Broadcasting legend Rod Vaughan, known for one of TV’s most shocking moments, has died at the age of 77.
The veteran reporter passed away in Christchurch on Sunday after a short battle with cancer, a death notice confirmed.
Vaughan worked at the forefront of New Zealand news for almost 40 years and was infamously punched live on-air by politician Bob Jones in a shock broadcast.
Vaughan is survived by his wife Lois, his three children Nicholas, Richard and Larissa, and stepdaughter Ruth Buckley, and his 10 beloved grandchildren.
‘Rod was a much respected and tenacious journalist, a keen aviator, and golfer. He joins his brothers Robbie, Roy, and Peter, and his parents Paul and Phoebe in heaven. Forever in our hearts,’ the notice read.
Vaughan, who was born in Jersey and lived in the UK before moving to NZ, is being remembered by his loved ones in a memorial service to be held on Friday at 10am.
Known as one of NZ’s most accomplished TV journalists, Vaughan reported for many current affairs and primetime news shows across his four decades in front of the camera on state TV.
However, he is arguably best known for being at the centre of a shocking on-air incident with leader of the short-lived New Zealand party Bob Jones.
Broadcasting legend Rod Vaughan (pictured in 2020), known for one of TV’s most shocking moments, has died at the age of 77
In 1985, Vaughan was infamously left with a bloodied face after a tense confrontation with the controversial politician, which ended with him being punched.
The incident came on the banks of the Tongariro River, where Vaughan and his team had helicoptered in to ask Jones questions on how his party helped to remove Rob Muldoon in the 1984 election.
However, Jones was left unimpressed at their presence while he was fishing and leapt out of a bush before punching both Vaughan and his cameraman Peter Mayo.
‘He just went incandescent! He was shouting and screaming and every word began with an ‘F’ or a ‘C’ and then he sort of trotted up off the river bank,’ Vaughan told Seven Sharp in 2020 of the now-infamous incident.
The broadcaster explained that Jones had jumped out at them and assaulted Mayo, before hitting him square in the face when he tried to talk him down.
‘I came up behind Bob and said ”look come on Bob, there’s no need for this” in very dulcet tones and he turned on me with a left hook and planted a hit between my eyes and sent me sprawling,’ he explained.
‘I ended up rolling down the river bank, almost down to the damn water.’
Vaughan worked at the forefront of New Zealand news for almost 40 years and was infamously punched live on-air by politician Bob Jones in a shock broadcast (pictured)
Despite the tense face-off, Vaughan said he and Jones buried the hatchet years later after a sit-down set up by his colleague, where they enjoyed bottles of wine and got on ‘like a house on fire’.
The shocking incident went on to inspire the name of Vaughan’s 2012 autobiography, Bloodied But Not Beaten.
During his impressive career, Vaughan worked as both a reporter and a producer for TVNZ for more than 35 years.
Paying tribute after his death, TVNZ executive editor Phil O’Sullivan said: ‘Rod worked for some of the biggest current affairs shows in this country’s history.
‘He had a strong sense of fairness and an abhorrence of dishonesty. His contribution to investigative journalism is immense.’
Vaughan, who started his journalism career as a writer for the The NZ Herald and The Dominion, also worked for eight years TV3’s 60 Minutes.
In his 2012 autobiography, he said ‘a sense of fair play and an abhorrence of deceit and dishonesty’ had driven him into the industry after his studies at Wellington Polytechnic.
