Hard News by Russell Brown

Read Post

Hard News: A lot of money and a bit rich

67 Responses

First ←Older Page 1 2 3 Newer→ Last

  • andrew llewellyn,

    Wow, then that's a clearcut case of favouring TVNZ surely

    Maybe, but wasn't National in power during the 1999 World cup? I seem to recall that loss against France cost National the election :)

    Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report Reply

  • InternationalObserver,

    FYI - I hit 'post' instead of 'preview'. I would've removed What business do you run Ben? since it reads like too much of a personal attack on someone I don't even know.

    BTW - as a consumer/viewer I'm all in favour of less TV ads. I bought a HDD recorder (like MySky for ppl who don't have Sky) specifically for the purposes of skipping thru ads. Marvellous!

    Since Jun 2007 • 909 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    International

    What business do you run Ben? How can TV3 make the RWC profitable if they can't run ads while the games are on? RWC charge huge fees for the rights - would you rather ads were run or the Taxpayer paid for the broadcast rights?

    TV3 will be on almost continuously for several weeks. Sunday advertising will be a fraction lost to the station, and a big improvement for the consumer. Not that I really care, since MySky takes care of the ads you seem desperate to see.

    And I run a business that doesn't work on Sunday. But it's not for religious reasons, I assure you.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    No offense taken in the first place. Sure I acknowledge it causes the station a hit in profit. But I actually don't care at all. I really don't. I don't own the station, and there were others that could have bid that have revenue streams that don't involve law changes just to keep corporate profits up.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    The girls in my house get a bit hot and bothered about munter actually....

    Um... Tammy Davis is definitely man-candy, but Munter? Eww... that character is so much a child in a man's body it would just be wrong to want to shag him 'til his eyes popped out. :)

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • kmont,

    Well, when you put it that way......

    wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 485 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    ( they also raised that TVNZ got an exemption for the 1999 WRC, still no dice)

    Can someone verify this? Even TV3's own story only says:

    It is hardly an new issue for broadcasters – TVNZ was given an exemption by the then Broadcasting Tribunal to screen commercials on Sunday mornings for the 1984 Olympic Games.

    Which is a long time ago and far away.

    I can imagine that TVNZ would have been willing to take the hit because the $10m it spent on rights for the 1999 and 2003 tournaments was seen as an investment in content for the pay TV digital service it never got off the ground.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Um... Tammy Davis is definitely man-candy, but Munter? Eww... that character is so much a child in a man's body it would just be wrong to want to shag him 'til his eyes popped out. :)

    But Craig, chicks dig that.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz,

    Why not lead by example - drop ad frequency on the govt owned channels, or just on TV1 , charge more, and watch the advertisers clamour for slots on the channel with so many more eyes watching it

    The UK has statutory limits on the amount of advertising, with the result that airtime is correspondingly expensive. The result is that the ads are better and funnier to make those seconds count - and the British ad industry makes lots of money producing clever funny ads.

    We seem to have no rules apart from the Sunday ban. You can:
    - have clearly misleading content. Suggestions that eating meat six times a week is good for you, religious advertorial, etc.
    - run blatant advertorial - I'm sure "Family Health Diary" has lots of old biddies convinced it's a government information film
    - I'm not sure if we allow product placement. TV characters do seem to have the labels hidden on their beer bottles - but maybe that's to meet overseas rules or because the brewery hasn't paid up?

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • InternationalObserver,

    blatant advertorial

    surely that's oxymoronic? If it's blatant then no-one is fooled?

    Since Jun 2007 • 909 posts Report Reply

  • Jeremy Andrew,

    There's no restrictions on product placement, except possibly alcohol.
    Shortland Street apparently have a specific policy of not using real-life booze brands, but are quite happy to have blatant Apples all thru the hospital.

    Hamiltron - City of the F… • Since Nov 2006 • 900 posts Report Reply

  • Emma Hart,

    But Craig, chicks dig that.

    Tis true. And for all I adore Van, it's either Munter or Hayden Bloody Peters, the best example of tmesis on TV ever.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Shortland Street apparently have a specific policy of not using real-life booze brands, but are quite happy to have blatant Apples all thru the hospital.

    The computers are presumably a financial deal -- that kind of placement has been a mainstay of Apple's marketing --- but I think a good deal of Shortland Street's product placements over the years have been freebies.

