RNZ COMING RIGHT?

Something is happening over at RNZ. Now its sad that Sean Plunket has signalled his stage exit left. ( wow he has his own Wiki page)

Anyway, ever since he announced he was leaving, the show has picked up the pace. The last few weeks have been vintage Plunket. but its not just him who has changed. There is a new rhythm to the show. And it is really working over the big stories - coming at them from all angles and its taking no prisoners. The Te Kau Maori export funding debacle and the Prison Smoking stories were really well handled.

Are we, on the eve of the country's best interviewer departure finally seeing some real value for the taxpayers dollar?

We hope so.

So who are our picks in the race to take over from Plunket?

Hmm

Mary Wilson - no light and dark - just hiss.

Julian Roberts - worth a trial

Noelle McCarthy - fun but lacking the intellectual grunt.

Kathryn Ryan - Not enough balls to roger repeat offenders

Todd Nyall - all light, no dark no hiss.

Shane Taurima - He'd be a maiden run but the boys got the moves.

Marcus Lush Too quirky

Finlay McDonald? - he only interviews himself.

Wallace Chapman - great but too irreverent.

Hard shoes to fill.. But we hope, for the sake of slaking our early morning thirst for good news and info, that RNZ has a succession plan..

RADIO ALLAH

We were quite perturbed to find a story over on Kiwiblog re the Radio NZ - Blood money junket to Iran. Farrar picked up a document we showed him at lunch and has run it as a scoop. What a tosser!.


This was the missive from RNZ spinner John Barr yesterday - note the declaration that the Iranian propaganda machine IRIB Islamic revolution of Iran Broadcasting Agency is parting with blood money so the NZ journalists can attend an international radio talkfest they are sponsoring.


John Barr 2/22/2010 2:05 PM

Two blog sites ( dont forget the NBR )- not a blog site but main stream media ) are currently running a story that Radio New Zealand is being sponsored by the Islamic Republic of Iran. To clarify the position for staff, two Radio New Zealand staff members have been invited to take part in an international radio festival and conference in Iran, but the
invitation came not from the IRIB organisers but the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union, the umbrella agency for public broadcasting in our region. Our staff are not representing Radio New Zealand, but are attending on behalf of ABU, and if that organisation had not issued the invitation, they would
not be attending. All the costs of the trip will be reimbursed by the IRIB. No programme-making or gathering of content for air on Radio New Zealand will be done during the attendance at the event.

Then we got a copy of an internal email trying to shed some " light" on the issue.

Its the one Farrar must have sifted from us at lunch.


Email dated 23rd March

As staff may be aware, there has been some ill-informed discussion on some blog sites regarding the attendance of two Radio New Zealand staff at an upcoming radio festival in Iran.

Some background information on this issue, which has been provided in response to a query from the New Zealand Herald, is attached to this email for the information of staff.

Peter Cavanagh
Chief Executive and Editor-in-Chief

ABU Invitation

Spoken Features Manager, Paul Bushnell, and Executive Producer of Drama, Adam Macaulay, have been invited by the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) to be its representatives at a radio forum and training workshops to be held in Iran in May. The same ABU of which RNZ is a member

This approach was initiated by the ABU. Without a request from the ABU, Radio New Zealand would not be attending this event. Note the Iranian broadcaster is on the the ABU council.

The ABU is the umbrella organisation for public broadcasters in the Asia-Pacific region, representing around 200 broadcasters and broadcasting organisations from more than 60 countries. Radio New Zealand and TVNZ are both members of the ABU, as are the BBC and the ABC in Australia.

The radio workshops are an ABU event designed to help train broadcasters from the developing world. The radio forum is an event organized by the ABU and hosted by the Iranian state broadcaster, IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting).

The two Radio New Zealand employees will be attending both events as representatives of the ABU, not as representatives of Radio New Zealand. As ABU representatives they will conduct training workshops, act as jury members for various awards and participate in forum discussions dealing with subjects such as radio features production and online broadcasting.

