It's expected the Sky TV and TV3 deal will be mutually beneficial. Sky TV's bought the channel for a dollar from Warner Brothers Discovery. Spinoff founder and media commentator Duncan Grieve says Sky will have more options to roll out its content on TV3's free to air platforms. He told Ryan Bridge it will be a relief for TV3, as they’ve had a relu…

Israel's rejected the UK's moves to recognise Palestine as a state at a UN meeting in September. The UK and France will both do so, unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire. New Zealand isn't among the 139 countries that recognise a Palestinian state, but last year Foreign Minister Winston Peters stated it's a question of when, not if. UK and Europe Cor…

The short-term future of the ANZ Premiership is confirmed. Netball New Zealand has signed an exclusive broadcast deal with TVNZ for next year, with the competition to remain in its current two-round format. Governing body boss Jennie Wyllie's refused to confirm whether players will take a pay cut, but admits they'll likely use cash reserves to make…

Those with mortgages are bank-hopping at record rates, but not necessarily to get lower interest rates. More than 3,500 holders switched nearly two and a half billion dollars of debt between loan providers last month. It's the highest since records began in 2017. Cotality Chief Property Economist Kelvin Davidson says it reflects a mix of factors in…

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast 2025 Wednesday the 30th of July, 36 thousand nurses go on strike today, former Health NZ Chair Rob Campbell tells Ryan what he thinks needs to be done to reach an agreement with Health NZ. The ANZ premiership will soon be free to air on TVNZ, NZ netball players association Executive Manager St…

Belief a breakdown of trust between nurses and leadership is fuelling protests today. Tens of thousands of nurses are striking for 24 hours over chronic workforce shortages, withdrawing labour from all Health New Zealand services from 9am. Thousands of procedures and appointments have been postponed. Former Health New Zealand Chair, Rob Campbell to…

Brooke van Velden's anti-health and safety crusade's taken a rather bizarre twist - it's the plot twist nobody saw coming. She's consulting the public on safe activities kids are allowed to do on farms, like watering plants and collecting chicken eggs. It's a bit of an odd strategy, but the strategy seems to be that there's a potential problem with…

Throwing in a CV and cover letter in response to a job ad may not cut it anymore, as young people face high unemployment rates. Stats NZ data shows jobs filled by 15 to 19-year-olds dropped 10% in the last year – representing over 12 thousand roles. The overall drop nationally is 1.2%. Youth Inspire Chief Executive Zainab Ali told Ryan Bridge the t…

Russia has yet to respond to the latest ultimatum from US President Donald Trump. Trump says Vladimir Putin has between 10 and 12 days to make progress on ending the war with Ukraine to avoid sanctions. That's shrunk from the 50 days he gave the Russian leader two weeks ago. US correspondent Toni Waterman says there's been no official response from…

Health and Safety experts say the Government need to consider people's lives as they set to change scaffolding regulations. Government officials are consulting with the construction sector on whether to relax certain rules on work site scaffolding, making them only compulsory in some situations. Construction Health and Safety Chief Executive, Chris…

If you've got an appointment at the hospital this week, you might want to check it's still going ahead. Nurses are going on strike tomorrow from 9am for 24 hours. 4,300 surgeries and specialist appointments will be affected. It's a complete withdrawal of labour. It's 36,000 nurses. It'll affect every place where Health NZ provides health or hospita…

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Tuesday 29th of July 2025, Donald Trump's set a deadline of 10 or 12 days for Putin to make a deal with Ukraine, US Correspondent Toni Waterman has the latest. Health and Safety experts say the Government need to consider people's lives as they set to change scaffolding regulations. It's becom…

Eugene Healey is an academic and brand strategist based in Melbourne, and a sharp critic of clumsy attempts from brands to play social justice activists. He's traveling back to New Zealand to speak at the Comms Council's Media Spotlight event, and joins Duncan Greive on The Fold to discuss the unintended consequences of advertising's woke years, an…

Jordan and the UAE have begun airdrops into Gaza to deliver aid. This comes after the Israeli military announced it’ll open humanitarian corridors into the strip and a tactical pause in three specific combat areas. Geopolitical Analyst Geoffery Miller told Ryan Bridge that 25 tons of aid was delivered to Gaza overnight, but that it’s up to Israeli …

Corrections staff are struggling to accommodate at-risk inmates as prison violence and aggression grows. Staff accepted 12-thousand requests from inmates to be separated from the general prison population in the 2023 financial year. Many do so because they feel unsafe or vulnerable, as more prisoners become gang-affiliated. Corrections Association …

Chris Bishop says we're sick of over-the-top cone use and expensive traffic management plans. And he'd be right. They are so annoying and often, to the untrained eye at least, completely pointless. They take a $100 job and make it a $1000 job. So why is this till happening? Why are there still cones everywhere, when the government says NZTA's code …

