Television New Zealand

Think about how great it would be without the left wing bias and just plain wrong-ness of Radio NZ and TVNZ.

Earlier I blogged about what is happening in Greece…now the subsidised illuminati of the BBC are working themselves into a lather in the UK.

But others like me think it would be bliss, and the trough-snufflers of state funded broadcasting would finally have their throats cut.

John Humphrys has invited Radio 4 listeners to imagine life without the BBC. They are to picture themselves sitting down to watch Countryfile or Holby City, only for the screen to go black. That’s what happened to the Greek national broadcaster ERT, you see, the Hellenic equivalent of the BBC. On Tuesday night the good citizens of Greece were watching the news when… pfft. Apparently the money had run out.

I closed my eyes, but before I had a chance to imagine a Britain without the BBC, Humphrys dismissed the idea as “unimaginable”. You have to admire the complacency behind that “unimaginable”. The Herculean smugness. The scale of the self-congratulation. And it’s not just Humphrys. They’re all at it, all the 30,000 or so people who work for the BBC.  Read more »

Chris Cook works for Sunday at TVNZ. He is working on a couple of stories and is trying desperately to scratch up some poor hard done by people for some stories.

I thought I’d help him manufacture his stories…especially the poor people who just can;t quite ever make it to get the deposit on their house…no doubt they will get someone all tearful to well up on camera.

Here is his email…if anyone can help him let him know.

Big Ole Pat Newman, Labour flunky and go to man for TVNZ

It seems a certain Pat Newman has become a “go-to” school principal for TVNZ, for comment on all kinds of issues.

Good old Pat duly provides a negative response with obligatory digs at the Government.

Pat somehow manages to squeeze power bills into the food in schools debate.  Read more »

He can always become a press secretary…TVNZ has a lot to answer for. It seems they have become the hatchery for Labour party candidates and mouthpieces…either that or they are actually embedded journalists, who are then brought in from the cold.

The other day I blogged about Meteria Turei and her marijuana ideas, NZ First then issued a press release and I blogged again about it this morning.

TVNZ is now running a story about it. Which is good, it needs more coverage.

Metiria Turei’s claim that Maori growing marijuana are developing entrepreneurial and horticultural skills has been slammed as “mind-blowingly ridiculous” by Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne.

The Green Party co-leader made the comment on Maori TV’s Native Affairs programme this week, but she has been cut down by Dunne, who branded the claim as “ridiculous” and “irresponsible in the extreme”.

In the show, Turei said growing the illegal drug helps develop “real skills” among Maori, particularly in disadvantaged areas.

“There’s some real skills there actually, some real entrepreneurial skills, some real horticulture skills, as much as people might think that’s a bit funny,” she said.

However the way they have gone about this story it is somewhat disturbing.

First of all TVNZ doesn’t credit where the story came from. Now you might say they could have found the story themselves and they could have. Except they have lifted the Youtube edit of the story that I did, exactly, from my Youtube channel. In the screenshot below you can see they credit the source as Youtube. The only place this can be found on Youtube is my channel.  Read more »

Nigel Godfrey has blogged at Throng about Seven Sharp and the decisions behind launching the product.

So let’s parallel the path to the creation of Seven Sharp with any another business.

1. The business owner, TVNZ, has the top-selling product in it’s category (Close-UP).
2. The MD decides to cease making said product and re-invent another product aimed largely at a different customer.
3. The original product completely disappears from shelves to wide-spread disappointment from the now abandoned customers who have been buying it for 23 years.
4. The new product appears on shelves but the market is not sure that it either wants or needs this new product.
5. Many previously loyal customers keep asking where the old product has gone and they go to another shop (TV3) where a similar product to the one that used to be available at the old shop (TVNZ) is still on sale.
6. In the meantime the ‘brains’ behind the disappearance of the afore-mentioned best-selling product and the creation of the new one … resigns.  Read more »

Regan at Throng blogs about the subterfuge of TVNZ to claim 31,000 fans for a new show that is yet to air a single episode.

TVNZ has “repurposed” the page and likes of Close Up, a move that was apparently made possible due to some sweet talking with Facebook and spinning the line that Seven Sharp is simply a continuation of TVNZ’s 7pm current affairs programming as opposed to being an entirely new show, with a new format, new hosts and new MO.  Tui ad anyone?

Talk about dishonest, and this is supposed to be their new nightly current affairs show.  Read more »

Regan from Throng has looked at (P)Igloo, the new joint venture from Sky TV and TVNZ and he has found that despite the marketing schlock the facts don’t match the reality.