They will not be taking leave to attend. So they are being paid by RNZ but not representing RNZ???? So the taxpayers are paying their salary while they are guests of a corrupt regime?

Their attendance is in line with Radio New Zealand’s commitment to the ABU and other organisations such as the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association (CBA) to assist in the training of broadcasters from developing countries.

There will be no cost to Radio New Zealand. Under a separate arrangement between the ABU and the IRIB, the costs of all ABU representatives attending the event are covered by the host broadcaster.

So Iranian blood money is being used to fund the junket!

International attendance at this year’s event has not yet been finalized. By way of example however the event was attended by the BBC in 2008 and Australia’s ABC in 2009.

It is a tribute to the international professional standing of Radio New Zealand and the two individual staff members concerned that the ABU has asked them to be their representatives at this event.

No programme-making or content gathering activity will take place during this event and no material from the event will be used on air by Radio New Zealand.

And this is the organisation that has the temerity to claim that it will be tainted if it forced to accept sponsorship from big business?? So its okay for to take sponsorship from a corrupt regime thats very existence is based on the supression of freedom but not okay to have commercial sponsorship?

And then we have this small issue that Ace journo David Cohen of NBR has uncovered.

EPMU to launch Walkley media magazine

The Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union hopes to broaden the debate about the role of journalism in New Zealand with the launch of Australia’s leading media magazine, The Walkley, in Wellington this evening and in Auckland tomorrow evening.

The launches will feature a keynote speech from Chris Warren, secretary of the Australian Media Alliance and immediate past president of the International Federation of Journalists, about the challenges facing journalism in New Zealand and Australia.

Brent Edwards, chair of the EPMU print and media industry council, says the magazine has potential to make a significant contribution to journalism in New Zealand.

“The Walkley has been published for decades by a foundation set up by our sister union, the Australian Media Alliance, and has made a huge contribution to Australian journalism. It’s a great privilege to be able to work with the Alliance to make the magazine a transtasman publication.

“We’re hoping The Walkley will not only inform journalists here but also provoke a wider debate about the role of journalism and how we practice it in New Zealand and Australia.

“This is a critical time for journalism in this country and we hope working journalists will take the opportunity to contribute to the magazine and get that debate going.”

Chris Warren says he’s pleased to welcome New Zealand journalists into the Walkley community.

“This gives us an opportunity to discuss and debate issues that affect us across Australia and New Zealand. We’ve got a lot to share and a lot to learn in what is becoming an increasingly common media space – same employers, same challenges, same issues.”

The first transtasman edition of The Walkley will feature Brent Edwards writing about the EPMU’s Journalism Matters campaign and Gael Woods on the debate over how name suppression and contempt of court should apply to bloggers.

Journalists, whether union or non-union, are invited to the Wellington launch this evening at the Connolly Hall, Guildford Tce (behind Sacred Heart Church, Hill street) from 6-8pm, and the Auckland launch tomorrow from 6-8pm upstairs at the Shakespeare.

For more information about The Walkley visit www.walkleys.com/magazine

ENDS

Apparently Brent Edwards and Gael Woods, both high profile RNz staffers and lefty unionists are allowed to write about highly political articles in union publications...

Something its not okay for Sean Plunket to do..

So we think its time for RNZ to stop pretending that it is a bastion of political neutrality when in fact it is a hotbed of leftist views and staff are prepared to suck up to corrupt regimes for a junket to the other side of the world.

Time for a new board .....

