll be back soon with new episodes but, until then, here’s one of our favourites from 2024: Glenn McDonald spent more than a decade with a very mysterious and specific job title: data alchemist at Spotify. It's possible – even likely – that no one on Earth knows as much about music streaming. He is in New Z…

1
Summer reissue: NZ on Air's Where are the Audiences 2024 special: legacy media strikes back 38:41

4M ago38:41

38:41

The Fold is taking a break over summer. We’ll be back soon with new episodes but, until then, here’s one of our favourites from 2024: The 2024 edition of NZ on Air's Where are the Audiences is a bombshell – largely because so little has changed. The past decade has been characterised by a sharp and consistent rise in UGC, social and SVOD platforms,…

1
Summer reissue: One final Newshub bulletin for Sam Hayes and Mike McRoberts 56:46

4M ago56:46

56:46

The Fold is taking a break over summer. We’ll be back soon with new episodes but, until then, here’s one of our favourites from 2024: Friday July 4 marked the end of Newshub, an organisation that has been around for 35 years, and has a strong case as the most original and idiosyncratic newsroom this country has ever known. Sam Hayes and Mike McRobe…

1
Summer reissue: Inside the enormous, invisible Roblox economy 48:10

4M ago48:10

48:10

The Fold is taking a break over summer. We’ll be back soon with new episodes but, until then, here’s one of our favourites from 2024: Alec Kieft makes games for "YouTube for gaming" platform Roblox, including Break-In, a smash hit that has been played more than two billion times by 80 million people. The platform is wildly popular with pre-teens, a…

1
Looking back on the media horror movie that was 2024 1:21:39

4M ago1:21:39

1:21:39

Glen Kyne returns to join Duncan Greive on The Fold for an epic year in review, going deep on all the big storylines that defined a year which broke New Zealand's media. Including, but by no means limited to: the end of Newshub, Sunday and Fair Go; the downsizing of Shortland Street and challenges to the productions sector; a dive into Australia's …

1
Inside the wild, complex, obscure and incredibly important world of media buying 50:46

5M ago50:46

50:46

In the second of two episodes looking at New Zealand from Australia, Duncan Greive speaks to Paul McIntyre – founder and publisher at Mi3 – and one of the most credentialed journalists on advertising, tech and media in this part of the world. He wrote a story in late October which detailed the perverse incentives of the move to so-called "principal…

1
Big changes at Whakaata Māori reveal complex challenges for Māori news in the digital era 43:21

5M ago43:21

43:21

Last week brought confirmation that Whakaata Māori was ending Te Ao Māori News 4.30pm bulletin to focus on a pure digital future for news, while also moving its Te Reo channel to solely online distribution. The Spinoff Ātea editor Liam Rātana joins Duncan Greive on The Fold to discuss the move, and also assess the state of Māori news and current af…

1
Australia has banned social media for under 16s. And that's just the beginning 58:03

5M ago58:03

58:03

In an effort to get out of his doom spiral, Duncan Greive takes a tour across the Tasman to see how our close neighbours are dealing with a similar set of challenges. From a social media ban, to local content quotas, to news bargaining to an activist competition authority, Australia is a global leader, while New Zealand is nowhere to be found. In t…

1
A special edition of The Fold: The future of The Spinoff 50:09

5M ago50:09

50:09

Normally on The Fold, we discuss events in the wider media, but today, the subject is us and the future of The Spinoff. Published on site today is an open letter from Duncan, The Spinoff’s editor Madeleine Chapman, and its CEO Amber Easby. It toplines where The Spinoff is right now as a platform – this paradoxical place where our audience is the st…

1
A mini-episode about that NZ Herald story – and the new NZ on Air round 8:23

5M ago8:23

8:23

It's fair to assume a near total correlation between Media Insider readers and The Fold's listeners – so if you've read Shayne Currie's report into job losses at The Spinoff yesterday, you'll know that we're all feeling pretty low here. My heart and thoughts are with my affected colleagues – but I wanted to give some background and context beyond t…

