Justin du Fresne’s retirement
NZPA report:
Wellington radio personality Justin du Fresne has announced that he will step down as host of the morning show on NewstalkZB.
He has hosted the show since 1987, and this year marked 50 years since he began his radio career.
“This is my decision, I’ve had an amazing time but feel I need to enjoy life without the pressure of a daily radio show. I would like to thank my listeners for the sustained support I’ve had,” he said.
Wellington general manager of The Radio Network Rhys Nimmo said: “Justin has been a fixture on Wellington’s airwaves for well over two decades and has been a key reason behind NewstalkZB’s status as a market leader in talk radio”.
Du Fresne was in discussions about an ongoing role with NewstalkZB.
Christmas Eve will be his last day in his current role.
1987 is around when I started listening to talk radio, so I can’t recall a time when Justin has not been the morning voice on Newstalk ZB, or 2ZB as it was then.
The trend in broadcasting has been to centralise the broadcasts. Once upon a time 1ZB, 2ZB and 3ZB all have very different shows and presenters. It makes economic sense to have one presenter nation-wide if you will keep much the same ratings.
The exception to this trend has been Justin, in Wellington. He has such a dedicated following, that he has maintained his Wellington only mornings show.
In the last couple of years, I’ve gone from a listener to a regular panellist on his Friday face off panel. This was my favourite part of his show, as a listener, so it has been a real treat to be on Face Off, and hand out bouquets and brickbats.
Hopefully NewstalkZB will continue with a Wellington only show in the mornings, after Justin retires – but they may find his boots are too big to fill.
The next time I am on the show, I must ask Justin the question I keep forgetting – is he related to Karl du Fresne?
September 1st, 2010 at 1:35 pm
The chattering class of Wellington merit their own show. They can go on about how there is not enough money for Concert FM, Ballet, the Orchestra, Te Papa, National Radio, Opera.
September 1st, 2010 at 1:40 pm
The exception to this trend has been Justin, in Wellington. He has such a dedicated following, that he has maintained his Wellington only mornings show.
Christchurch also has a 9-noon show breakout for local programming, Newstalk axed it in 2009 to run content from Auckland, but admitted in 2010 that it had been a disaster and re-instated it
September 1st, 2010 at 2:18 pm
When every station in the market bases itself in Auckland and resolutely ignores anything happening south of the Bombays (unless it is of national significance) then yes, you will “keep much the same ratings”. If the only thing on the menu is a dozen flavours of boring blancmange then people will eat one of them or starve.
But if anyone in the industry had the foresight and courage to recreate the 2ZB of old (when I started there Leighton Smith was on mornings, before he was transferred to Auckland… surely you’re not that young DPF?!) which was interwoven into the greater Wellington community (as 1ZB was in Auckalnd, 3ZB in Christchurch and so on) I predict people would flock to them. The newspapers that are still the best read are the local community “rags”… people want to know, and to debate, what’s happening where they live.
September 1st, 2010 at 2:23 pm
I believe Justin and Karl du Fresne are brothers.
September 1st, 2010 at 3:18 pm
Sean Plunket may be looing for a bit of work and could fit into the role easily enough.
September 1st, 2010 at 3:19 pm
I KNOW Justin and Karl are brothers.
September 1st, 2010 at 3:19 pm
The answer is yes.
September 1st, 2010 at 3:46 pm
nah DPF, du Fresne is such a common name that surely its obvious there is no relationship at all. For my money, Karl comes from a completely different family to Justin. Karl is, if I recollect correctly, an aristocratic scion of a family of wine growers with several chateaux on the Loire, whereas Justin comes from a family of Welsh coalminers who changed their names in 1834 to falsly claim a free place on an immigrant ship won in a lottery.
No relationship whatsoever.
Or was it the other way around? I keep forgetting….
September 1st, 2010 at 4:31 pm
“Hopefully NewstalkZB will continue with a Wellington only show in the mornings, after Justin retires – but they may find his boots are too big to fill.”
I always found his show too wishy washy liberal,likewise most of his Friday morning panelists. I usually listen to Leighton through the static from Wanganui. I hope he goes nationwide. Just the same Justin is obviously a decent man and I wish him well in his retirement.
September 1st, 2010 at 4:44 pm
Dave Mann @ 3:46
lol.
September 1st, 2010 at 7:20 pm
I hope Justin enjoys his retirement, a nice man to listen to and blessed with a huge amount of common sense. While his views are not as far right as mine I always enjoy his opinions. I wish him well. Luckily for me I live half way between Wellington and Auckland and receive the best the townies have to offer.
September 1st, 2010 at 9:16 pm
I think Justin is an excellent host and a good man.
I loved his comment that New Zealanders are too scared to speak their minds and that “if I was in France many of my callers would have already set fire to a car this morning”.
If they can replace him with a local who’s just as good, fine. Otherwise I hope they run with Leighton Smith.
September 1st, 2010 at 10:05 pm
I think that Mike Hosking has done more to boost Radio Live’s ratings than any amount of newspaper advertising could ever do. Marcus Lush does not lose the sight from one eye as he drives south past Nikau Road on the Bombay hills.