A new current affairs show is set to take over the 7pm slot on TV3, from Mondays – Thursdays, but viewers won’t be seeing John Campbell’s familiar face presiding over the newsdesk.
According to Mark Jennings, Group Head of News, John was asked to stay on as co-host of the new show, but he opted to leave MediaWorks entirely instead.
“John has decided he wants to take a break from the job and we respect his decision,” Mr Jennings said in a statement.
“We will be bringing the best of Campbell Live over to the new show, but we will be looking at a wider mix of stories.”
The news comes shortly after MediaWorks undertook a six-week review of Campbell Live. Group CEO Mark Weldon said the review was recommended due to the fact the show had continuously lost viewers each year for the past 10 years, making it “unsustainable”.
The new show is due to launch in 6-8 weeks, with MediaWorks set to start looking for new hosts immediately.
“I want to pay tribute to John Campbell. He has made a huge contribution to TV3 and MediaWorks over the years, and I was hoping this would continue – which is why last November I offered John a three year contract, which he did not sign. I respect John’s decision not to continue at MediaWorks and wish him well,” said Mr Weldon.
