Former AM host Ryan Bridge is believed to be the frontrunner for a major radio presenting role at Newstalk ZB.
According to reports on Stuff and the New Zealand Herald, Bridge is the favourite to take on Kate Hawkesby's former role as host of Early Edition, which runs from 5am to 6am.
Bridge left AM in 2023 as part of a plan for a new current affairs show at 7pm to replace The Project NZ, which was axed in December 2023.
He was to be the sole host of the hard news show, reportedly to be entitled simply 'Bridge'.
However, the planned show was axed before it had even launched when Warner Bros. Discovery announced a proposal to shut down its New Zealand news operations in their entirety.
Stuff quoted Bridge as saying: "I think sometimes it's best just to keep your mouth shut at times like this."
Prior to replacing Duncan Garner as the host of Three's morning show, Bridge hosted the drive show on radio station Magic Talk and has also been a reporter on Morning Report on Radio New Zealand.
Currently, the Early Edition show is presented by Mike Hosking before he does his own Breakfast show from 6am.
Hawkesby left the station in 2023 after six years in the role.
Her time at the station was occasionally controversial.
In February 2023, she came under fire for comments downplaying Cyclone Gabrielle. As the cyclone hit, Hawkesby posted on her social media: "With all the anxiety inducing alerts and warnings & breathless media coverage, I'm just wondering where this cyclone is? Let's hope it stays this way... Overcast, light rain, bit windy. Where are you Gabrielle?"
The storm killed 11 people when it hit and caused massive devastation to parts of Aotearoa that are still recovering two years later.
In April this year, several months after she left the role, comments Hawkesby made about Māori and Pasifika people were found in breach of national broadcasting rules.
Her June 2023 on-air claims that Māori and Pasifika patients are prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity was ruled misleading and discriminatory by the Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA).
The comments breached both accuracy standards, as well as discrimination and denigration standards, said the BSA, which ordered NZME to air a statement summarising its decision and to pay the Crown costs of $1500.
