Morning Report - changing of the guard

Geoff Robinson and Simon Mercep hung up their headphones as Susie Ferguson and Guyon Espiner stepped up to the microphone as the new Morning Report hosts.

Geoff Robinson and Simon Mercep hung up their Morning Report headphones this week, as Susie Ferguson and Guyon Espiner stepped up to the microphone as the new hosts.

New Morning Report presenters talk to outgoing team (2 min 16 sec)

On 1 April 2014 Geoff Robinson and Simon Mercep hung up their Morning Report headphones for the last time.

Geoff Robinson and Simon Mercep final Morning Report facing
Geoff Robinson and Simon Mercep hosting their final Morning Report programme.

Geoff Robinson retired after a 44-year broadcasting career with Radio New Zealand – there is more about that in our Geoff Robinson collection – and Simon is moving on to host his own show during Afternoons on Radio NZ National, which will start in a few weeks.

Radio New Zealand says goodbye to Geoff Robinson (3 min 06 sec)

Geoff Robinson returns to the newsroom after his last show
Geoff Robinson returns to the newsroom after his last show.

The first day of the new Morning Report hosts

The following morning – 2 April 2014 – Susie Ferguson and Guyon Espiner stepped up to the microphones for their first day as the new hosts of Radio New Zealand’s flagship news and current affairs programme.

Morning Report opening 6am 2 April 2014 (1 min 41 sec)

Our sister website The Wireless live blogged the whole show

Susie and Guyon in the studio April cropped
Susie Ferguson and Guyon Espiner in the studio for their first Morning Report.

New Morning Report theme.

Alongside the new hosts, Morning Report has new theme music

Radio New Zealand considered it essential that the theme reflect our unique position as the only public service radio broadcaster and our role in giving New Zealand a voice. The theme music needed to include a "New Zealandness", and to be identifiably from and of New Zealand.

Respected local composition team Plan 9 was commissioned to develop the theme. They have a relationship with Richard Nunns – who is best known for his work with taonga pūoro – traditional Māori instruments. Some of his sounds are included in the theme and all of the composition and performance is by New Zealanders. The theme was mastered for radio broadcast by Radio New Zealand in our own studios.

During their first Morning Report, Guyon and Susie interviewed the award-winning composers David Donaldson, Steve Roche and Janet Roddick of Wellington based Plan 9 about this auspicious commission, and the ideas and process behind the new composition.

Meet the composers behind Morning Report's new theme tune (5 min 19 sec)

End of week one

Reflecting on their first few days in the new roles Susie and Guyon said:

"It was more challenging but more exciting than we thought – a great adrenaline rush. Here's to the future and more to come."

They’ll be back for their first full week hosting Morning Report from 6am Monday 7 April 2014 on RNZ National.

guyon and susie studio cropped

Collection items

Susie Ferguson and Guyon Espiner
New Morning Report hosts Susie Ferguson and Guyon Espiner.

All images on this page by Diego Opatowski, RNZ.

Morning Report is New Zealand’s most popular, and most respected, radio news programme.  Every day, more than a quarter of a million New Zealanders tune in to listen to three hours of comprehensive and in-depth coverage of the day’s top news stories.