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Monday 28th of July 2025, approved requests for segregation in prisons has hit more than 12-thousand, Corrections Association President Floyd Du Plessis shares his thoughts. Israel is allowing in more aid to Gaza, Geopolitical Analyst Geoffrey Miller explains how much fo a difference it will m…

Belief politicians should have skin in the public health system game. Health workers have signed an open letter asking MPs to voluntarily waive private healthcare for themselves and their families while in office. It says healthcare becomes personal when politicians rely on the same EDs, waitlists, and services as everyone else. Former Health NZ Ch…

Communities are voicing concerns over high strength beers being a 'court case in a can'. The products are being sold as singles in supermarkets and liquor stores and are stronger than RTDs, ranging from 7% to 16%. Communities Against Alcohol Harm have been raising the issue of the beers at a number of public hearings in Auckland. Secretary Grant He…

On the Early Edition with Andrew Dickens Full Show Podcast Friday 25th of July 2025, The Government's scrapped same day enrolments for general elections, Labour Justice Spokesperson Duncan Webb shares his concerns. Should MPs have to use the public health system? Former Health NZ chair Rob Campbell shares his thoughts. Single bottles of beer are be…

Fears changes to the way we vote will impact our democracy. Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is planning to stop election-day enrolment, ban prisoner voting, and ban free food and entertainment offered near booths. Goldsmith says the changes will stop the vote count hold ups once poll booths close. But Labour's justice spokesperson, Duncan Webb told…

It’s no secret that the construction industry is in trouble. There’s a number of factors. Firstly the boom in construction right after the pandemic years as money became cheaper and cheaper, so more and more projects were undertaken. We had a residential construction boom in 2022, with approximately 51,000 consents issued, driven by surging house p…

Rotorua's mayor says the story's the same across the country regarding people sleeping on the street. The Government's June Homelessness Insights report shows rough sleeping's sharply increased, doubling by some measures over 24 months. Mayor Tania Tapsell is relieved the Government is looking at finding a solution at a national level. She told Rya…

More and more Kiwis are taking a hike, with 60% of visitors to our Great Walks made up of New Zealanders last summer. The Department of Conservation's latest visitor insights report shows 60 thousand people walked one of the trails. International visitor numbers last summer were back to 93% of pre-Covid levels, with more than 50% heading to a natio…

Hopes the scrapping of guidelines around transgender participation in community sport will pave the way for smaller organisations to follow. A Government directive from National and New Zealand First has led to Sport New Zealand dumping the principles put in place in 2022 It comes as New Zealand First leader Winston Peters threatens funding cuts fo…

Nobody wants to see streets dotted with tents like San Francisco or downtown LA. This much-hyped government report to Tama Potaka gives a few insights, but doesn't really nail the problem. There are more people living rough, but we can't say for sure how many more, and even if we could, we can't say how statistically significant the change might be…

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast 2025 Thursday 24th of July, the Government’s told Sport NZ to scrap its transgender guidelines, Save Women's Sport Australasia NZ Spokeswoman Ro Edge, tells Ryan she's happy with the news. The Government's released a report on homelessness, Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell shares her thoughts. DOC …

Anna Rawhiti-Connell joins Duncan Greive on The Fold to discuss the way social media conspiracy theories have started to dominate the institutional media in the US, and ask what the local equivalents might be. They also talk about Lucy Blakiston from Shit You Should Care About's signing to venerable Hollywood talent agency WME, and The Spinoff's bu…

The Green Party says the Government needs to follow up its words on Gaza with action. A group of nations, including New Zealand, have signed on to a declaration calling for a ceasefire and condemning Israeli attacks on Palestinians seeking aid. Greens co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick says we should sanction Israel to the same degree as Russia. She told Ry…

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Wednesday 23rd of July 2025 opposition parties are saying we need to take a harsher stance against israel as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza gets worse, Green's co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick tells Ryan what we can do as a nation. A new report from MPI and Beef and Lamb NZ estimates non-tariff trad…

A push to minimise barriers on our red meat export industry. The Meat Industry Association and Beef and Lamb New Zealand have revealed non-tariff trade barriers are costing the industry an estimated $1.5 billion every year. Beef + Lamb Chair Kate Ackland told Ryan Bridge the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is working on 194 different non-tari…

This business with the supermarkets and their pricing... Consumer NZ has launched a petition. They want change to stop prices being incorrectly labelled. So you go to checkout and scan receipts, something's different to what you expected. Then we would get a refund on the product, and the product for free. The idea is that if you make the punishmen…

Glen Kyne joins Duncan Greive on an emergency edition of The Fold to discuss Sky's move to buy the New Zealand assets of Discovery NZ, including Three and ThreeNow. They discuss the price, what it does for Sky, how Three will evolve and how it changes the game for TVNZ. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

