Posts by Rob Stowell
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Hard News: TVNZ: Emptied out, in reply to Russell Brown,
TVNZ was officially assessed as being worth $211 million in 2010. It could conceivably fail to fetch half of that at the moment.
Turnover is pretty good for that capital value - and the $18m dividend also. But who'd bet on that continuing.
A buyer would need to strip out any subsidies, and allow for the quick depreciation of assets (technological; not so much Auckland property :)) -
Hard News: TVNZ: Emptied out, in reply to Ben Austin,
I haven’t really understood why TVNZ has not been put up for sale yet.
There’s public perception, which would likely run poorly for the govt selling it. But Myles is also onto it – who’d want to buy it?
We’ve poured a lot of money into TVNZ. Its paper assets – property and technology – must be a large figure – certainly several hundreds of millions, probably more. A return of $18m (up from $12m and not long ago struggling -) would likely be a pretty poor percentage. (I’m guessing – it’d be interesting to OIA the numbers.)
It may well be possible for a rapacious cost-cutting buyer to wring out a better return, but equally, revenue has been flat-to-falling for some time, and broadcasting has a fierce reputation as a way to make a small fortune – out of a large one.
So not easy or popular to sell off. I’d guess we’re stuck with it.*
*this makes turning it into something useful to the nation more compelling, but no less unlikely under this govt. Somehow I can’t see Maggy doing a makeover :) -
Hard News: TVNZ: Emptied out, in reply to Idiot Savant,
And presumably a hell of a lot of news as well?
Probably not. The news vans - some of them - have their own links, for those precious 'live' moments (where the reporter gazes earnestly at the camera, standing in front of something faintly news-worthy clutching their ear-piece and trying to stop the wind whipping their hair in their eyes, while the studio presenter asks them simple questions : 'Where are you now, Lindsay? Can you hear me?")
TVNZ does precious little - if any - multicamera Outside Broadcast work.
OSB (Australian) have been the big players in providing OB vans for a decade now. (TAB used to own quite a few, too). TVNZ would just be another client. -
why we do actually bother owning the thing
It's been hard to see any rationale for a couple of decades. TVNZ doesn't serve us - does little to educate or inform - and doesn't return a decent percentage on the investment.
It's a husk- a spandrel - left during our evolution from a society where the public good was considered important, to a society that's just a loose association of consumers and tax-payers. -
Stupendously superb!
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Hard News: The Hager saga continues, in reply to BenWilson,
Which makes Hagar a strange target for Hide’s ire
Hager made this public. Prior to Dirty Politics, it was something very few people knew. I can understand Hide being unhappy with that.
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What about that Andrew Little, eh? ‘Pundits’ (Bryce Edwards at least) saying he could walk through the middle into the job. But while he seems a sharpish political operator, he comes across dry and dull; a most unlikely prime minister.
As the huffle dies down, I'm liking David Parker. Straight bat, no bullsh*t, decent. And not a candidate. -
Entirely down to the director what gets seen. But it’s not out of line to replay something the ref has missed. Still quite possible a kiwi director would have replayed Reid’s turnover first, though.
Also: replays only happen when there’s a breakdown. And sometimes even then what’s on the field and happening is too fast or the incident gets eclipsed by subsequent play and forgotten. So there’s always an element of chance about what gets picked up.
No denying the effect on a partisan crowd. They howl and stop watching the game completely. Which must influence the refs on some level.
Which all makes me wish I’d seen this game. Sounds epic :) -
Speaker: An Open Letter To David Cunliffe, in reply to Russell Brown,
But you’re kinda saying that if you call people and and ask them a list of questions that’s data, but if you front up on their doorsteps and listen to them, that’s anecdote.
Yeah I am, kinda :) I’m not dismissing people’s experience, just very wary of jumping in any old direction because – well – gotta jump!
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Just to add: I'm also dismayed at the back-biting and leaking - and even more at the distance it seems Labour must travel. Everything I see postulated about 'what Labour should do' screams of guesswork (often with the sound of axes grinding.)
Truckloads of data would be nice. Even supertanker full of anecdotes doesn't cut it.