Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Episode One

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  • nic.wise,

    Russell: no joy with the RSS feeds. They are not epty feeds, they just go to a search page.....

    needless to say, itunes aint happy about that

    :)

    Nic, needing his media7 fix on the tube on a morning.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 87 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    Seeing as everybody else is beeing nice

    I need to loosen up in front of the autocue, but you get that.

    I nearly climbed under the couch, that first ten minutes was painful to watch but you came out of it well (shows promise etc.)
    I watched it on our new pvr setup that we put together just for the privilage of being able to look at you.
    On the TVNZ on demand thing. Well what did you expect? If I came to you demanding stuff you might take umbridge and not want to play nice either. So should they rename it "TVNZ for you if we can be bothered"?

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Jonathan Ibell,

    Had no luck with the podcast (in iTunes) - is it me or is it just not up yet??

    Palmerston North • Since Nov 2006 • 10 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic,

    Fortunately (?) I had a copy of IE around, so I can see it there. But why the hell does TVNZ hate firefox?

    I had no issues with Firefox, it ran normally. For the record, I'm using the latest version (2.0.0.13).

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

  • BrendaL,

    Great show Russell - just watched on OnDemand (no problems, although a bit quiet). I think it's shaping up to be one of the few watchable things on TV ;-)

    Particularly liked the dig about getting Digital 3 years after Namibia - really a LOL moment!

    wellington • Since Apr 2008 • 1 posts Report Reply

  • Graeme Edgeler,

    I'm a loyal firefox-er, and it shows just fine on TVNZonDemand for me (not Back Benches though, can't get that to show...)

    Wellington, New Zealand • Since Nov 2006 • 3215 posts Report Reply

  • Jason Dykes,

    Great show. This is going to go places. It's hard to replicate a "live" feel on a pre-recording. Hopefully the live audiences will help. Maybe guests would benefit from a shot of good single malt before going on camera!

    I use latest version Firefox on a newish Mac. Speed test 854kbps, second test 345kbps. Maybe it's a bit random tonight but I got lots of stop start in the Media7 download. Youtube a good option I think.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 76 posts Report Reply

  • Kimberley Verburg,

    I had problems with the latest Firefox too and had to go to Safari in order to be told that I wasn't allowed to watch the video as I was outside NZ. Complaint duly sent to TVNZ, but it sounds like this silliness has been going on for a while?

    Leiden • Since Jun 2007 • 27 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    I nearly climbed under the couch, that first ten minutes was painful to watch but you came out of it well (shows promise etc.)

    Not being defensive, but ten minutes was all the time Russell had with an autocue before the recording, and I'd have just choked in his seat. And kudos to the production staff -- Media 7 isn't shot on a standing studio set but in the Classic on Queen Street. I'm faintly gob-smacked (and honoured to work with) people who turn shit into chocolate cake on surreal deadlines and to a far from extravagant budget. (I'm still waiting for my expense account lunch at Prego, Brown. :) )

    I'm on board as one of the writers, so I'm interested to know if people thought it struck the right balance between being substantive but still just a little irrelevant? (I don't know about Russell, but I sometimes think media commentary can all too often confuse Paris Hilton coverage with brain surgery.)

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

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Maybe guests would benefit from a shot of good single malt before going on camera!

    Oy... without giving anything away, I think M7 is going to have some panelists who will be *cough* quite lively enough without additional lubrication. :)

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

  • Jason Dykes,

    Oh, please give them some whisky too.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 76 posts Report Reply

  • Shep Cheyenne,

    Welldone TV on the internet on demand.

    And TV 3 New tonight had a great story on poor families living in 'Lodges'. It looked like a scene or two from the Grapes of Wrath.

    Since Oct 2007 • 927 posts Report Reply

  • Perrin Morrow,

    All those people having trouble viewing the video in Firefox, you're not running AdBlock Plus by any chance are you?

    I found it also didn't work in Firefox, but I could download the flv files no problem.

    As soon as I whitelisted tvnzondemand.co.nz the embedded player started working.

    (There is of course a rather obvious downside to this workaround.)

    Since Nov 2006 • 2 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    A pretty good first effort.

    I really struggled with volume in the flv files David linked to above. Russell was a little quiet, the two male panelists I could barely hear at all, even with my laptop at full volume. The news stories etc were fine to hear.

    I wondered what policy the show has in relation to doing media analysis of TV, but being part of the TVNZ stable. The show had a bit to say about Campbell Live, and had a TV3 news guy there. Is there an editorial policy? Will TVNZ be hands off or hands on when you are critical of them?

    Surely the goodnight Kiwi and his cat must be up for being put out to pasture when the analogue shutdown comes around for us? Or thingee?

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Peter Ashby,

    I'm on board as one of the writers, so I'm interested to know if people thought it struck the right balance between being substantive but still just a little irrelevant?

    Hmmm, did you mean *irreverent* by any chance Craig? or was that just a Freudian slip? If the latter, Rus you have a fifth columnist on the writing team.

    Dundee, Scotland • Since May 2007 • 425 posts Report Reply

  • Cecelia,

    I thought Media 7 was great - loved the Sunday Star Times story. I think of the film Atonement which I hope to study with my class and which has said word - different context.
    Another reason for writing here if anyone is continuing this media discussion is my outrage at a Paul Henry interview with housing minister Street on Close Up last night - I don't know if it was just me but he seemed to be showing his anti-labour colours in such a disgraceful way that I felt shocked and surprised that his bosses could let him go on like this. Whatever the poor woman he said, he abused her. I caught only the end of the sections but ...