He is also running a nice little competition for a Samsung Freeview PVR:

On Monday, Sky and TVNZ launched their hardly anticipated new subscription television service.

Here’s our list of reasons why it shouldn’t be under your tree this Christmas or anywhere else in your house for that matter.

 10. It’s probably still broken.  

The custom built platform was supposed to be launched months ago but has been delayed due to “technical problems”.  Is the launch simply exploitation of the spending season or a Christmas miracle?

9. TVNZ are involved.

Remember when TVNZ said “TiVo transforms television“? How are all those customers feeling today?  How long before Igloo too melts down?

8. A comparable Freeview box is less than half the price.

There are a number of basic models of DVB-T receivers which also have the ability to record to a connected USB storage device.

7. Sport is ultra-expensive.

The base “30 day channel pack” plus purchasing every Super XV match The Chiefs play during that period would cost you up to $99.74. On Sky this would cost $72.46 and include more channels, every Super XV game and a lot more sports besides.

6. Paying for content that used to be free.

Two of the eleven Igloo channels feature content that TVNZ used to broadcast for free:  Kidzone24 and TVNZ Heartland.

5. All Igloo content is Standard Definition.

The only content that you’ll be able to view in High Definition is from any of the free-to-air channels that broadcast in HD.  All of the extra content you’re paying for is delivered in standard definition.  This includes movies and sport.

4. High per channel price.

The “Sky Basic” package costs approximately $1.36 per premium channel compared with $2.27 per premium channel on Igloo.

3. Igloo is not a middle option.

Currently, a new 12 month “Sky Basic” package (~63 channels) with 3 months free sport and SoHo and free installation costs $553.44.
A new Igloo box (~34 channels) which you install yourself and a 12 month subscription costs $478.05
A new Freeview box (~29 channels) which you install yourself costs from $99.

2. Two thirds of the channels you can already watch for free.

That’s right.  They’re already free.  And also the most watched.

1. You’re not an Eskimo.

They’re the only ones who should have an igloo.

Those are our top 10 reasons why you shouldn’t get igloo and now we want yours.  We’ve got a brand new Samsung MyFreeview HD digital TV recorder (BDE-8500) worth $649 to give away.

In addition, if anyone reposts this on their own blog, we’ll include any comments made there in the draw. Have at it.

Dita De Boni can usually be relied upon for some liberal elite waffle or inane fluff in the Herald, but today she comes good talking about TVNZ:

So, TVNZ is a reasonably profitable operation, and returns a bit of dosh to the Government. The disaster that was TiVO and its champion Rick Ellis are gone. Plenty of money-conscious journeymen people its management ranks.

It’s a different organisation altogether from the days I was working there, when big spending, risky hiring and a kind of Sodom and Gomorrah attitude pervaded the place. From the austere strictures of theHerald newsroom, where a coffee charged to the company would have you explaining yourself to the finance department in perpetuity, to TVNZ, where you got handed a company credit card with your welcome pack – way-hay!

But as TVNZ has become more corporatised, the case for government owning this resource has become even thinner. There is nothing “public service” about it, particularly. It turns a profit, but not one that makes a huge difference to the public coffers. It runs local content, but only in primetime if is guaranteed to get an audience (and drive advertising revenue).

It is unshackled from the demands of the waffly Charter. And perhaps, most importantly, the underlying fundamentals of the business are good, which means it might attract a buyer.

Trevor Mallard has had two weeks straight of headlines and shenanigans in the house. He has also nicely fed his tame house journalists and it has all been for nought….in fact it has damaged Labour dramatically.

He has over-shadowed his own leader and it shows with David Shearer’s preferred PM rating on Tv3 shedding nearly 4 points from 12 to 8.9. Clearly these polls are reflecting the unpopularity of Trevor Mallard and his strategy for Labour.

This also shows David Shearer’s inability to control his Angry Bird.

These poll results will now focus the minds of Labour about whether of not the “Invisible Man” is working at all. They are running out of time though because they only have until their conference when the new constitution will be ratified, making it almost impossible to roll any leader unless they first have the union’s backing. Currently the EPMU are a lock for Shearer…that may change after tonight.

TV3 Poll:

National up 4.8 to 50.6
Labour down 2.4 to 30.8
Greens down 3.3 to 11.2
Maori 1.6
Act 0.1
NZ First 3

John Key 43.2
David Shearer 8.9 down from 12

TVNZ Poll:

National 48
Labour 32
Greens 12
Maori 2
Act 1
NZ First 3

John Key 45
David Shearer 13