Leighton Smith retires

Stuff reports:

Newstalk ZB host Leighton Smith has announced he will leave the station next year.

The veteran talk back radio broadcaster has worked on Newstalk ZB for 32 years.

“We have come to a conclusion; the conclusion is I’m going to hand over the microphone,” Smith said at the end of his Monday morning show. 

Smith would continue his show until the end of next year and said ever after that, his listeners would still be able to find him somewhere. 

Kerre McIvor would then take over his slot.

Huge shoes to fill, but I think Kerre is up to it.

Smith said he had tried to leave the station two years ago, but stayed on thanks to “some arm twisting”.

He had worked on the morning show alongside his producer and wife Carolyn Leaney​ for 30 years. When he hands over the microphone late next year, Smith said he would have been at Newstalk ZB – called 1ZB when he started in 1985 – for 33 years.

Your wife as producer – that would be interesting. I wonder if they were a couple first, or were working together first?