Broadcasting legend Rod Vaughan, best known for one of television’s most shocking moments, has died at the age of 77.
The veteran reporter died in Christchurch on Sunday after a short battle with cancer, a death notice confirmed.
Vaughan worked on the frontline of New Zealand news for almost 40 years and was infamously punched live on air by politician Bob Jones in a shocking broadcast in 1985.
Vaughan is survived by his wife Lois, three children Nicholas, Richard and Larissa, stepdaughter Ruth Buckley and 10 beloved grandchildren.
“Rod was a highly respected and tenacious journalist, a keen aviator and golfer. He joins his brothers Robbie, Roy and Peter, and his parents Paul and Phoebe in heaven. Forever in our hearts,” the notice said.
Vaughan, who was born in Jersey and lived in the UK before moving to New Zealand, will be remembered by his loved ones at a memorial service to be held on Friday at 10am.
Known as one of New Zealand’s most prominent television journalists, Vaughan reported on numerous primetime news and current affairs programmes throughout his four decades in front of the camera on state television.
However, he is arguably best known for being at the centre of a shocking on-air incident with the leader of the short-lived New Zealand party Bob Jones.
Broadcasting legend Rod Vaughan (pictured in 2020), best known for one of television’s most shocking moments, has died aged 77.
In 1985, Vaughan was infamously left bloodied after a tense standoff with the controversial politician, which ended with him being punched.
The incident occurred on the banks of the Tongariro River, where Vaughan and his team had arrived by helicopter to question Jones about how his party helped oust Rob Muldoon in the 1984 election.
However, Jones was unimpressed by his presence while he was fishing and jumped out of a bush before hitting Vaughan and his cameraman Peter Mayo.
“He went ballistic! He was screaming and shouting and every word started with an ‘F’ or a ‘C’ and then he trotted away from the riverbank,” Vaughan told Seven Sharp in 2020 of the now infamous incident.
The announcer said Jones lunged at them and assaulted Mayo, before punching him directly in the face when he tried to calm him down.
“I walked up to Bob from behind and said, ‘Look, come on Bob, there’s no need for this’ in a very sweet tone and he turned on me with a left hook and hit me between the eyes which knocked me to the ground,” he explained.
‘I ended up rolling down the riverbank, almost into the damn water.’
Vaughan worked on the frontline of New Zealand news for almost 40 years and was infamously beaten live on air by politician Bob Jones in a shocking broadcast (pictured)
Despite the tense standoff, Vaughan said he and Jones buried the hatchet years later after a get-together hosted by his colleague, where they enjoyed bottles of wine and got along “like a glove.”
The shocking incident inspired the name of Vaughan’s 2012 autobiography, Bloodied But Not Beaten.
During his impressive career, Vaughan worked as a reporter and producer for TVNZ for more than 35 years.
Paying tribute after his death, TVNZ executive editor Phil O’Sullivan said: ‘Rod worked on some of the most important current affairs programmes in the history of this country.
“He had a great sense of justice and abhorred dishonesty. His contribution to investigative journalism is immense.”
Vaughan, who began his journalism career as a writer for The NZ Herald and The Dominion, also worked for eight years on TV3’s 60 Minutes.
In his 2012 autobiography, he said “a sense of fair play and an abhorrence of deceit and dishonesty” had drawn him to the industry after his studies at Wellington Polytechnic.