1
One man stares into the abyss 28:57

5M ago28:57

28:57

It’s a throwback monopod today – Duncan Greive goes solo in a pretty raw episode, reflecting on a wonderful event with a very sobering reflection on the present and likely future of institutional media in Aotearoa. It’s a look at what’s driving the cataclysmic events of this year, and whether they’re likely to be temporary, or are baked in. And fin…

1
Inside one of the most unexpected hits in NZ media 33:14

5M ago33:14

33:14

Kristy McGregor was an Australian with no experience in media before founding Shepherdess, a magazine dedicated to the life and experience of rural women. However she proved a total natural, and has developed it into one of the most fascinating and instructive startups in New Zealand media. What started as a print magazine now encompasses a festiva…

1
Mass cuts at TVNZ – but are they enough? And NZME's podcast drama, explained 41:03

6M ago41:03

41:03

Glen Kyne returns to The Fold to dissect the 50 proposed redundancies at TVNZ, and the confirmation that news will now be part of content, rather than its own unit. Next, they analyse the extraordinary drama between podcast star Frances Cook and her former employer, NZME – particularly what it says about legacy media's relationship with digital. Fi…

1
The non-endorsements, the fate of 1News.co.nz and tremors from small publishers 45:28

6M ago45:28

45:28

Anna Rawhiti-Connell joins Duncan Greive on The Fold to discuss the fallout from Jeff Bezos' decision to halt the practise of endorsements at the Washington Post, and what it says about the swing away from institutional to social media. Next they discuss TVNZ's backtrack on its decision to close the 1news.co.nz site, and a trio of worrying signals …

1
How The Spinoff's Top 100 NZ TV shows list was made 34:12

6M ago34:12

34:12

Duncan Greive is joined by his longtime Real Pod co-host Alex Casey to talk through the Top 100 NZ TV shows project, which ran on site last week and climaxes with a Q Theatre live show tonight. She talks about the way the list was assembled, what it says about us as a country, and why this is a particularly poignant moment to do this. Learn more ab…

1
What does Sky's big win with Max mean? 41:45

6M ago41:45

41:45

This week Sky announced it had secured the rights to run Max as a channel within Neon, bringing one of the strongest and deepest TV catalogues to its streaming service, and taking a potential competitor off the map (for now, at least). Glen Kyne joins Duncan Greive to discuss the implications of the deal, why it's great for Sky now, and what risks …

1
An aggressive Substack moves to the heart of the creator economy 53:03

6M ago53:03

53:03

Substack co-founder Hamish McKenzie grew up in small town South Island, but is now one of the most influential figures in US media (according to New York magazine). That’s because the platform, which started out with paid newsletters, is now starting to establish itself in social, audio and video. Hamish joins Duncan to discuss its latest moves, it…

1
A new character enters the scene at NZ on Air, and what Matt Heath says about ZB's future 47:59

6M ago47:59

47:59

The Spinoff’s editor-at-large Toby Manhire joins Duncan Greive to discuss SXSW and the launch of Auckland FC, and what each says about the vitality of Sydney and Auckland. Duncan toplines the Campaign Brief and Nine drama in Australia, which shows where that country is (still) at, in some ways. Next, they hit SPADA’s warnings about the future of sc…

1
Where to now for TVNZ? 39:05

6M ago39:05

39:05

It's a week since TVNZ shocked the media with a proposal to shut down 1news.co.nz and merge news with content. Glen Kyne joins Duncan Greive on The Fold to discuss the merits of the approach, what it implies about the future of the business, and other ways it might save $30m and provide a pathway to a sustainable future. Plus – reflections on the d…

1
Motion Sickness on their wild journey from Dunedin to Cannes 45:21

7M ago45:21

45:21

Sam Stuchbury founded Motion Sickness as a brand and advertising agency in a flat in Ōtepoti. 10 years on, it has become known for powerful campaigns like 'Proud to be Māori' and 'Rep your Suburb' for Whānau Ora. The company dominated the Axis Awards and picked up silver in the Global Agency of the Year awards in London. Stuchbury and Motion Sickne…

