Presenters of a popular New Zealand news and breakfast show broke down in tears as they announced their jobs are among hundreds in the line of fire.
AM presenters Melissa Chan-Green, 40, and Lloyd Burr, 36, began crying on Thursday when they announced their show could be on the chopping block in June.
Warner Bros. Discovery announced that it had published a proposal to close its New Zealand television company Three, which would lead to the closure of Newshub, AM, a planned program on Ryan Bridge at 7pm and Paddy Gower Has Issues.
As a result, about 300 employees are expected to lose their jobs.
An emotional Chan-Green held Burr’s hand as she addressed viewers.
An emotional AM presenter Melissa Chan-Green held the hand of her co-presenter Lloyd Burr (pictured together) as she announced the sad news that her show could be ending.
The presenters have been friends for a decade, but have only presented New Zealand’s morning news and talk show AM together this year. Chan-Green has hosted the show since 2022 and Burr will join in 2024.
“You’ve probably already seen the news that our company is proposing to close Newshub from June,” he said.
‘Some people have been asking if that affects AM as well, and AM and Newshub are the same.
‘We are all part of the same family. I hope you can hear me with this voice. So yes: that also means the end of AM.’
AM, airs five days a week from 6am to 9am and is broadcast from Auckland.
Burr, who only landed the hosting job earlier this year, fought back tears and told his co-host, “You’re making us cry too.”
“It’s been a huge 24 hours for us here and, to be honest, for the whole building,” he said.
‘It has been quite hard. But we’ll get through it.’
Burr told viewers they were in this together.
“We will get through this and you will get through this with us and help us get through this,” he said.
But we will be with you until the end of June. It depends on how the proposals go, but we will be with you until then.
Chan-Green has presented AM since 2022, but has worked for Newshub and TV3 for 17 years.
The presenter told Daily Mail Australia that everyone “finds the news really difficult”.
“But I’m so proud that our team came together and put on a show,” she said.
‘We will continue to do this as long as we are on the air.
“Thank you to my family, old friends and new colleagues across the media and to all our viewers for their messages of support.”
TV3 New Zealand’s parent company is American media giant Warner Bros. Discovery. Last year they recorded a loss of NZ$34.8 million (A$32.8 million) for their company’s New Zealand subsidiary. However, a spokesperson for Warner Bros. Discovery ANZ said “no decision has been made” to ax AM and Newshub.
Newshub employees were told the disturbing news at an all-staff meeting on Wednesday morning.
In a blow to the country’s media industry, Three is New Zealand’s only rival to public broadcaster TVNZ.
Three was acquired by US powerhouse Discovery in 2020, which merged with Warner Bros. in 2022.
The New Zealand division of Warner Bros. Discovery operations posted a loss of NZ$34.8 million (A$32.8 million) last year.
Warner Bros. released a statement saying they had begun consulting with staff about a proposal.
“New local programming will only be done in collaboration with local funding bodies and other partners,” the company said.
A spokesperson for Warner Bros. Australia New Zealand told Daily Mail Australia: “This remains a proposal and no decision has been made.”
A final decision will not be made until April, with consultations on closure beginning in March.
Three still plans to produce local television content, as well as broadcast shows such as Married At First Sight Australia and The Block Australia.