Posts by simon g
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I don’t believe there was a “golden age” of NZ news and current affairs on telly, and I’m well aware that nostalgia can distort.
But if we measure hours and slots, something more quantifiable than our opinions, then there has clearly been a reduction in “serious” programming. For example:
- TV One used to have regular programmes of a commercial hour, in prime time, usually on a weekday. They had various names – e.g. Assignment – and they were a mix of local and imported items. Hardly perfect, but at least they existed. They’re gone now (apart from an apologetic half-hour on Sunday, a sort of “let’s get this token out of the way before the stuff we’re really here for”).
- TV One had election interviews – again, weekday evenings, and again a full programme (commercial half hour or hour). For example, Kim Hill in 2005 grilled all the party leaders at length – a real interviewer, who got to say “After the break, more questions”, not “After the break, cats and dogs”.
- International elections were covered in great detail. Richard Long presented live coverage of UK, US and Australian election nights, dropping into the local broadcasters and interviewing studio guests. Yes, this all happened – for hours on end.
- TVNZ had an Asia bureau (fronted by the likes of Charlotte Glennie). How I laughed (“a vast continent, one correspondent, that’s a joke!”). It’s long gone.
These things existed, they don’t exist any more. That’s not pining for a “golden age”, because it wasn’t. But it was still a good deal more than TV One offers us today.
The real anger-maker is not just the retreat from information TV, but the absurd self-image of TVNZ. The glossy promos pretend that nothing has changed. If they just said “We’re on the net now, this channel ain’t doing boring no more”, that would at least be honest. But they are continuing to maintain a fiction, while changing the facts.
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I think we're desperately defending Taiwan because we've lost China.
I hope Campbell Live stays, and I fear the intentions of the Weldon/Christie team, but ultimately ... it's TVNZ that has been the shame of public broadcasting. For years now, and getting ever worse. All those mickey-taking fictions, from Broadcast News to Alan Partridge to Jon Stewart, all outdone by the jaw-dropping wretched reality of One News.
Until that insult to our intelligence has been shut down and replaced with something/somebody who gives a damn about the basic values of journalism, then we will continue to have the worst TV news and current affairs in the Western world. And yes, that includes the USA.
Hoping a private channel does serious journalism is no substitute for having a public channel that's obliged to.
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The media hype was a reason to turn off the six o'clock news, not the cricket. There are predictable telly clichés (presenters trying to outdo each other in their "Go the Tall Black Warrior Caps" faux-devotion) but really, we know where to find them - and therefore, where to avoid. For all these events, it's not hard to work out who cares and knows about the sport, and who is paid to pretend they do.
The radio coverage (Waddle, Maxwell, Agnew, etc) was excellent. No hysteria there.
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Memo to NZ Herald: We love the cricket, but this by-election is actually news ...
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Here's the deal. I want NZ to win. 100%.
If John Key heads off to the MCG ("What by-election?") I will want them to win 90%.
If he turns up on the telly at the game, 80%.
If he turns up in the dressing room, 60%.
If he wears one of those silly shirts and catches the ball ... COME ON Australia!
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Underarm's illegal now. Sorry!
As for Hayden, he's right about the MCG, but never mind. We need a new panto villain. Wayne Barnes is getting old.
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The basic rule of sports-nationalism is that you don't get to win a lot and be loved. The Australian cricket team is pretty unlovable, as are (to many non-New Zealanders) the All Blacks. I'm sure the Black Caps will attract plenty of Schadenfreude when they fail to win their third World Cup in a row in 2023, thanks to foolhardy picks by chairman of selectors Mark Richardson.
Plus, you know, Channel Nine and all that. It's only natural to want those commentators - sorry, the team - to lose.
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The final is live on Prime. I'm letting you all know because Prime's PR department seems to consist of a tweet. I had no idea the semi-final was on live, then found it by chance. It was presumably a late decision but hello Prime, a trailer or two would have helped?
But never mind. It was entertainment-slash-torture of the highest quality. Dull final please, I'm getting old.
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"Family First called for a boycott of the show." (Herald)
OK, so now we have to watch it.
Just waiting for the PM to join in:
"At the end of the day, we have to stand up to ego-terrorism. Childish insults like this are not acceptable on television. Also, Winston big fat stinky poo."
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“We would have got away with it if it hadn’t been for you meddling kids …”