TVNZ’s, “regional-focused” restructuring plan and Mark Jennings’ opinion piece on it not adding up deserve some more attention. Jennings is right on some points – As a “cost cutting” move this saves very little considering TVNZ just spent $60mill refurbishing … Continue reading
It’s a sad indictment of New Zealand media that, rather than invest in new talent, we are once again dished up the same old “stars” that have been doing the rounds for years. But now it’s even worse! Not only … Continue reading
Listen. Can you hear that? Its the sound of waves breaking on Napier’s Marine Parade. And that? It’s a magpie calling on a fence in Waipukrau. Then there is the roar as hundreds of cricket fans cheer when Ross Taylor sends … Continue reading
1988 One evening RTR Countdown plays the new music video of a song that will quickly gain regular radio airtime. It’s by an African American woman named Tracy Chapman who has short, spiky dreadlocks and it’s called “Fast Car”. Something … Continue reading
The following is the 6,100-word (very long) original draft of my piece that The Spinoff very professionally trimmed down to a more readable 4,000 words and printed as their Sunday Essay on 5 March 2023 as “Napier in the Dark”. … Continue reading
2022. Of all the years we’ve had, it was one of them! I DIDN’T travel outside of Hawke’s Bay, win Lotto, or change jobs to something higher paying and more in line with my skills and dreams, and I only … Continue reading
Years and years and years ago I was on the radio. This is before appearing on RNZ’s The Panel a mere six times in 2018-19. Or doing midnight-till-dawns for six months on Hot 93 in Hastings in the dying days … Continue reading
On Thursday 8 September public submissions to the Aotearoa New Zealand Public Media Bill closed. The bill relates to the merging of broadcasters Radio New Zealand and Television New Zealand – something that doesn’t sound too dissimilar to the old … Continue reading
Waka Kotahi, New Zealand Transport Agency, is becoming a bit of a dirty phrase around Hawke’s Bay of late. When it looks like the region is slowly being cut off by road from the rest of New Zealand it’s no … Continue reading
Next week on August 11 TVNZ’s Breakfast show turns 25 – a quarter of a century on air! Prior to 1997 live weekday morning news television in New Zealand was pretty much non-existent. We were aware places like America and … Continue reading
