NZ Listener since 1939
A DigitalNZ Story by Zokoroa
The journey of the New Zealand Listener from print to digital formats since 30 June 1939
New Zealand Listener, NZ Listener, The Listener, magazines, newspapers, publishing, radio, TV, radio programmes, TV programmes, Broadcasting
On 30 June 1939, the first issue of the New Zealand Listener was published by the NZ Broadcasting Service (NZBS)
(Cover: Wellington schoolgirl who spoke for NZ on Empire Day to send greetings to King George VI)
Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage
When TV1 began broadcasting from 1960 & TV2 from 1975, the TV programmes were also listed in the NZ Listener
State Library of Victoria
Variety of cover stories have featured radio & TV programmes, current events, health, food, culture & entertainment
Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage
Cartoons & caricatures captured political, social, cultural & literary issues
(Later, in 1977, Broadcasting Corporation of New Zealand (BCNZ) was established)
Alexander Turnbull Library
The Listener has also been involved with sponsoring & publicising various events
Events have included the Listener Women's Book Festival & the Listener Gofta Awards (1986-1989)
Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira
During 1982, NZ Listener's monopoly on publishing upcoming TV & radio programmes ceased
Other publications began to publish lists of programmes, including the NZ Truth with its "TV Guide"
Hocken Collections - Uare Taoka o Hākena, University of Otago
1997: A reader's reaction when an article in the Listener had labelled Levin the most boring town in NZ
Alexander Turnbull Library
In April 2020, Bauer ceased publishing due to Covid & sold NZ Listener & other titles to Mercury Capital in June 2020
Mercury Capital rebranded its acquisitions from Bauer Media as 'Are Media' in Sept 2020
Radio New Zealand
On 30 June 2023, Are Media & NZME partnered to launch a digital subscription version of The Listener
The website "Listener.co.nz" is hosted on The New Zealand Herald's website and also includes digital exclusive content
Alexander Turnbull Library
For lists of editors & of regular writers, journalists cartoonists, illustrators & photographers, see Wikipedia
Wikipedia: New Zealand Listener: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_Listener
Alexander Turnbull Library
NZ Listener over the decades
Initially, radio programmes were listed in the newspapers
(Farmer reading newspaper next to radio in kitchen, March 1939)
Auckland Libraries
"Today's Broadcast Programmes" appeared in newspapers daily from Mon-Fri & on Sat for the weekend
(Article: Evening Post: Radio station programmes being held on Thursday 7 July, 1938)
National Library of New Zealand
In 1938, NZ Broadcasting Service decided to publish a journal of radio programmes & called for tenders
On 1 Aug 1938, Postmaster-General (the Hon. F. Jones) stated winning tender was from publisher Wilson and Horton Ltd
National Library of New Zealand
In June 1939, the NZ Broadcasting Service announced it would be publishing the NZ Listener on Fridays
It would list national & commercial radio stations' programmes & articles for the week beginning on the following Sunday
National Library of New Zealand
Adverts stated the first issue of the NZ Listener would be delivered free to households &, thereafter, cost threepence
(Advert in Evening Post, 24 June 1939.) Around 380,000 copies of the first issue were distributed to households.
National Library of New Zealand
First editor was Oliver Duff who also included articles on current affairs, politics, sports & entertainment
Alexander Turnbull Library
RNZ's retrospective look at the launch of the New Zealand Listener in 1939 (19:21 min: 24 June 2021)
Radio New Zealand
1940s
During WWII, articles were included on the war. (Article: Life among the Japanese at Featherston", 11 Jan 1944)
Alexander Turnbull Library
Cautionary wording on WWII posters also appeared in the NZ Listener
[New Zealand Government] :"I've just heard - the troops sail ...". They talked ... This happened. Lest we regret ... don't talk [ca 1941]
Alexander Turnbull Library
![Image: Juliet Peter - Untitled [New Zealand Listener illustration, captioned "Colossal battles are fought"]](https://thumbnailer.digitalnz.org/?resize=770x&src=https%3A%2F%2Fchristchurchartgallery.org.nz%2Fmedia%2Fcache%2F90%2Fdf%2F90df4303377b078405769530aa68d182.jpg&resize=368%253E "Juliet Peter - Untitled [New Zealand Listener illustration, captioned \"Colossal battles are fought\"]")
Artwork also featured. (Image: Juliet Peter's illustration, captioned "Colossal battles are fought", 1949)
Juliet Peter - Untitled [New Zealand Listener illustration, captioned "Colossal battles are fought"]
Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū
In June 1949, Montague Harry "Monte" Holcroft became the second editor until 1967
Palmerston North City Library
Social news items were also included. (Image: Contestant in "Miss Wellington Airport" competition, 1959)
N.Z. Listener; Miss Wellington Airport
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Sports also featured. (Article: Sports: " .. it's a goal! "Rugby in my time" by Winston McCarthy, 1958)
New Zealand Listener : .. it's a goal! "Rugby in my time" by Winston McCarthy, this week and every week in the New Zealand Listener. Order your cop...
