The Fold

Hosted by The Spinoff

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Episodes

348

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Aug 2026

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About the show

Conversations about the intersections of media, culture and technology in New Zealand, hosted by Duncan Greive, founder of The Spinoff.

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60 recent

September 7, 202649 min

Reviewing result for NZME, Sky, TVNZ and RNZ – plus a big announcement about The Fold

Glen Kyne joins Duncan Greive on the Fold to talk about three very different sets of recent results, plus RNZ's surging audience numbers. They also address the fishhooks in Meta’s big US settlement, and give a view on Mediaworks' new owners. The episode starts, however, with big news about the future of The Fold. Submit your questions for the final mailbag episode here before 5pm on Wed 16 September. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

August 31, 202640 min

Where are the young audiences?

NZ on Air’s Where are the Audiences study now breaks out a standalone project focused solely on young audiences. It surveyed 360 New Zealanders in the 15-24 bracket, and the results came out a few days ago. Duncan Greive is joined once again by James Davidson, chief strategy and planning officer at PHD Aotearoa, who are The Fold’s partners for this episode, to break down what this data tells us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

August 17, 202656 min

Australia continues to lead the world in responding to big tech. How about us?

BusinessDesk’s Peter Griffin joins Duncan Greive on The Fold to discuss the big storylines at the intersection of technology and media. These include the latest iteration of the news media bargaining code, the under 16 social media ban, the growing wave of opposition to data centres – all of which feature New Zealand lagging, often badly. Plus what’s really going on with the story of OpenAI’s model breaching its sandbox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

August 11, 202648 min

Where are the Audiences? For the first time in two years, we have the answer

Regular Fold listeners know that the release of NZ on Air’s ‘Where are the Audiences?’ media research is the biggest day of the media year. Duncan Greive is joined by PHD’s chief planning and strategy officer, James Davidson, to pick their 10 favourite insights from this year’s extremely interesting edition. This episode is presented in partnership with PHD Aotearoa. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

August 7, 20266 min

Christopher Luxon’s communication problem

Follow At Large with Toby Manhire now on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠ or wherever you get your podcasts. The prime minister got a shock when he saw the media coverage of his breakfast meeting with Rotorua businesspeople – it talked of him scolding them about a “parent-child mentality” in government-business relations, urging “adult” behaviour and recounting his own attitude in Chicago corporate life. So his office issued a transcript of the exchange, which didn’t much help. Duncan Greive, founder of The Spinoff, joins Toby (with a cameo from Claude AI) to discuss the PM’s communication challenges, and his ongoing struggle to take any grip of the narrative. (Since this podcast was recorded, Luxon has apologised for the remarks.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

August 3, 202643 min

Was I wrong about the NZ Herald’s strategy? (I was)

Glen Kyne returns to The Fold for the first time since May to check in with the two goliaths of New Zealand’s commercial digital news media: Stuff and the NZ Herald. The Herald has launched a new app and more tightly integrated video into its offer; Stuff is trying hyper local and reaping the early benefits of its bold appointment of Matthew Hooton as editor of The Post. Noteworthy: Duncan is forced to eat a medium portion of humble pie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

July 27, 202639 min

How TVNZ won the Fifa World Cup

Melodie Robinson is TVNZ’s head of sports and events, and joins Duncan Greive on The Fold to discuss the truly astounding performance of the recently concluded Fifa World Cup on streaming. The pair discuss the tournament pass, what the new TVNZ+ unlocks from a data and advertising point of view, and what rugby can learn from Fifa and the NRL. They also chat about Robinson’s huge new role at Amazon, leading cloud integrations for sports leagues. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

July 23, 202634 min

How’s that under-16 social media ban going for you, Australia?

As Christopher Luxon declares he’ll “die trying” to get something done in banning social media for New Zealand children under 16, it’s a good time to ask: how is the pioneering Australian prohibition going? Hal Crawford, editorial director at Mumbrella and former boss of Newshub NZ, joins Toby to explain, seven months in, what is working, what isn’t, and what he’d say to the NZ PM if he was called into the Beehive. Plus: in How Good, Robbie Nicol goes on a journey. To the Imax. To watch Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. Follow At Large with Toby Manhire now on ⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠ or wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

July 20, 202646 min

The screen sector has drawn its election wish list. Is any party buying?

Irene Gardiner is president of SPADA, the organisation which represents screen producers in Aotearoa. She joins Duncan Greive on The Fold to discuss Election 2026 and Beyond: Screen Industry Challenges and Solutions, a document which seeks to donate policy ideas to government, to comfort a sector suffering through multifaceted challenges. She talks through the plan, and the politics of it all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

July 9, 202641 min

At Large with Toby Manhire: View from media-politics junction, with Mike Munro

From the press gallery to spin doctor for Helen Clark and chief of staff to Jacinda Ardern, Mike Munro has seen plenty of the kaleidoscope in New Zealand politics and media. He joins Toby to talk about those roles and how it all has changed through the decades. Plus: In How Good, Liam Rātana on Matariki with a bonus beat from Te Aihe on Bryn & Ku’s Singles Club, season two. At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Jin Fellet and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices