Posts by Russell Brown
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Hard News: Great New Zealand Argument: A…, in reply to Geoff Fischer,
There I purchased a paperback copy of “Great New Zealand Argument: Ideas about ourselves”, an anthology of New Zealand essays edited by Russell Brown from the Withdrawn titles bin. Judging from its condition, I may have been the first reader of the Taihape Public Library copy of “Great New Zealand Argument”.
I could be sad, but I'm not, because you've written me this long and thoughtful comment. Thank you Geoff.
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Let's have an auto-embed on that SJD video. Because it's lovely.
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Hard News: Friday Music: Out there in…, in reply to Mark Cubey,
Robert Owens in Wgtn?!!? That VOICE! How was that not on my radar? Sadly, I start early tomorrow, as always, and I’m guessing he’ll start too late for me…
I'm going to try and get to both Morales and Owens, but at least I get a sleep-in on Sunday.
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Drinnan rather embarrasses himself this morning by not being able to spell Carol Hirschfeld's name correctly, but it's good to be reminded of this:
The losses started with the decision of former MediaWorks receivers Korda Mentha - in 2013 when they were receivers for the company - to turn down an offer for a long term contract for the Australian soap opera Home & Away, because the commitment was too long. The loss of the show - which delivered a big young audience to 3 News -is blamed for a big fall in ratings for 3 News in 2014 and 2015.
Home & Away was later picked up by Television New Zealand.
The receivership happened, as noted, because of the debt loaded onto Mediaworks by Ironbridge. And, because receivers are receivers and not executives, there was nobody with a mandate to think in the long term about retaining 3 News' vital lead-in programme. A lot of problems since stem from that simple fact.
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Wow.
Hilary Barry loses it after the Campbell news item and has to leave the desk for a while during the bulletin.
That's what this guy means to the people he works with.
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Hard News: Mediaworks: The only horizon…, in reply to Rob Stowell,
I could’ve listened to Phil’s rant all night :) And got the feeling he’d still be going strong come dawn.
Delivered from his hospital bed, not very long after the second surgery on his troublesome infected foot.
Let's just say that Phil was already seriously fucked off when the Campbell news came though :-)
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Hard News: Mediaworks: The only horizon…, in reply to Jason Kemp,
The reality is that selective viewers of broadcast TV don’t pay the bills. TV3 has been bailed out at least twice before and the last reorganisation saw something like $500m written off by a consortium of banks and other owners.
That debt was almost entirely loaded on Mediaworks by Ironbridge, the basket-case private equity firm that bought Mediaworks – it was the consequence of the leverage Ironbridge took on to make the acquisition, just before the GFC.
Under its former management, Mediaworks (and even TV3) was making an operating profit, even while it was in receivership. It just couldn’t service the debt Ironbridge inflicted on it.
One of the lessons of this saga is about the insanity of the private equity model.
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Public Broadcasting Services funding cut for the seventh straight year. Down 1.3% to $129.5m. This after the NZ On Air board warned that it could not maintain services on this basis.
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Hard News: First-person media and the…, in reply to Marcelo Rodriguez Ferrere,
Seriously!? Am I to feel happy that I am part of the club that happily gets the reference to the amazing show or sad that it’s not universally known?
It just means you're old, man.
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Hi guys – I’m busy with the day job today – and this year Keith’s doing his data thing for NBR, who will pay him with actual money. So consider this an open thread and make of it what you will.
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