Alexander Turnbull Library
1960s: TV One began screening in NZ from 1960 & programmes were included in the NZ Listener
(In 1961, the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation (NZBC) was established to control public radio & TV)
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Reviews of & works by NZ writers appeared which led to them becoming household names (Article: James K. Baxter)
Writers featured included Alan Mulgan, Dan Davin, Frank Sargeson, Denis Glover, Noel Hilliard, Joy Cowley & Janet Frame
University of Otago
Display of magazines available in NZ during 1968 included the NZ Listener
Alexander Turnbull Library
1970s: Cartoons
Alexander Turnbull Library
NZBC "Insight '79 The Listener" - an NZBC radio show looking at the forty year history (29:08 min)
Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision
1980s: The Listener’s paid circulation peaked at 375,885 in 1982
(Front cover: Cathy Saunders: August 10-16 1985)
Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira
During 1982, monopoly on publishing upcoming TV & Radio programmes ceased
Other publications that also began publishing programmes included the "TV Guide" as a section in "NZ Truth" magazine
Hocken Collections - Uare Taoka o Hākena, University of Otago
1980s: Cover photos
Danny Watson: November 23-29, 1985
Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira
Marilyn Waring and Billy Idol: May 26 - June 1, 1984
Listener
Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira
"Bookmarks" article with news about book-related events being held during 1985
Newsclipping: "Bookmarks, Ray's Bay" The New Zealand Listener
New Zealand Maritime Museum
"The Class of 85 - The 40 year olds take charge in NZ": August 17-23, 1985
Listener
Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira
"Our winemakers": Image of two wine glasses and a pitcher of wine: February 15-21, 1986
Listener
Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira
"Top town" with cover photo of a young woman holding large tasselled pom poms: February 1-7, 1986
Listener
Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira
1980s: Cartoons & Caricatures
Alexander Turnbull Library
Hodgson, Trace, 1958- :[Rugby and apartheid] New Zealand Listener, 11 May 1985.
Alexander Turnbull Library
Hodgson, Trace, 1958- :Benignus Langissimo Unum Annum. [1985].
Alexander Turnbull Library
Hodgson, Trace, 1958- :[Alison Holst caricature] New Zealand Listener, 9 May, 1987.
Alexander Turnbull Library
Hodgson, Trace, 1958- :[Winston Peters caricature] New Zealand Listener, 21 January, 1989.
Alexander Turnbull Library
The Listener Gofta (Guild of Film and TV Arts) Awards were held annually from 1986 - 1989
Gofta replaced NZ Feltex TV Awards (1970--85) & National TV Awards (1964-65), & was superseded by other award shows
NZ On Screen
From 1988-1999, Listener's Women's Book Festival held, of which the Listener was one of the sponsors
(2012: Marilyn Duckworth's reflections include Listener Women's Book Festival, book reviews & Listener's influence)
National Library of New Zealand
1990: NZ Listener was privatised & published by Bauer Media Group
Alexander Turnbull Library
1990s: Cartoons
Alexander Turnbull Library
Hodgson, Trace, 1958- :[Rob Muldoon and Winston Peters caricatures] New Zealand Listener, 28 April 1991.
