Country99TV Announces Award Winning Journalist As New Host

Karen McCarthy, one of New Zealand’s most experienced and respected television current affairs journalists will be joining the team at Country99TV as presenter of the local current affairs programme Straight Talk.

Straight Talk is a liveley and impassioned no-holds-barred panel discussion on the top rural issues of the week. The weekly Straight Talk panel of experts provide an in-depth analysis of the week's agri-news and current events.

Karen McCarthy is best known for her work onscreen the last decade for TV3’s flagship programme ‘60 Minutes’ and will replace Mandi McLeod who is leaving the programme to focus on her growing farm consultancy business. Straight Talk returns to our screens on Friday, February 3rd at 8.30pm.

“I am looking forward to bringing my wide ranging skills and experience to the world of rural television – and joining the accomplished team at Country99TV.”

She began her career in print at a small town newspaper, the ‘Ellesmere Guardian’, deep in Canterbury’s rural heartland, before moving into broadcasting. She has been reporting the news and current affairs for more than 25 years on both television and radio.

“With Karen’s extensive experience in media and her rural background, she will make an incredible addition to our existing line-up of presenters which include David Beatson, Mark Leishman and Genevieve Westcott,” comments David Rose, Country99TV CEO.

Consistent, credible, and highly regarded for her work over the years, Karen has won numerous industry awards for her reporting and interviewing, most recently as a finalist in the 2010 awards for New Zealand’s best television current affairs journalist.