GUEST BLOG – Myles Thomas – TV3 shows a lack of respect

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The loss of John Campbell from TV3 is huge, in several ways. A huge loss to TV3 and more importantly, a huge loss to New Zealand.

Campbell Live seems to be have been the target of an internal campaign since around the time Julie Christie and Mark Weldon were appointed to the TV3 Board. The first sign came last year when, out of left-field, Rachel Glucina suggested a co-host. This seemed to be coming from one of her ‘tipline’ connections and while all programmes should be reviewed, this went further to changing the whole tone of the show. According to Bill Ralston the handling of John Campbell became of an employment dispute. Whatever the case is, it’s certainly not the best way to deal with your star presenter – unless you want to get rid of them of course.

John Campbell is an extraordinarily popular journalist and presenter who has presented NZ’s only nightly current affairs show for many years. But now according to the press release he’s chosen to leave and take a break. A break from what exactly? Hostile management perhaps?

Not only is TV3 driving a wedge between themselves and their staff, they’re driving a wedge between themselves and their audience.

That TV3 have actively let Campbell go shows a lack of respect for New Zealand culture, democracy and public. That they do so when Campbell Live ratings are through the roof shows that the decision is not about ratings. It raises the question – what was the reason for closing down Campbell Live? Was it ordered by the new owners? Was it pressure from the PM’s office? Or companies affected by Campbell Live’s recent campaigns? Until an argument more cogent than ‘ratings’ emerges, we’re left wondering.

Then there’s the timing of the announcement – 2.02pm on Budget Day! Obviously hoping there’d be less column inches available to critique their decision. It’s good to see that news editors have shown their contempt for that tactic. It all reflects rather poorly on TV3.

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On a broader scale, the loss of New Zealand’s only nightly current affairs show reflects poorly on our government. The underlying structure of the industry and our extraordinarily commercial media is a result of government policy. We are more commercialised than any other western nation – by a substantial margin. That’s a result of Government Ministers directing TVNZ to focus solely on profit and closing TVNZ 6 & 7.

With Campbell Live being axed, this dereliction of duty is laid bare. Maybe it’s time for Amy Adams, our Broadcasting Minister, to redirect TVNZ to replace Seven Sharp with a proper nightly current affairs show, and hire John Campbell to present it.

 

Myles Thomas

Coalition for Better Broadcasting

www.betterbroadcasting.co.nz

7 COMMENTS

    • I watched it tonight. Other than an interesting piece on who is buying Auckland hoses, the rest of the time was spent telling us how good the show is or what great results they have obtained for their viewers.Enough.

  1. Not saying its from the horses mouth or anything, but some advertisers on TV 3 did not like the zero hours story ran by C Live and threw their weight around. Yep, controlled by corporates.
    Answer for the people of NZ: Give up on Television, ignore commercialism, read a good book, play a board game or two with the family, go online and look for alternative news and entertainment…anything, but don’t let the corporate bullies win.
    Hit them where it hurts – the pocket.
    One person doing the above wont make a difference, half the country doing it will!

  2. Yes …. very restrained. If I didn’t know better (of Miles, by reputation), I’d say almost whoosey (if that’s how you spell it – as in namby – etc).

    Of course that’s what the likes of Jooooolie Krusty and WellDone (very wellDone) do best as cowardly masters of the Universe.
    Both the bloody egos are so big you could drive a bus through them.

    They remind me of Muldoon in any ways ….. it took a bloody long time for people to realise the guy was ekshully just a pathetic little pip squeak before enough summonsed up enough courage to stand up to the little prick.

    I’m very glad Campbell has ‘Just said NO’.

    One of my tests as to whether I’ll ever vote Labour again is going to be what they will do to hold some of these ‘masters of the Universe’ accountable ……. so it’ll be 2020 if they’re still around, but there sure as shit is enough evidence and justfication for their doing so.

  3. erased Myles,

    As David Lesch said I his summaries of Autocratic governance, without a free press 4th estate, our democracy dies.

    TV3 is doing immense harm to our fledgling democracy of this young culture and will set us back years now with a chilling effect on any other Journalist with passion to speak out as John has always done so eloquently.

    I have permanently switched off this channel and onto other true balanced media sources which still are are covering all current affairs

    Goodbye TV3.

  4. Mediaworks – two-faced “sell outs” state clearly that John left and they did not push him out. Hypocrites. What a load . . . you can get rid of anyone just by changing the show (?) and its name (?) and its focus (?) and reduce the nights and then ask the person, who’s name represented a great show, to stay and what is that if not being sneaky about getting rid of someone ? Who is paying off who under the table in the dark ?

    I bet John decided to leave more because of the disrespect he and the NZ public were shown and again its all about PROFITS BEFORE PEOPLE.
    Shame on gutless Channel Three and the greedy hypocrites – Mediaworks and (out of touch) Stephen Joyce and what ever other cowardly snakes in the grass there are.

    We all know that Johns show was mostly pretty good, most of the time and culturally very important and valuable but this is all about the Rothschild type upper 1% elitists wanting to control the show and get rid of those who may expose their Dirty Politics and GREED.

    Our government and media and most governments already are owned and controlled by these mega-corporation families and criminal banksters. TPPA will be the death nail for many jobs and workers rights and sovereignty and the green light for more greed and environmental disasters. TPPA and fracking must be stopped immediately.

    Hold your head up high – John – you did a great ! ! job and many know this. Thanks for your amazing contribution and you will be missed !
    Write a book ? about all this and expose them even more.
    After all, we are the majority, not them.

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