RADIO GAGA - IT DOESN'T NEED SAVING

We are amazed at the unguided hysteria around RNZ and its future. A facebook page screamin out for RNZ to be "Saved" - duh. It just needs changed.
Its simple, it has to make savings like all government departments. And its interesting to note that the staff of RNZ are now straying into breaching the State services code of ethics which is very very clear that bagging the government and making political statements about your own ministry is an big no no.
RNZ needs to be dragged kicking and screaming into the new decade. Do away with the froth and the pious pomp and concentrate on good news and info - take the midnight to dawn show - it could be easily automated - simple.
And there would be plenty of other ways to cuts costs. Let Saturday morning be the fertile ground for young broadcasters to test their mettle - it would be cheaper and easier to get sponsorship that with Kim Hill at the helm.

And as we said yesterday - Sell Sean Plunket - He is the RNZ brand .

Put Mary Wilson on in the mornings and Kathryn Ryan on at night. Wilson's voice grates but the caustic cow is very good at her job.

We would be happy to sell the advertising - we think on a commission basis we could become very rich in short order.

UPDATE: and Inquiring Mind has a nice takeout here from Bombed Bradley on Jim Moras afternoon show

SELLING PLUNKET

RNZ is following the Ali Mau school of using your employers money for self promotion. RNZ staff and board are bleating because they cant face change. Government departments have begun the painful but necessary exercise of cutting the cloth to fit reducing budgets. RNZ, which is just a noisy government department, is choosing to indulge in both overt and covert campaigns to garner public support to continue in their present stodgy fashion.

The story of the " crisis" they are facing is running hot on their own news broadcasts and a Facebook has started and already has 3000 members which isn't bad going and it will include a fair share of luminaries.




Some media wags are looking at cake stalls and the like to prop up the books on Facebook .

Noelle McCarthy Fundraising lunch in the tearoom at Hobson St. so that RNZ reporters can enter the Radio Awards. Would the Minister like us to save him a sausage???

Today at 12:43pm · Comment · · View Feedback (32)Hide Feedback (32)

Bill Ralston, David Farrar, David Cohen and 11 others like this.

9 hours ago

Sarah McCarthy

Have anyone a fiver???

Now we like RNZ - we want it to survive but are convinced that some of the staff and a better more commercially focused board could change the way it operates without fundamentally changing the way it presents its programmes.


The thing is there is plenty they can sell, plenty that is commercial. The RNZ brand Sean Plunket is the obvious choice. Not only could he be sponsored on air - he could be sold off after hours with him reaping some of the benefit and RNZ taking a management fee. He's got to be good for $300 k a year if managed right. And it would sort out the argy bargy he has with them over not being able to do stuff after hours.
Who incidentally has 1.2 million links on Google.


As for sponsors? Hmm Stihl chainsaws? Kenworth Trucks? Jeep Cheerokee? Champix maybe?

And same with Kim Hill, actually no on reflection we can't think of a single sponsor for vinegar tits.

And they should bring back Noelle McCarthy - in an afternoon slot. She is good.

She would definitely be a good earner.

RANDOM BITS

We are lunching tomorrow at a fish place. Its pretty new and the chef has a hell of a reputation so it should be fun. Will report back .

Who is the press secretary who can do four lunches in two Fridays? We are in awe.

We reckon that St Johns serves the best steak in town.

Does anyone else feel pissed off that their ACC levies are subsidising bloody bikers?

Who would have though that HomePaddock would know more about sex than Cactus and Bustedblonde?

Isn't this the funniest blog you have ever seen?

LEAVE PLUNKET ALONE

While we sort of get why Sean Plunket didn't win his case about being untreated fairly re his employment dispute with RNZ on a purist point, we are wondering why Commie Radio is so hell bent on denying their star the right to freedom of speech. Now we get it that Plunkets contract does indeed mean the RNZ essentially owns him by denying him the right to an opinion. However this last wee debacle should have the Minister of Broadcasting twitching his eyebrows.
The gig that Plunket is guesting at is a minor affair in the scheme of things... So we want to know does this mean that the big guy shouldn't have a face book page or indeed offer his opinion at any lunch either..

Its time RNZ realised that they may have a legal case but the moral case is making them a laughing stock.

No-one really listens to RNZ for anything other than Plunket. Love him or hate him , he is the only reason people tune in.

FRIDAY ROUNDUP

Should non commerical lawyers do commercial deals?

Did RIM design trackballs on blackberries to help blokes finesse clitical aspects of the oral art of love?

Did you get an invite to the National Party Caucus Xmas do at the big whare on Tinakori road ?

Why is Sean Plunket smiling these days?

AXE ALL FUNDING TO RNZ

As much as we enjoy listening to Sean Plunket on Morning Report, we dont like the idea of forking out tax dollars to prop it up.

We have new and younger Ministers in parliament and surely they must realise that the new generations of kiwis are not listening to Radio NZ, they get their information from the net.

Now Fran O'Sullivan proffered the suggestion a couple of weeks back that NZ On Air should be funding no just broadcasting but print and online media. They are all playing to information hungry audiences and its difficult to see why Radio and TV continue to be singled out for special privileges.

So if you were looking at what RNZ's core service is - its news. So really they should only be funded to provide that, if at all. But we reckon that there isn't an appetite to cut RNZ funding altogether, so the least the government could do is give it a good shave.

And frankly we are a bit past the handouts to one media over another. ( Except in the case of Maori TV of course and they too need to shape up for the day when they operate on a purely commerical model)

If there is to be any funding it should be contestable.

But if you stick with some funding then gone would be Jim Mora and the midnite to dawn sessions. And apart from Kim Hill, the stunningly mind numbingly boring weekend shows.

RNZ should be forced to release its audience figures so we can all see with some clarity who is listening to what and axe the bits that don't get any listeners.

And its not a commercial entity so it should be much much more transparent than it currently is.

OF PJ AND LIFELESS PINKOS

Last night we were in Auckland to hear one of the great political satirists and gonzo journalists of our time - PJ O'Rourke. Now thanks to well connected Big Oil she got a great table of women in or around the media together for the evening which was hosted by the Centre for Independent Studies It was a slightly raucous, never PC, top bunch of stroppy chicks.

PJ was fantastic. We could wax lyrical and repeat some funny lines - but we cant do it as well as he does, so do yourself a favour and read about one of the great literary and political giants of our time here

Anyway - we got to meet Christ Trotter- sincere and fun - was surprised about the last bit. Lovely man. We watched women fall all over themselves to mate with Kiwiblog David Farrar and RNZ's Sean Plunket, both single and big brained. Their positions of power among the mediarati means they ooze a strangely becoming scent to thinking chicks. Like a sizzling steak and fries. Sexual attraction is not always about chiseled chins and fab abs. These two have the good thing going on in spades.

The food was good, the main course of lamb was an over the top in your face militant carnivore creation - and the chocolate pud was splendid. No mango froth for this crowd. Wine and beer was consumed with unbridled gusto.

We discovered that Noelle McCarthy was more attractive in person than even her press pics indicate. She was fun and not up her own arse, which was refreshing for a young eager thing on her way up in the media world. Forget about her borrowing bits - she flat out has talent.

Now there was some very strange chick who floated in and out of the crowd last night. She didn't fit - square peg in a triangle hole. We reckon she was a lefty plant - we knew there would be one, always is, who tries to inch their way into the inner sanctum of right thinking. She failed. We can smell pinkos from ten paces like Cadaver dogs smell long buried bodies.

Anyway it was great nite, one of the best. Here's to you Big Oil.

HOOTON HAS THE GOOD OIL - WINSTON IS NOT IN THE CLEAR

We were astounded when we heard the breaking news on RNZ this morning . It put BB off her Vogels. And we were deeply suspicious. We got more suspicious when we read the statement and now Hooton's analysis is clear - Winston has not been exonerated. Ann Martin has been exonerated. Some journos and commentators will be feeling a little bit sick about now. Winston has hoodwinked them again and they used the State Broadcaster to do it - No wonder Plunket is looking for cleaner pastures.