    Hibiscus Coast • Since Apr 2008 • 559 posts Report Reply

  • Ben Austin,

    So I had a brief look on Youtube for "Media 7" and the results were interesting, if not useful. I now know more about "Southron Liberation" than I ever should have

    London • Since Nov 2006 • 1027 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Withers,

    Just watched the whole show. You're off to a good start. I learned some things I didn't know before about the medal / media interaction. Glenda's comments on the media were worth hearing. Particularly interesting to me was the use of her by the media to take the pressure off. I know she meant with respect to the person at the centre of the story, but one could also see her being used to remove pressure from above on the journalist if Glenda was involved. "Win / win". All the stories were interesting, if not compelling (Sunday Star Times "Sunday" segment was probably a bit too long for me, but then that's just me.) The issue was clear, the action taken clear and - from the reaction - appropriate. So it boils down to curiosity about something we didn't know had happened anyway. I'm a curious guy, so it was interesting to hear about it situation and the action taken. The zinger at the end about the paul Thompson and the offensive danish cartoons being printed was a bit gratuitous. Profanity in the usual sense doesn't line up necessarily with the cartoon images of Mohammed in a *Kiwi* context. Not sure the Herald / APEC angle needed to be included. Appropriate for context, but it padded it out and wasn't directly relevant in terms of four-letter words and descriptions of oral sex. As for you, Russell, your body language was just a bit on the stiff side. I would be too, in the first show. I can just imagine the overhead involved in being the host and this being the first show. :-) You will relax into it and we'll see more smiles / frowns / expression. Might be easier to see what's happening no your face of you shaved. JUST A SUGGESTION!!!! :-) Overall, more than good enough to see me watching regularly. I've love to see a segment on foreign ownership of NZ media. I don't agree with Winston Peters on many things, but the foreign ownership of NZ's media struck a chord with me. In recent years, the print media outlets who regularly editorialise the US right wing loving political line (DomPost, NZ Herald) are almost without exception foreign owned. Why was/IS that? The NZ Herald is currently besotted with John McCain; the man who STILL thinks invading Iraq was a clever thing to do.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2008 • 312 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Withers,

    Cecelia: Paul Henry is a repulsive TV presence. I used to watch a bit of the morning show with my elderly mother-in-law when I popped in before work to make sure she was OK for the day. He is patronising, condescending, ego-centric, rude and too often belittles the people he is covering for being passionate about the thing they are doing. I find noone of that informative or entertaining. Henry is the very best reason to turn the TV off. There will be nothing to see there worth seeing if he is on. of course, that's just MY opinion. :-) .

    Auckland • Since Mar 2008 • 312 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    The zinger at the end about the paul Thompson and the offensive danish cartoons being printed was a bit gratuitous. Profanity in the usual sense doesn't line up necessarily with the cartoon images of Mohammed in a *Kiwi* context.

    Depends on what sort of Kiwi you are, doesn't it?

    I pointed out at the time of the cartoon controversy that avoiding gratuitous offence to readers was hardly unusual -- daily newspapers do it all the damn time, and the Sunday tear-out was just a particularly vivid example.

    As for you, Russell, your body language was just a bit on the stiff side.

    Yeah, I need to drop my shoulders, etc. But you don't know you're doing that till you see yourself afterwards and think "that guy needs to drop his shoulders and loosen up".

    Might be easier to see what's happening no your face of you shaved.

    No.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Mikaere Curtis,

    I really enjoyed Media 7, and I think it's heading in the right direction.

    It felt Mediawatch-with-Pictures-esque, which is all good since I like Mediawatch too.

    Perhaps the best thing about the show is that it isn't fronted by presenters as much as by people who have significant experience in media. I liked the non-confrontational probing and holding to account in the panel section.

    The Pounder was good too.

    Tamaki Makaurau • Since Nov 2006 • 528 posts Report Reply

  • Michael Stevens,

    It was fun to be there on the night thanks Russell, and great to see some grown-up TV for a change!
    Why can't the mainstream channels do something like this? Not that I want them to steal your ideas, but do we really need endless Idol and Dancing and cooking shows?
    This was intelligent and interesting TV, and I fail to see why it would scare off the punters.

    I thought you came over very well, relaxed and on top of it all.

    Will look forward to the rest.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 230 posts Report Reply

  • Tom Ackroyd,

    Podcast links now work.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 159 posts Report Reply

  • Tom Ackroyd,

    Spoke to soon - 5 clips from Ep. 1 are listed in iTunes, but still can't download them.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 159 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Hmmm, did you mean *irreverent* by any chance Craig? or was that just a Freudian slip?

    Fraking smart arse readers... Rest assured, Tom, my lingerie is more Jungian than Freudian, and there's a reason why loading the autocue is not in my job description. :)

    I don't know if it was just me but he seemed to be showing his anti-labour colours in such a disgraceful way that I felt shocked and surprised that his bosses could let him go on like this.

    Cecelia: It was just you - Paul Henry is an utter fatuous cock to everyone. Remember, on a recent PAS thread even the most vehement labourites were cringing with John Key, not at him, after a recent Henry facial (don't you care about kiddies with cancer!) on Breakfast.

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

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