GUEST BLOG: Rex Widerstrom – Thirteen things you (probably) didn’t know about Mark Weldon (CEO of Mediaworks)

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1: He’s the man John Key picked to chair the “Summit on Employment” in 2009(1)

2:He’s also the man John Key picked to lead The Christchurch Earthquake Appeal(2)

3: He’s also the man who used that position to breach the Bill of Rights Act and force “the advancement of religion” into the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal Trust’s constitution(3)

4: And he’s the man Cameron Slater (Whaleoil) characterises as “allegedly a friend of John Key”(4)

5: Slater also asked on October 15 last year “Who will be the first (of many) casualties under Mark “I’m the boss” Weldon at Mediaworks?” with one commenter on that story saying “The man is a tyrant who doesn’t play nicely with others. Frankly, I love the idea of Weldon and John Campbell having to work together …”(5)

6: he’s also the man whom insiders were picking as a potential National Party candidate for the safe seat of Tamaki(6)

7: And he’s a man who praised John Key’s program of asset sales announced in 2011 as “bold, it was clear, it was early – and very positive…” and called those who were cautious about it “fearmongering”. That’s the same assets sales program that had to be drastically cut back and became something of an embarrassment to the government(7)

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8: He’s the man who made a substantial personal gain ($6 million) as a result of Key’s asset sales announcement(8)

9: He’s also the man who, as CEO of the NZX, characterised those who voiced concerns about aspects of the Exchange’s operations as mentally ill(9)

10: He’s the man who’s already got rid of two of Mediaworks’s main financial watchdogs – chief financial officer Peter Crossan and company secretary and lawyer Claire Bradley(10)

11: He’s the man of whom blogger Cactus Kate (business lawyer and commentator Cathy Odgers) noted “Mediaworks currently does not employ anyone on your television or radio with a larger ego than Weldon, even Willie Jackson, Sean Plunket and Duncan Garner combined can’t compete” and that “NZX was the greatest reality soap opera in town under Weldon’s leadership, the casting couch of characters was enormous as disgruntled staff left and new bright eyed disciples were employed”(11)

12: He’s the man Odgers also described (in a blog post now deleted by referenced by another, also right wing, blogger) as a “weasel word corporate-welfared CEO…” and a “shallow self-promoting tool”(12)

13: He’s the man who said there was no conflict of interest in allowing the NZX to be the provider of NZX services, the supervisor of its members, a listed participant on its own exchange and the market regulator… a statement one broker described as “utter balderdash”(13)

Weldon was also appointed by Key, or one of his Ministers, the Capital Markets Development Taskforce in 2009/10; the Tax Working Group in 2009; and the Climate Change Leadership Forum in 2007.

Key gave him a QSO in the 2012 Queen’s Birthday Honours List.

Now remember that Slater, Odgers and Cresswell are all considered right wingers. They’re certainly not the type of people who’d be found cheering John Campbell’s advocacy journalism on behalf of the less fortunate.

Generally, you might expect them to be quite supportive of a man with Weldon’s background who’s chaired the NZX and is friends with the Leader of the National Party.

So, you be the judge… is the move to axe Campbell Live motivated by ratings (it’s not advertising revenue, as advertisers strongly support the show) or by something else altogether?

(1) http://pundit.co.nz/content/the-weldon-factor
(2) http://www.johnkey.co.nz/index.php…
(3) http://norightturn.blogspot.co.nz/…/against-government-prom…
(4) http://www.whaleoil.co.nz/…/what-the-national-party-needs-…/
(5) http://www.whaleoil.co.nz/…/earth-happening-inside-mediawo…/
(6) http://www.whaleoil.co.nz/2011/10/weldon-for-tamaki/
(7) http://www.stuff.co.nz/…/45957…/Key-gambles-on-privatisation
(8) http://werewolf.co.nz/2011/09/ten-myths-about-asset-sales/
(9) http://www.odt.co.nz/…/575…/weldon-building-something-empire
(10) http://www.nzherald.co.nz/management/news/article.cfm…
(11) http://www.whaleoil.co.nz/…/08/mediaworks-chopped-sold-bits/
(12) http://pc.blogspot.co.nz/…/just-like-self-promoting-shallow…
(13) http://www.chrislee.co.nz/newsletter/display.php…

34 COMMENTS

  1. Now he’s just waiting for a tap on the shoulder and a friendly lunch catchup job offer to be our new SIS boss.

  2. NZ cronyism at it,s most obvious. RIP NZ democracy & fair go mentality. All thanks in recent past, to the American puppet & carpetbagger……but he has a nice smile……pretty good at pulling up the ladder after using it too. Only Bennet is nearly as good.

