Journalist Carol Hirschfeld to executive produce Tova O'Brien's new radio show on Today FM

Journalist and TV producer Carol Hirschfeld is joining MediaWorks' Today FM as executive producer on Tova O'Brien's new morning radio show, Tova.

The new breakfast show with O'Brien, Mark Dye and newsreader Carly Flynn will be broadcast from 6.30-9am on weekdays.

Hirschfeld said she was "thrilled" to be working with O'Brien on the new show.

"Tova is an exceptionally talented and dynamic journalist. Her interviewing and storytelling reflect her natural intelligence, courage and wit. Spending the morning with Tova will be something totally fresh for Aotearoa.

"She'll connect New Zealanders to the big issues and she'll also send them into the day feeling good. We can't wait to get the show on the road."

The announcement comes amid Tova O'Brien's nervous wait for an Employment Authority Relations decision in a restraint of trade dispute with her former employer Discovery.

The journalist is set to debut her new radio breakfast show with MediaWorks after leaving Discovery last year. But she was informed she would be prevented from starting her new role for three months because of a restraint of trade clause in her contract with Discovery.

Tova O'Brien is in the midst of a restraint of trade dispute with her former employer. Photo / Supplied

The ERA's task is to decide whether her new radio role is similar to her former role as a political editor for TV.

During the hearing, O'Brien's lawyer Charlotte Parkhill said O'Brien faced "bullying" in her last days at Discovery and was "devastated" to be taking the issue to the ERA.

But Discovery argued this afternoon that its AM Show will compete for the same audiences as O'Brien's new radio show.

The launch date of Today FM and Tova is yet to be determined.