Netball NZ is opening the door to overseas-based Silver Ferns. They’ve updated their eligibility criteria, which means overseas players can be considered for national selection through a formal exemption process. Former Silver Fern Margaret Foster told Ryan Bridge that to represent your country on a national level, regardless of where they’re playi…

Inflation is coming dangerously close to the top end of the Reserve Bank’s target band. It’s reached 2.7% year-on-year – the main drivers being council rates, increased rents, electricity prices, and food prices. Independent economist Cameron Bagrie told Ryan Bridge that there’s not only cyclical damage to the economy from the Reserve Bank’s effort…

A belief the Government's claim a new medical school in Hamilton will provide more rural doctors and GPs is yet to be proven. Cabinet's putting almost $83 million into the $230 million new University of Waikato Medical School, opening in 2028. Association of Salaried Medical Specialists Executive Director Sarah Dalton told Ryan Bridge no doctor out…

ACT's insistence that the Waikato University doctors school cost was out of whack and based on a poor quality business case seems to have been proven correct. Why else would the cost to the taxpayer has shrunk by $200 million? He says it was going to cost us $280 million. If he was right, and he's one guy at the cabinet table, how many other busine…

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Tuesday 22nd of July 2025, the Government finally gave the green light for a new medical school at the University of Waikato, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists Sarah Dalton shares her thoughts. The Netball New Zealand board have voted to update its eligibili…

Glen Kyne returns to The Fold to dig into another incredible quarter for Netflix – and ask whether its run is over or it has more headroom. They also chat about what's next for Substack after its US$100m raise, the end of the Auckland Transport saga and break down the Beacon Awards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Monday 21st of July 2025, inflation figures are out today which will help paint a picture of how the economy is doing, ASB Senior Economist Mark Smith tells Ryan where he thinks the figure will land. Andrew Alderson has the latest on the weekend's sport. The Government's promised movement for …

A warning that a stretched workforce could threaten the future of the country's infrastructure. Six billion dollars of projects including roads, schools and hospitals will kick off between now and late December. Civil Contractors New Zealand Chief Executive Allan Pollard says 15-thousand construction workers have lost their jobs over the past year.…

If we could mark NCEA level One... would it even get an achieved. let alone a merit or excellence? We heard at the weekend about an ERO report. Basically, said the whole system is too flexible. Kids are scooping up credits from all corners of the classroom. It's too broad and flexible, they reckon. As a result, students aren't being properly taught…

Unlike last week, the All Blacks team for the final clash against France is filled with changes. Ethan de Groot, Fabian Holland, Patrick Tuipulotu, Ardie Savea and Rieko Ioane are the only players remaining from the last run-on side. Rugby Commentator Tony Johnson told Andrew Dickens that Scott Robertson and the other selectors certainly fulfilled …

We may have to get used to paying more for butter. Kiwi consumers are now consistently paying more than twice as much for butter as they were a decade ago, according to latest Stats NZ figures. Supermarkets and suppliers have been under pressure to lower prices. Federated Farmers Dairy Chair Karl Dean told Andrew Dickens there’s been a global trend…

The UK's Labour Party believes allowing the younger generation to vote could have positive ripple effects. It's lowering the country's voting age to allow 16 and 17-year-olds to have their say. The change will take effect at the next general election and brings the electorate into line with Scotland and Wales. UK Correspondent Vincent McAviney told…

On the Early Edition with Andrew Dickens Full Show Podcast Friday the 18th of July 2025, jobseeker benefit numbers are continuing to climb, former welfare advisory group member Phil O'Reily shares why. It's final All Blacks test against the french tomorrow night at FMG stadium in Hamilton, Rugby commentator Tony Johnson shares his thoughts on the l…

A welfare expert's pointing to the lack of jobs being the main reason more people are ending up on the benefit. Ministry of Social Development statistics show almost 8 thousand more were receiving a main benefit in June compared to March. It follows the Government instating new requirements for beneficiaries in hopes of getting more into the workfo…

We all know the Covid Inquiry is looking at MIQ, amongst other things. And we all know that MIQ had noble aims and notable successes. But we also know the execution was far from perfect, and many people ended up feeling ostracized from the rest of New Zealand. The idea of the Inquiry is to find out what went wrong so we do better next time. And yes…

News the Government's set to shred half a million books from the National Library is being described as standard management. Books including religious texts, Shakespeare, and Virginia Woolf are among them, with the cull expected to save about a million dollars in storage costs. Library and Information Association Executive Director Laura Marshall t…

It's being suggested we need to generate more power if we want to fix our electricity market. Major power companies will soon be required to charge less for power during off-peak periods and pay more for solar and battery power during peak periods. The Electricity Authority hopes the measures will drive down power prices over time. But Paul Fuge —t…