    When I edited Planet magazine, one of our cover posters hung in the staffroom for about 18 months, and I'm not even sure that actual money would have changed hands for the prominent placement of Phoenix drinks in the early years.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    Then again, if any TV station *could* lose money from having the broadcast rights to the Rugby World Cup in NZ, I'm sure a kiwi company could do it. We've already managed to hobble the Cup with the lamest stadiums in the rugby playing world out of sheer meanness and spite. So maybe the law should be changed to allow corporate profits to continue growing. That way when 4 million NZers get to watch McDonalds advertisements on Sunday during a major test, they can pat themselves on the back that even the religions of Christianity and Rugby come second to our true God - Scrooge. Then they can head out to McDonalds to save themselves the expense of eating nice food too, and wash it all down with Export Gold or whatever other disgusting beverage gets maximum air time.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • LegBreak,

    I've always wondered...

    Does anyone know what Hamish McKay's background in broadcasting or journalism is?

    Or did they just find him in a Karaoke Bar somewhere?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1162 posts Report Reply

  • Robyn Gallagher,

    I remember Sunday evening viewing in the '80s was mostly very bleak

    You mean: too many Dunedin bands on Radio With Pictures??

    Well, I said mostly bleak because RWP was a beacon of joy amid the disease-of-the-week movies. (Even though it was on past my bedtime).

    When I edited Planet magazine, one of our cover posters hung in the staffroom for about 18 months

    One of my interweb friends bought the old Shorty staffroom lockers. They came covered with stickers for practically every radio station in existence.

    I'm sure this was an informal arrangement with radio stations rather than paid advertising, but it's interesting to imagine how the stickering would have existed in the Shortland Street universe.

    I like to think there was fierce rivalry between the medical staff, with people sourcing a Kiwi FM sticker to out-do the Edge sticker on the next locker.

    Since Nov 2006 • 1946 posts Report Reply

  • kmont,

    Emma,

    Thanks for backing me up about Munter. Of course if they could get Cliff Curtis on the show I would gladly switch my allegiance.

    wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 485 posts Report Reply

  • WH,

    In McKayVer's defence, he did seem to take his appearances on Pulp Sport pretty well. There is something about filling someone's car with polystyrene that is really funny.

    All this talk about Robbie Deans has reminded me how good his 2003 AB TriNations backline was.

    Since Nov 2006 • 797 posts Report Reply

  • Gary Hutchings,

    I wrote:
    ( they also raised that TVNZ got an exemption for the 1999 WRC, still no dice)

    Russell wrote:

    Can someone verify this? Even TV3's own story only says:

    My Bad, serves me right trying to listen while doing other stuff round the office, I was damned sure they said 1999 rugby, but on relistening to the interview it is indeed the 84 LA Games,

    wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 108 posts Report Reply

  • Simon Bennett,

    The props on Shortland Street (including the Apple computers) are often supplied gratis. There is no paid product placement at this stage.

    I was responsible for introducing the Macs in 1997 when I was Producer of the show, because I liked the look of them and because I'm an Apple fan. At that time Apple Computers were at the nadir of their commercial history.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 174 posts Report Reply

  • Simon Bennett,

    Cue Mac vs PC argument...

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 174 posts Report Reply

  • Peter Darlington,

    Re: Hamish McKay

    For all of his crapness and rubbish commentating, the most unforgivable thing he's ever done was admit on TV3 sports back in May that he's a Hammers fan. Dude, that's just hurtful, he looks totally Chelsea to me.

    Nelson • Since Nov 2006 • 949 posts Report Reply

  • Hadyn Green,

    Leg Break: TV3 don't want us to know anything about Hamish McKay. Check this out: the Presenters.

    Good god, a repeat of Grant Fox's half time "stats" and Wheton who makes Frank Bunce look like a South American football commentator.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2090 posts Report Reply

  • Hadyn Green,

    Shaun Summerfield's good though

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2090 posts Report Reply

  • InternationalObserver,

    Cue Mac vs PC argument...

    oh god no PLEASE NOOOOOOOO!!!!!

    Since Jun 2007 • 909 posts Report Reply

First ←Older Page 1 2 3 Newer→ Last

Post your response…

Please sign in using your Public Address credentials…

Login

You may also create an account or retrieve your password.