Controversial radio host Sean Plunket departs Magic Talk

Controversial radio host Sean Plunket departs Magic Talk
Photo credit: MediaWorks

Controversial Magic Talk radio host has "decided to leave" the station, according to a statement from MediaWorks radio. 

MediaWorks CEO Cam Wallace confirmed the news on Wednesday, thanking Plunket for his "significant contribution" to the station over his two-year stint hosting the Magic Talk afternoon show. 

"During his time with Magic Talk, Sean has engaged his audience with many vibrant discussions and I wish him all the best for his future endeavours." 

An update on the new host for the afternoon show on Magic Talk will be made in due course. 

Plunket's future at the station was called in to question following an incident that saw fill-in host John Banks axed from the station for his handling of a racist caller

Banks prompted outrage when he did not challenge a caller named Richard who dubbed Māori "stone age people", claiming they were "victims of their own genetic background". 

Banks replied "these people will come through your bathroom window". The former Mayor of Auckland later issued an apology, but was taken off-air later that week. 

Plunket followed the news with a tweet that appeared to sympathise with Banks, writing: "Been fighting the urge to tweet 'anyone else feeling for John Banks.'"

The tweet was reference to a similar one Plunket wrote in 2017 about convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein, which landed him in hot water with the Broadcasting Standards Authority - of which he was a board member at the time. 

On Tuesday night, Plunket shared an image of Desiderata, an early 1920s prose poem by Max Ehrmann on his Facebook page, in an apparent reference to rumours of his departure. 

The poem includes lines such as "speak your truth quietly and clearly" and "go placidly amongst the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence". 

Last year, MediaWorks was fined $3000 for an interview Sean Plunket conducted with a spokesperson from Te Whānau ā Apanui, deeming it "harmful and offensive to Māori".