RNZ chief executive Paul Thompson has announced he will step down from his role at the end of the year.
RNZ Board chairperson Dr Jim Mather said Thompson had informed the Board last December that he would be leaving his role at the end of 2026.
Plans had been made to make the news public in the second half of the year, but "recent unhelpful external commentary about his future" had brought the announcement forward, Mather said.
Earlier this month, Deputy Prime Minister and ACT Party leader David Seymour criticised the state broadcaster and suggested Thompson – without naming him directly – "won't be answering the call at RNZ for much longer".
Seymour, who is a shareholding minister in both RNZ and TVNZ, also accused TVNZ of being "politically motivated".
Mather emphasised "this was Paul’s decision alone".
"Over his 13 years in the role, he has been an outstanding Chief Executive who has led a challenging transformation of RNZ into a multimedia public media organisation that now reaches more people than ever before," he said.
"His commitment to high quality public media and to an independent and relevant RNZ will leave the organisation in good stead. The Board is grateful for his excellent service and appreciative that he let us know late last year of his plans."
Thompson said now was the right time to step away from the role.
"I'm incredibly proud of what RNZ has achieved and the value it now brings to the public it serves. The end of the year is the right time for a change for both me and RNZ.
"I've loved working alongside people who are passionate about the purpose of public media, and I know the organisation is in a strong position to continue this important work."
The RNZ Board will recruit for a new chief executive once the new chairperson and board members are confirmed.
Speaking to Q+A's Jack Tame, Seymour said Thompson's decision to step down was the "right thing".
"I've long said that as their listenership, and until recently, their trust, has been in decline.
"They clearly need to change their direction; perhaps this is part of that."
Seymour said he had "no knowledge" of Thompson's decision to step down, but said he was "not surprised".
Watch the full interview with David Seymour on Q+A with Jack Tame, Sunday at 9am on TVNZ+ and TVNZ 1.
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