Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: The digital switch-off

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  • Matthew Poole, in reply to Steve Barnes,

    “What are you wearing under that?”

    A question one should not ask unless one is prepared to be given an honest answer, I suspect.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes, in reply to Matthew Poole,

    A question one should not ask unless one is prepared to be given an honest answer, I suspect.

    So, you could ask a National MP then.
    ;-)

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Poole, in reply to Steve Barnes,

    A question one should not ask unless one is prepared to be given an honest answer, I suspect.

    So, you could ask a National MP then.

    I'll ask Collins if you ask Brownlee. Deal?

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

  • Bart Janssen, in reply to Steve Barnes,

    A question one should not ask unless one is prepared to be given an honest answer, I suspect.

    So, you could ask a National MP then.
    ;-)

    National MP - that's a question for caucus.
    Labour MP - I'm wearing what Phil is wearing
    Act MP - yellow
    Maori MP - I'm wearing what my ancestors wore
    Green MP - I'm recycling

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso, in reply to Bart Janssen,

    Green MP - I'm recycling

    Reusing, surely.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    I think Brownlee would be too busy blowing on his piety to answer that and Judith just doesn't answer. I still have had no answer to the eMail I sent asking

    "Dear Ms Collins.
    Could you, as a Minister please explain what was meant by "with a cellmate" ?
    Am I to assume that you do not wish them to get lonely or are you suggesting something less humane?.
    Yrs,
    Steve Barnes. "

    :-|

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic, in reply to Russell Brown,

    Even though Mediaworks' problem is basically that it was acquired by a greedy, stupid private equity firm.

    But it would be nice to see the government treat public broadcasting assets as kindly as it treats the private ones.

    I suspect they won't.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Matthew Poole,

    I'm curious what MW's interest rate would be if it'd borrowed from commercial funders.

    Up to their eyeballs with all that leveraged equity bizzo so no one will lend them any more money at viable rates if at all, I'd guess.

    These licence payments were a long-forecast core cost of doing business that a prudent company would have set money aside for. They're a regulatory obligation, not a discretionary expense.

    The analogy is more like the Ministry of Transport giving you more time to pay your van registration and lending you the money to pay them with. Or you owing rates and the Council deciding to let you take longer to pay them because you're a particular kind of ratepayer, say a retailer.

    It's still a credit facility for private business that would not normally be provided by government.

    I'd like to see someone ask which other industries have had similar government assistance to help them through difficult times (except finance companies that we already know about). What's special about commercial broadcasters?

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Don Robertson, in reply to Steve Barnes,

    Tax cut?

    Christchurch • Since Mar 2011 • 2 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Sacha,

    What's special about commercial broadcasters?

    TV1 News has a rather revealing comment from Joyce at about the 30s mark of this 2m clip:

    "Tipping the whole radio industry up, or half the radio industry up, to somehow guarantee payments and throwing a whole bunch of people out of work. Well then the media would be roaring at our door saying well hang on, why aren't you giving these guys a little bit of time to pay the bill."

    I guess you could take that as meaning the media might complain loudly to the public (heaven forbid) about being expected to pay their bills - or that Joyce wants his industry buddies to still like him. Either way, doesn't sound remotely like prudent or impartial decision-making. Just look at the facial expressions on the guy.

    Still some answers to be demanded. And challenging of any further slipperiness like pretending that the "guys" not paying their bills and any media outfits complaining would be different parties. Can you seriously imagine TV1 roaring at the government's door over the injustice of TV3 being expected to pay their license fees on time? Or The Radio Network raging about MediaWorks Radio having to pony up. Puhleese.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Che Tibby, in reply to Steve Barnes,

    I still have had no answer to the eMail I sent asking

    nice work. mine asked, "if ur planning to legislate to use rape as a method throughout corrections, will it only apply to men, or are women to be included?

    likewise, as yet no answer.

    the back of an envelope • Since Nov 2006 • 2042 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca, in reply to Che Tibby,

    likewise, as yet no answer.

