Saturday, April 09, 2011

Sounds like us

Radio New Zealand is looking at selling news to the private sector and has eyed up an odd-couple contract with the highly commercial broadcaster MediaWorks.

A key issue will be ensuring the state broadcaster does not breach obligations under its charter, says spokesman John Barr.
Also sprach Drinnan on Friday Friday; and today is Saturday and we learn:
Prime Minister John Key has done an about-face after denying he had a discussion with MediaWorks bosses before the Government decided to give the company a $43.3 million helping hand.He has now admitted meeting then-MediaWorks boss Brent Impey two months before, when Mr Impey pressed his case for a scheme the Government initially turned down. The scheme, announced in October 2009, allowed radio companies to spread payments on 20-year broadcasting licences over five years, instead of one lump-sum payment.
See, it works like this. Mediaworks, a for-profit organisation which owns a lot of radio stations that once belonged to all of us, cannot make a profit. So the boss goes to the Prime Minister for a chat. Later, The Prime Minster lies about this chat, or forgets it, or makes a genuine mistake; you choose. In the meantime, the Government has given Mediaworks a deal, which amounts to the Government becoming a loan shark, lending at at 9.5 plus inflation - a deal which shows that Mediaworks must be in the deepest of doo-dahs. Meanwhile still, Mediaworks is in negotiation with our national broadcaster to take over news services. So, we the people are paying a failing corporation to take over a substantial chunk of what remains of our public media. And our Prime Minister is economical with the truth about his part in the deal.

The whereabouts of the New Zealand Labour Party remain unknown.



Before it is too late, you might want to try designing a radio for the Radio New Zealand competition. Speaking of competitions, it is now Day Two of the Fundy Post Spot the Architect competition and we are still waiting for an entry to pour in. See if you can spot the architect in this promo:




3 comments:

Peter Cresswell said...

Pouring in now ... I think Justine was the architect(ure student)--her dad was an architect too, I think--and she co-formed Suede with boyfriend Brett.

Nothing personal about her song, but I much preferred the original.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QykauA8p14&feature=related

Unknown said...

I read that story as being about selling news stories, rather than the service which produces the stories.

But anyway, on previous form, I'd be very sceptical about anything John Drinnan writes about Radio New Zealand, 'well-placed sources' or not.

Paul said...

You are quite right, Phil. I misread the story.

Peter, you win. She and Brett Anderson were at the Bartlett together. And yes, Wire were ripped off.