Alexander Turnbull Library
2000s
The Listener's Editor from 2004–2021 was Pamela Stirling
Alexander Turnbull Library
From 2004-2009, the Listener produced an annual New Zealand Listener Power List of the 50 most powerful people in NZ
It also published the Best 100 Books, Best 50 Kids Books, & Best Cookbooks, every Nov/Dec
Wikipedia
Jolisa Gracewood named Reviewer of the Year in the 2005 Montana New Zealand Book Awards, for her work in The Listener
Public Address
2010s: Cartoons reflecting issues continued to be published
Alexander Turnbull Library
2012: NZ Listener was also published online
(RNZ Mediawatch: 9 July 2023 has a retrospective summary of NZ Listener's appearance online)
Radio New Zealand
26 Oct 2019: RNZ announced Joanne Drayton is researching history of NZ Listener & is inviting people to share tales
Radio New Zealand
Celebrating 80 years of the Listener
On 20 February 2020, Georgina Harris published her article celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Listener for which she'd interviewed Pamela Stirling who was the editor for the past 15 years. The article included the following level of popularity of the magazine:
Currently, the Listener has 15,219 followers on Facebook, 1,489 followers on Instagram and 16,400 followers on Twitter, with Stirling noting that the team is trying to beef this up. It also publishes content on Noted.co.nz alongside sister publication North & South and Radio New Zealand. “We’ve had a 30 percent increase in total yearly page views on Noted,” Stirling says. “We share content with Stuff, our Facebook reach is increasing, The Listener’s readership has gone up 5.8 percent in the last year [in the Nielsen survey] and our circulation is just absolutely stable whereas most current affair magazines are in double-digit decline and so are TV listing magazines around the world.”
Harris also wrote that a few weeks after the interview,
Pamela Stirling "won Webstar Magazine Media Award’s Supreme NZ Post Editor of Year and was named Best Editor in Current Affairs, Business and Trade. At the Magazine Publisher Association’s event, the Listener was also named joint winner for Best Magazine in Current Affairs and Business with Diana Wichtel taking home Best Columnist in Consumer Special Interest, Current Affairs and Business."
Source: Georgina Harris: "Helping shape a nation: 80 years of the New Zealand Listener": Interview with editor Pamela Stirling, URL: https://stoppress.co.nz/stoppress-series/features/helping-shape-a-nation-80-years-of-the-new-zealand-listener/. (Stop Press, 20 Feb 2020)
On 2 April 2020, Bauer Media announced publication of the NZ Listener & other NZ magazines to cease due to COVID-19
Bauer Media had been experiencing a loss of advertising revenue which had further decreased with the COVID-19 pandemic
The Spinoff
The news sent reverberations through the media, with praise being given by individuals for the Listener & other titles
The Spinoff
RNZ article (2 April 2020) with a former deputy editor Tim Watkin who reminiscences about the NZ Listener
Radio New Zealand
17 June 2020: Bauer Media confirmed its Australian & NZ business has been bought by Mercury Capital (Sydney-based)
Radio New Zealand
On 17 July 2020, media announced the NZ Listener will resume publication & that distributing would begin in Sept
Radio New Zealand
Mercury Capital to publish NZ Listener & other Aust & NZ acquisitions under the Bauer Media name in the interim
TV3
Mercury Capital looking at rebranding the Bauer Media name for the ongoing marketing
Radio New Zealand
On 28 Sept 2020, Mercury Capital announced its Bauer Media acquisitions had been rebranded as Are Media
Are – audience, reach & engagement. (Spinoff article gives update on NZ publications, 31 March 2021)
The Spinoff
On 10 Oct 2020, publication of the Listener resumed
Content continued to list programmes as well as include articles & topical cartoons
Alexander Turnbull Library
On 30 June 2023, Are Media & NZME partnered to launch a digital subscription version of The Listener
The website "Listener.co.nz" is hosted on The New Zealand Herald's website and also includes digital exclusive content
Alexander Turnbull Library
Current editor since 2023: Kirsty Cameron (17th appointment to the role)
Of 17 appointments as editor, two served twice: M. H. Holcroft (1949–67; 1987–72) & Peter Stewart (1980–83; 1987-89)
Alexander Turnbull Library
Find out more:
Bauer Media Group: Press release (2 April 2020): https://www.bauermedia.com/news/press-release-publishing-new-zealand
First issue of New Zealand Listener published, URL: https://nzhistory.govt.nz/first-issue-of-new-zealand-listener-published (Manatū Taonga — Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 7-Oct-2021
Georgina Harris: "Helping shape a nation: 80 years of the New Zealand Listener": Interview with editor Pamela Stirling, URL: https://stoppress.co.nz/stoppress-series/features/helping-shape-a-nation-80-years-of-the-new-zealand-listener/. (Stop Press, 20 Feb 2020)
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KiwiTV: New Zealand Listener (1939- ), URL: https://www.lonely.geek.nz/kiwi-tv/index.php/history-mainmenu-50/91-magazines/2659-new-zealand-listener-1939 Includes images of covers page and link to the Listener's TV listing pages from the 1974 to 1998 as pdfs.
Wikipedia: New Zealand Listener, URL https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_Listener
NZHistory article contains image of the 1st issue published on 30 June 1939 & an overview of the magazine's content
Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage