In a column, veteran broadcaster Kim Hill announced her return to New Zealand airwaves with a new series while criticizing the visual evolution of modern radio.
- Kim Hill hosts a new interview series titled Kim Hill Wants to Know following her departure from RNZ.
- The veteran broadcaster revealed a strong aversion to video-recorded interviews during an appearance on RNZ’s Afternoons.
- Hill reflected on contentious historical interviews, including a notable 1993 exchange with British politician Jeffrey Archer.
The former RNZ host spent 21 years anchoring Saturday Morning before stepping away from the network. Now, she is back in New Zealand ears with a new series titled Kim Hill Wants to Know, 1News reported.
Freed from the structural constraints of traditional broadcasting schedules, Hill told RNZ’s Afternoons that she relishes the ability to speak at length with people she finds interesting. She noted a similar approach used by British broadcaster James O’Brien.
"There's a broadcaster in Britain, a really good guy called James O'Brien. And he does a podcast, which is basically what I do, only he does it much better."
Kim Hill told RNZ’s Afternoons
O’Brien explained that the medium allows hosts to talk as long as they want without watching the clock, a sentiment Hill echoed to 1News.
Despite embracing the podcast format, Hill expressed absolute disdain for the industry-wide shift toward video-first broadcasting, 1News reported.
"I hate it. With every atom of my being. The reason I'm on the radio is because it didn't have pictures. And now it's got pictures."
Kim Hill told RNZ’s Afternoons
Throughout her career, Hill has conducted long-form conversations with scientists, historians, psychiatrists, and authors. Her interview style has occasionally sparked high-tension moments that made headlines.
Hill recalled a difficult 1993 interaction with British politician and author Jeffrey Archer, who died the previous month, during a conversation on RNZ’s Bookmarks, 1News reported.
"He was a shocker. I'd only just started on Nine to Noon when Jeffrey Archer came in. And so, I was just, I was shocked. I was shaken… and quite terrorised. I mean, he was a terrible bully. And not only to me. He was a shocker."
Kim Hill told RNZ’s Bookmarks
Another notorious encounter involved British author Tony Parsons, who hung up mid-interview after telling Hill she had her head up her ass. Hill later said that when The Listener showed Parsons a photograph of her, he said that he did not realize she was so old, 1News reported.
| Guest | Context | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Jeffrey Archer | 1993 interview on Nine to Noon | Hill felt shaken and terrorized by the politician |
| Tony Parsons | British author interview | Hung up mid-conversation |
Alongside her new audio project, Hill shared her current cultural recommendations with listeners, highlighting Olivia Rodrigo and Robert Smith’s track ‘What’s Wrong With Me’, Elizabeth Knox’s memoir Night Ma, Olivia Laing’s The Garden Against Time, Tim Winton’s Songs from the Firefront, and screen projects including Netflix’s The One about Mathew Perry and Apple TV’s The Morning Show.
