RNZ alienates allies – RIP AAP? – Readership

I’m no heavy metal fan but Radio New Zealand is forcing me to identify with a song by Metallica. The title of the track is Confusion and it is about post-traumatic stress disorder.

The state broadcaster is giving me a serious case of PTSD.

First it embarked on an ill-conceived strategy to effectively kill off RNZ Concert and, in the process, undermined audience trust and lost some of its credit balance with the Minister of Communications.

Now it has swept away the trust it had built with private sector media by embarking on another ill-conceived strategy: A ‘knocking’ advertising campaign that reeks of grandiose delusions.

Continue reading “Shell-shocked by RNZ barrage” →

PANDEMONIUM: It’s a clever heading but last Saturday it wasn’t very clever at all.

The 120-point (that’s 43mm high) headline screamed from the front page of the Weekend Herald and was accompanied by a blurb that began “Panicked shoppers last night descended on supermarkets across Auckland, stocking up for what one labelled ‘the apocalypse’…” The accompanying picture showed hazmat suit-clad figures. Continue reading “Don’t panic: It’s only pandemonium” →

In a fill-in media spot on RNZ Nine to Noon I discussed this morning’s release of NZME’s annual result: A modest improvement in operating profit wiped out by massive impairment costs. I also reprised today’s White Knight News TUESDAY COMMENTARY. Here’s the link to the audio:

Gavin Ellis on Nine to Noon

     + Mosque attack anniversary   + Radio cricket  + Mystery Mason

The memory remains raw, visceral and agonising.

We need little reminding that the first anniversary of the Christchurch mosque attacks is three weeks away.

On March 15 our collective sorrow and outrage will be reinforced by an overwhelming level of media commemoration. Continue reading ““Content may offend”” →