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Tragic Moment The Radio Hosts Are Pulled Off The Air As The Entire Station Shuts Down: “They Have A F***** Us”
Two hosts who exited the live broadcast said they were betrayed
NZ’s Today FM closed without notice on Thursday
The angry workers were dumbfounded and left without work
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Two radio stars have launched their own station after they were pulled off the air without warning in what the hosts called a “betrayal”.
Today, Duncan Garner and Tova O’Brien, co-hosts of Radio New Zealand FM, were on the air on Thursday when they were informed that the station would be shutting down immediately for good.
As Mrs. O’Brien learned the news, she said, “They have a treat for us.”
“We’re all going to lose our jobs and the station’s going off and I don’t know,” said Mrs. O’Brien.
In response, Garner simply said, “This is treason.”
Co-radio presenters Duncan Garner (pictured) and Tova O’Brien couldn’t hide their displeasure as they were told live that their network was shutting down immediately.
The Today FM presenters were furious after they were pulled out without warning with Ms O’Brien (pictured) saying ‘they screwed us’.
Mr. Garner went on to explain to the listeners that the staff of the station had been herded together and told that it would close effective immediately.
“There are people who are crying and really upset and shocked,” Mr Garner said on air.
As Mr. Garner continued to inform the listeners of what had just happened, he was interrupted by Mrs. O’Brien who said, “Duncan, we were told we’re going off, that’s it guys,” as the co-hosts were told to cut the broadcast and move on to song.
TodayFM is part of MediaWorks, which owns and operates around half of New Zealand’s radio stations.
The station had only been in operation for about a year with its closure being blamed on a lack of funding.
MediaWorks interim CEO Wendy Palmer said it was an “emotional day” and a “difficult decision” to end the Oakland-based network.
Ms Palmer said FM today “needs significant time and ongoing investment in order to develop its listeners”.
TodayFM is part of MediaWorks, which owns and operates about half of New Zealand’s radio stations and blamed the closure on a lack of funding (pictured: Today FM hosts)
“Unfortunately, given the current market conditions, the financing is not there to support this level of investment,” she said.
A letter from Today FM’s digital team leader to Twitter stated that both staff and listeners had been robbed.
“As I write this, Duncan Garner producer David cries in my arms because the harsh reality of cold corporate decisions,” the post reads.
Like David, many of our team feel let down. But I can say with confidence that they have done something no one else in the media business has done.
We have been robbed. It was stolen.
The post has since been removed with Today FM’s Twitter account shut down and the network’s Facebook page deleted.
Another host on FM Today, Wilhelmina Shrimpton, took to social media to say that “devastation is an understatement”.
“Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would wake up this morning, that today’s FM would be gone by lunchtime,” she wrote.
Mark Byrd, who worked as part of the network’s sports team, said he struggles to find strength and feels like he let his family down because he’s now out of work.
“Today when the news was delivered to the team, I watched the people I care about break into tears so hard. People don’t know how they are going to make the next rent payments and how they are going to feed their children.
“I feel embarrassed because I care so much… I feel bad because I let my family down.”