1
Google threatens to abandon news in NZ. What comes next? 36:02

7M ago36:02

36:02

On Friday afternoon, Google published a post to its little-read New Zealand blog, one which immediately sent shockwaves through the local news media. It confirmed what had been rumoured – that if the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill passes in its current form, Google will pull news from all its systems and services, and cancel all its agreements w…

1
Could live events be the TV commercials of the future? Spark thinks so 38:49

7M ago38:49

38:49

Matt Bain spent a career working across prestige brands in digital contexts before returning to New Zealand to become Data and Marketing Director (CMO in all but name) of the telco-turned-digital services provider that is Spark. It's one of the biggest marketing jobs in the country, with a budget to match – but figuring out what Spark is and how it…

1
What the hell happened to traffic? + Stuff's pivots and RNZ's regrets 52:52

7M ago52:52

52:52

Anna Rawhiti-Connell is head of audience for The Spinoff, but spent most of the last decade working in social media for BNZ and the Auckland Theatre Company. She joins Duncan to do a deep dive into the changing nature and shape of social platforms – specifically what happened to links, and therefore traffic. Then they discuss two changes at Stuff –…

1
Have advertisers forgotten how to build brands? 50:28

7M ago50:28

50:28

James Hurman is a globally recognised expert in advertising effectiveness – and believes many businesses have become transfixed by generating present day sales through social and search, at the expense of those in the future, generated by brand building on other surfaces. Together they examine what New Zealand's large advertisers and media agencies…

1
More cuts at TVNZ, more growth at RNZ – is the future a news merger? 37:27

7M ago37:27

37:27

Glen Kyne returns to join host Duncan Greive to discuss a pair of different stories which seem to head to the same conclusion. The first is Shayne Currie's report on a leaked email from TVNZ CEO Jodi O'Donnell flagging more cuts at the broadcaster, potentially at 1news.co.nz. The second is a Newsroom story about fast-rising ratings at RNZ's website…

1
The man in charge of an era-defining rugby rights negotiation 1:08:35

7M ago1:08:35

1:08:35

Craig Fenton has been boss of NZ Rugby Commercial for a little over six months, but is already in the midst of a crucial deal, one which will shape not just his period in charge, but the whole future of rugby in New Zealand. He joins Duncan Greive to discuss the evolving sports rights landscape in New Zealand, and how Craig sees the All Blacks, Bla…

1
Assessing two tough years in screen production and news, and Australian media follows NZ media into a hole 52:38

7M ago52:38

52:38

Tamar Münch joins Duncan Greive to discuss the challenges facing screen and news media – and how they intertwine. They also discuss the resignation of Mike Sneesby at Nine, and the way Australian media is following a bad trail blazed by New Zealand media. Finally, a look at Snapchat's hold on teenagers and an intriguing new BSA survey. Learn more a…

1
Did Spark win its big gaming event? Plus Nielsen drama between Stuff and the NZ Herald 32:46

8M ago32:46

32:46

Duncan Greive has a solo podcast this week, talking about the debut of Spark Game Arena Live, a huge new event at Spark Arena. He looks at the upside and downsides of the trend away from sponsorships towards brands creating their own projects. Plus: who's number one? Both NZME and Stuff claimed the title this week – but does it even matter? And fin…

1
NZME and TVNZ’s contrasting fortunes and the global challenges of public radio 54:20

8M ago54:20

54:20

One eked out a flat result, the other had a giant loss. Toby Manhire and Duncan Greive discuss what that says about their revenue models. They also discuss the downward trend for RNZ, one mirrored by public media entities around the world. Finally, they look at X’s ban in Brazil and the arrest of Telegram’s founder in France, as a window into the g…

1
Spotify's data alchemist explains the mysteries of music streaming 50:59

8M ago50:59

50:59

Glenn McDonald spent over a decade with a very mysterious and specific job title: data alchemist at Spotify. It's possible – even likely – that no one on earth knows as much about music streaming. He is in New Zealand for the Going Global music industry conference, and joins Duncan Greive to talk about how Spotify does and doesn't work for artists,…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Duncan Grieve Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen