Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: A cog in the Mediaworks machine

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  • linger, in reply to Alfie,

    It's like Weldon is being paid to fail.

    Tokyo • Since Apr 2007 • 1944 posts Report Reply

  • Alfie,

    Jacinda Ardern has written an open letter to Mark Weldon.

    RE: your destruction of TV3.

    Dear Mark Weldon...

    Dunedin • Since May 2014 • 1440 posts Report Reply

  • kw,

    And David Seymour's response was a dig at RNZ, which apparently "surprisingly few" New Zealanders listen to.

    Is it unkind to point out that quite a lot more people listen to RNZ than voted for Act?

    Dunedin • Since Jul 2014 • 30 posts Report Reply

  • Alfie, in reply to kw,

    Is it unkind to point out that quite a lot more people listen to RNZ than voted for Act?

    Not when RNZ outrates ACT by a factor of more than thirty. If ACT were a radio station, it would be Golden Oldie FM coming to you live from Te Kuiti.

    ACT total vote 2014 election - 16,689
    RNZ 2015 weekly cumulative audience - 564,000

    Dunedin • Since May 2014 • 1440 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    NZME launches their own online daily video bulletin, with ex-CampbellLiver Tristram Clayton one of their presenters.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to kw,

    "surprisingly few" New Zealanders

    I'm pleasantly surprised at how few seriously selfish voters there are.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Alfie, in reply to Sacha,

    NZME launches their own online daily video bulletin, with ex-CampbellLiver Tristram Clayton one of their presenters.

    Clayton's a decent journo, but Tony Veitch???

    Dunedin • Since May 2014 • 1440 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Alfie,

    cross-promoting their other brand 'assets'. lineup looks a bit sports-heavy.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,

    Looks like Fairfax is just a cog in Mediaworks machine as well - this week's 'issue' of the TV listings guide The Box has ostensibly 4 pages of 'content' including the cover - a third of a page has a round-up of 'shows to watch, the rest (cover and three articles) is all devoted to TV3's The Good Wife - how useful and informative.

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,

    Weldon to be grilled - well done...
    Some of Weldon's history at NZX is still shuffling it's way through the courts.

    One of New Zealand's leading businessman, Mark Weldon, faces a grilling as a witness when a long running trans-Tasman battle finally heads to court.
    On Monday lawyers for NZX, the operator of the New Zealand Stock Exchange, and Ralec, the developers of Clear, a Melbourne-based grain trading business, will gather in Wellington to kick off a judge-alone trial expected to last up to nine weeks.
    Both sides are making multi-million dollar claims against the other over the failure of the business, bought by NZX in 2009, to capitalise on the deregulation of the Australian grain industry....
    Court proceedings were filed back in 2011, shortly before Weldon announced he was leaving the NZX after close to a decade as chief executive. Since then lawyers for both sides have repeatedly clashed in preliminary hearings, extending the time it has taken to bring the matter to a head.
    The battle seems to have a personality clash at its heart, with former Olympian turned high profile businessman Weldon falling out with Ralec directors, former top Aussie rules coach Grant Thomas and Dominic Pym.

    see:
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/79088889/nzx-ralec-grain-firm-battle-finally-in-court

    I especially liked this Freudian slip n the reportage:

    Weldon, who now heads TV3 owner MediaWorks, is expected to face several days in the witness boss over his part in the transaction and subsequent fallout.

    Rich people and their egos, eh?

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • simon g,

    In a painfully ironic commentary on the state of TV3, on the night they launch a thing called Friday Story the real Friday story is the immediate departure of Hillary Barry.

    Mike McRoberts (a journalist, not snackable) to follow in 3,2,1 ...

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1333 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,

    also Weldon has had his harness put on - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1604/S00768/oaktree-puts-2-mln-collar-on-weldons-mediaworks-management.htm

    still the upside is there are no profits from TV3 going offshore... they'd have to make some first.

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Alfie,

    As one of the few people who still records and watches 3 News most nights, I’d say that Hillary Barry’s departure will damage Mediaworks. My only surprise is that it’s taken so long for her to make the move.

    I’ve mentioned before that I’ve worked for both TVNZ and TV3 news and current affairs over the years. While TVNZ had bigger budgets it always had a more top-heavy feel, it was more management-dominated. By comparison TV3 had a smaller, tighter group who enjoyed working as a team. That approach engenders a much greater sense of pride in your output and inspires loyalty.

    For a team player like Hillary it must have been hard to sit by and watch as so many good people were sacked and the subsequent goodwill which had been built up over years was cruelly eroded by the new management, to be replaced by offensive intellectual lightweights like Glucina and Henry.

    Equally difficult would have been the split shifts with stupidly early starts for breakfast tele followed by the 6pm news at night. I’ve read that Hillary and Henry had “chemistry”. I wouldn’t know as I refuse to watch the latter, but it’s possible that reviewers may have mistaken Hillary’s professionalism for harmony.

    Will she go to TVNZ? That’s hard to imagine. They surrendered any pretense of being serious players in the news and current affairs field long before Weldon began his misguided mission to erode TV3’s credibility in that area.

    I’d keep an eye on the Herald who have been quietly building a credible team, largely composed of TV3’s broadcast refugees. Any news team is only as good as the people it employs and at the moment, the Herald stands a better chance of taking over that mantle than any other NZ media organisation.

    Haere rā, Hillary. You will be missed.

    Dunedin • Since May 2014 • 1440 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca, in reply to Alfie,

    While TVNZ had bigger budgets it always had a more top-heavy feel, it was more management-dominated.

    It's had a lot of restructuring and it may feel quite different now. I know it does for a friend of mine. that could be a good thing.

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=11631425
    This Duncan Grieve story in The NZ Herald ends with:

    This era too, is markedly different: audiences are atomising and another bad year might make the already difficult task of a profitable exit for Mediaworks' owners, Oakbridge Capital, entirely impossible.
    The ramifications are not quite on the level of the loss of Home & Away, but they're close. For TV3, and her very large and loyal audience, she leaves a gaping hole they'll already know they cannot fill. For Mark Weldon, Mediaworks' embattled chief executive, this loss is one he will find very difficult to bear.

    Why are the saying that Singaporean Oakbridge Capital owns Media works?
    It's Oaktree Capital Management (a US firm) as far as I know...

    These sorts of facts are important to get right...

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=11631425
    This Duncan Grieve story in The NZ Herald ends with:

    This era too, is markedly different: audiences are atomising and another bad year might make the already difficult task of a profitable exit for Mediaworks' owners, Oakbridge Capital, entirely impossible.
    The ramifications are not quite on the level of the loss of Home & Away, but they're close. For TV3, and her very large and loyal audience, she leaves a gaping hole they'll already know they cannot fill. For Mark Weldon, Mediaworks' embattled chief executive, this loss is one he will find very difficult to bear.

    Why are the saying that Singaporean Oakbridge Capital owns Mediaworks?
    It's Oaktree Capital Management (a US firm) as far as I know...

    These sorts of facts are important to get right,
    and sometimes costly to get wrong...

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,

    and to ‘CAPITAL’ off…
    Weldon couldn’t even spell Hilary Barry’s name right in the email he sent to staff- what a great bloke! Swimming’s not really a team sport is it, he just doesn’t get it… (aside from the money, he gets that…)

    edit - not sure how I managed to post the post above this twice - one of those days...

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca, in reply to Ian Dalziel,

    edit – not sure how I managed to post the post above this twice – one of those days…

    One is slightly different to the other. “and sometimes costly to get wrong” which is quite apt here. ;) so really I’d say you were just repeating yourself to make a point .

    anyway Hilary is tipped to go to TVNZ The Herald says so so it must be tru']]

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • Alfie,

    Weldon has emerged from the Board meeting in Auckland.

    When asked if he still had the confidence of his board, he replied, "I think so".

    Dunedin • Since May 2014 • 1440 posts Report Reply

  • linger, in reply to Alfie,

    That doesn't sound entirely confident!

    Tokyo • Since Apr 2007 • 1944 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic, in reply to Alfie,

    Weldon has emerged from the Board meeting in Auckland.

    When asked if he still had the confidence of his board, he replied, “I think so”.

    Didn't Caesar remark that he had Brutus' unconditional loyalty in 44 BCE?

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • Alfie,

    Attachment

    According to chairman Rod McGeoch, he who extended Weldon’s contract a few months ago, Welldone has the full support of the board.

    Pity. That’s a nice little graphic wasted. Maybe I should save it for a while and see how the Spinoff’s reported threat of mass resignations pans out.

    Dunedin • Since May 2014 • 1440 posts Report Reply

  • Alfie,

    It seems that the Mediaworks’ board believes that Weldon has the answer to the ailing channel’s problems – yet more reality TV. Or to be specific, "female-oriented reality programming”.

    Mediaworks’ under-fire chief executive Mark Weldon says New Zealand is “very low” in broadcast hours for reality television.

    Let’s put to one side the obvious lack of reality in that statement and have a little think. Hmmm… scrapping your top rating current affairs shows, losing a third of your most talented staff including most of your biggest stars, and alienating that section of your audience which has a few brain cells, not an issue. And more cheap, crap, lowest common denominator tele might just save the day. Maybe Weldon has been listening too closely to board member Julie Christie? After all, that’s the only type of tele she knows.

    "Hey Mark, how about picking up another of my specialist subjects – a show where the contestants get to design their own national flag? We could call it, ‘The Vexillologist’”.

    "Brilliant… I’d watch it and it’s bound to rate its tits off with the D-minus brigade! But the title is a bit complicated for our target audience. I know… let’s call it, ‘Flagging’."

    Days after Barry resigned – in what some commentators have called the ‘last straw’ for MediaWorks’ news and current affairs operation – Weldon sat down with journalists to talk about the future of “premium unscripted programming”.

    And I’ll bet that really impressed the pants off TV3’s few remaining journalists. Perhaps it’s time for a reality check?

    Dunedin • Since May 2014 • 1440 posts Report Reply

  • Alfie, in reply to Kumara Republic,

    Didn’t Caesar remark that he had Brutus’ unconditional loyalty in 44 BCE?

    I'm thinking it's more Nero in this case.

    Dunedin • Since May 2014 • 1440 posts Report Reply

  • izogi,

    Wellington • Since Jan 2007 • 1142 posts Report Reply

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