News bosses set a new course for current affairs show Sunday but smooth talking TVNZ journalist Cameron Bennett says he has decided to jump ship.
Last night, Bennett confirmed he was leaving after 24 years, which makes him the state broadcaster's most experienced journalist.
He said the latest of the television news job cutbacks announced two weeks ago "gave me the push I needed".
"The channel has ideas of what they want to do with Television One and Sunday - they want to refresh the brands," he said.
"But I don't know what they are planning," he said.
As part of 15 job cuts, Bennett was told he would be losing his presenter's role on Sunday.
Along with others he was asked to reapply for a diminished number of reporting jobs but he opted to resign.
He had been surprised about the shake-up because the show had been rating well, he said.
A TVNZ insider said two current affairs jobs were dropped as part of the shake-up.
Bennett's presenter role would likely be shared among correspondents for this year, at least.
But there is also speculation at TVNZ that Breakfast co-host Pippa Wetzell may take over as Sunday presenter when she returns from maternity leave next year - a role similar to Alison Mau on Fair Go.
Bennett - who was one of the founding team for the Holmes show in 1989 - was Europe correspondent from 1991-95 and covered the Bosnia civil war, the South African referendum and election and the Rwanda Genocide.
He came back to work on TV2's 60 Minutes where he continued to work on overseas assignments.
Bennett said budget cuts in the past year or two had been more noticeable.
"That is the reality of TV these days," he said.
Anthony Flannery, head of news and current affairs, said Bennett had come to "embody the classic virtues of a real newsman".
Bennett leaves at the end of August.
