100 Years of ZB: Mike Hosking and Heather du Plessis-Allan talk the strength of ZB today - and what will make it strong in the future
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What makes Newstalk ZB strong in today’s radio market?
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Who was telling me I was rubbish? All my two bosses telling me I was rubbish.
Mike, I sat next to you on the seven
sharp desk.
Did you?
Mike.
Bloody hell.
You are
unbelievable.
So just that the audience is still the centre of what we do and all those
things. They study it. They'll look back on that and they'll see that as a defining moment slash tuning point in the relationship between the New Zealand public and the media. They've got five minutes. 100 Years of ZB with Mike Hosking. Greetings, welcome to the 100 Years of ZB podcast. Throughout the series we've been showcasing the rich history of the iconic 1ZB and Newstalk ZB. We've brought you the household names, the famous sounds and the gripping stories behind the ZB name from 1926 to today. In the final episode of the series, we've got something a little bit different. I'm sitting down with Newstalk ZB's drive host, Heather Duplessy-Allen, to talk about the strength of the station today and what will continue to make it a powerhouse.
We welcome Heather Duplessy-Allen. Lovely to see you. Hello, Mike. A little bit of history, maybe. What's your observation of ZB as a youngish person? And what did you think of it, know of it, like about it, hate about it? And how that would somehow in later life come to be?
That's a very good question, actually. I think that
I,
oh, geez, you're quite good at this, Mike. I don't know if anybody's ever told you this. You've got a career in it. I had thought, actually, as a young person, I thought it was a bit fuddy-dud with the talkback. And then Jason Winstanley called me up and he said, I want you to do talkback in Wellington. And I agonised over it. And I thought, I don't think this is what I want to do with my life.
What were you doing at the time?
Nothing. Nothing.
Right, so you were doing nothing. So you were unemployed. Yes. And you thought, I don't know that I want to go to ZB. I was
like, I'm not sure that I want that job in Talkback, although I don't have many options. So I took it and it was the best decision I ever made. I loved being challenged. I started out, I think that if you talk to the people who were listening to me back then, which was 2018, I think that they will tell you it was a rough start with some pretty crazy ideas. Right. And they had to iron me out. It was an exercise. I don't know who was harder to deal with. Just a barrage of callers telling me I was rubbish or my two bosses telling me I was rubbish. But eventually they ironed me out.
Did it work in the end, do you think? Did you have some ratings and some audience and did it go up?
Yeah, yeah, I think we were okay. I mean... I do think that we managed to lift the ratings. I can't remember that far back, but it was, you know, that is honestly, Mike, the hardest job I've ever done in my life. And when they finally gave me drive, which was actually when I say finally, it was only 18 months later, but it was like taking the, like a backpack off your back. It's like, it was almost like putting rocks in my backpack and asking me to run up the hill. And then they took it off and I could run up the hill easier.
How did Heather first perceive ZB’s culture and workplace when she arrived?
That is one of the hardest jobs to do because the catchment is so small for the talkback. Sure. So, yeah,
I mean, I think in the end we're okay. Do you look back on that fondly, though, as a time of learning and all of that, do
you? And isn't it the case in life that the decision that's often the hardest one to make in your head is the right decision for you to make?
Isn't it funny? The
one that you resist the most?
Well, it's weird. Well, I've never, see, I can't conceive of, I'm not being rude, but I've never been unemployed. So I can't conceive of being unemployed. And then somebody comes along with a job offer and you go, hmm, I'm not really sure.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What makes Newstalk ZB strong in today’s radio market?
0:00–3:16
2
How did Heather first perceive ZB’s culture and workplace when she arrived?
3:16–6:17
3
What challenges did Heather face starting in talk‑back and how did she overcome them?
6:17–8:57
4
Why does Heather play snooker and how does it influence her on‑air style?
8:57–12:02
5
How did ZB’s ratings change after COVID and what drove the audience growth?
12:02–14:20
6
What role does ZB play in shaping political discourse in New Zealand?
14:20–17:14
7
What is the long‑term vision for ZB as it approaches its next century?
17:14–20:19
8
How does ZB ensure it remains a two‑way conversation with its listeners?
20:19–23:48
Speakers
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