    Me neither. When I mentioned this after a lengthy conversation t'other night with a friend of a friend, she mentioned she only ever voted for National and abruptly left her seat and the conversation, at which point I realised I was surrounded by those types and suddenly felt very alone, but god it felt good to have the moral high ground. :)

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Poole, in reply to Che Tibby,

    I still have had no answer to the eMail I sent asking

    nice work. mine asked, “if ur planning to legislate to use rape as a method throughout corrections, will it only apply to men, or are women to be included?

    likewise, as yet no answer.

    The Minister has 20 working days to respond, though an email such as the latter might be deemed to be “opinion” and disregarded.

    Mine offered her four possible explanations and courses of action – misquoted (when’s Granny going to retract?), intends to make double-bunking a sentencing guideline (when?), didn’t think through the “official endorsement” angle on rape (when’s the retraction?), or stands by her original statement (heaven help her when I feed the confirmation to the media) – and I definitely expect an answer. If I don’t get one, I will be going to the Ombudsmen.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Mediaworks owners Ironbridge respond to Herald story.

    The facts are as follows: In mid 2009, the radio industry negotiated a lease renewal for the spectrum used for broadcasting radio signals in NZ. Unlike the previous 20 year lease, the Government initially requested full payment upon the lease commencement in October 2010.

    With the sharp downturn in business in 2009 and 2010, it became clear to all members of the industry that meeting the payment date of October 2010 was going to be difficult, and so the Radio Broadcasters Association commenced negotiations with the Government to create a deferred payment plan. The outcome was agreement for a 5 year payment schedule with the deferred component accruing interest at 11.2%. This was offered to all radio broadcasters and several, including MediaWorks, took up the option.

    For the record, TRN a major player in the radio industry and a member of the APN, Group (owner of the Herald) was extended exactly the same offer from the Government. We note that the deferred payment scheme was publicly announced in October 2009.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Poole,

    Letter to the Editor in Granny, from the head of the Radio Broadcasters Association, says that the "drip-feed" option has long existed, and that the new option is available to all radio broadcasters after negotiations with the Ministry and Minister.

    So no great conspiracy, just Granny playing tabloid instead of broadsheet.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Matthew Poole,

    the "drip-feed" option has long existed

    Where "long" means October 2009?

    Actually, scrub that - the Ironbridge letter above implies that part-payments were available for the previous 20 year license term.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Poole, in reply to Sacha,

    Yes, the LttE said over 20 years.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic,

    As to the Mediaworks malaise, have the usual suspects ever considered that the TV and radio market are glutted for a market as small as NZ? Thanks in no small part to the frequencies being sold off too cheaply.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • nzlemming, in reply to Kumara Republic,

    What are you saying, man? That the market doesn't work? Such heresy!! Burn him!!

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic,

    And the plot thickens. Do as Prostetnic Vogon Joyce says, not as he does.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • nzlemming,

    Joyce's office reacted hard and fast to an article in Wednesday's Herald with a note threatening a Press Council complaint if the article was not corrected to his specifications. The Herald is standing by the story.

    He's just another bully. I don't have a lot of time for the Herald, but I hope they nail him.

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic,

    The last rites are to be administered. R.I.P., NZ public broadcasting.

    "And the Ministry had not only to supply the multifarious needs of the party, but also to repeat the whole operation at a lower level for the benefit of the proletariat. There was a whole chain of separate departments dealing with proletarian literature, music, drama, and entertainment generally. Here were produced rubbishy newspapers containing almost nothing except sport, crime and astrology, sensational five-cent novelettes, films oozing with sex, and sentimental songs which were composed entirely by mechanical means on a special kind of kaleidoscope known as a versificator. There was even a whole sub-section—Pornosec, it was called in Newspeak—engaged in producing the lowest kind of pornography, which was sent out in sealed packets and which no Party member, other than those who worked on it, was permitted to look at."

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic,

    And reflecting on the TVNZ Kidzone 24 & Heartland channels – decent channels but only available on SKY and not Freeview – this is no PPP. It’s outright boot-licking at best and cronyism at worst. SKY is basically a Telecom with pictures. Or a law firm with satellite dishes. Berlusconi would be proud.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

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