    • “but he has a nice smile”.. Actually, he has an obviously false smile… It never reaches his eyes…. This “smile” is an obvious gimmick he developed very young to compensate for his other, less admirable qualities… I still marvel at how many people continue to refuse to look past the obvious facade that barely hides his obsession with himself…(present company excepted, of course)… 😀

  3. I sent the following email to mjennings@mediaworks.co.nz, mweldon@mediaworks.co.nz, replies@mediaworks.co.nz and to http://www.3news.co.nz/TVShows/CampbellLive/Contact.aspx

    “Hi.

    Here is MY personal commitment. If TV3 axes Campbell live, I will STOP watching ANY programme on TV3 for the rest of this year at least. I often listen to Radio Live of Media Works also. I will stop doing that too. This is not an empty knee jerk reaction. I want to take a practical stand within my simple power designed to hurt Media Works at least a little bit.

    (Yours etc) “

    • One of those petition forms you sign. I was already thinking there is no way I will watch ANYTHING on TV3 if the axe Campbell Live. Way to dodgy dealings

    • Is this the same Mediaworks that was bailed out by Steven Joyce to the tune of around $43 million?

      More corporate influence buying aka corporate welfare. Especially given the fact that media is the first estate to be taken over in a dictatorship..

      This country is corrupt to the core with croney capitalist neoliberals – it’s a disgrace….

  4. Hey long time since we heard from you Rex on the left wing Kiwi blogs.
    Are you still in Aussie?
    Always used to enjoy your posts and comments at The Standard.
    I knew Weldon had run the the Stock Exchange into the ground I didn’t know his incompetence was so extensive though.
    As a close mate of an economic illiterate like Key it figures.
    Cheers

    • Awesome post Jane – links beautifully with my dictatorship-fascist-corrupt-state above… Thanks for the reference, rather that the gut-instinct comment I made…

    • Well I can understand the political shitstorm that Winston spearheaded in Northland, basically showing nasties that their brand of Planet Key politics is NOT for Aotearoa.

      So that pressure has to go somewhere, because Winston now only has to go “Boo!” and the nasties are wetting their sheepie covered parliamentary seats….

      This sort of neo-nastie-Govt we have needs a new leader more in touch with the people. We have seen what the money-traders have to offer in the temple and kicked them out. Time to get rid of Key, Planet-Key and get some social responsibility and heart back into National and its cabal.

      Keep going Campbell – keep giving Weldon and Key shit for their third-world contracts and mean-spirited neoliberal shite.

  5. Thanks for this Rex. You might have to watch your back now after your insightful expose`re Weldon’s relationship and close connection to John Key! I’m sure this is something a majority of Kiwis weren’t aware of. I certainly wasn’t!

    Campbell is one of the few decent investigative journalists in broadcasting. He’s the only voice of the ordinary Kiwi. He asks far too many sensible, but hard hitting questions of government. Too many in fact for the PM’s liking, making John Key uncomfortable and we know how he likes to feel “relaxed” and “comfortable” about things! But not so with Campbell Live, obviously!

    Seems from Rex’s blog, John Key is behind the threat of Campbell Live being axed. His chief henchman being one Mark Weldon QSO! This one reeks of a very dirty political conspiracy, particularly with a high profile court case beginning mid April, which I’m sure Campbell would very likely shred to pieces, causing much embarrassment for the political hierarchy!

    Hitler had Goebbels remember, to tear down the democratic freedom of media and information. Is Weldon the new equivalent for Key? And here’s me thinking it is Steven (Lord Haw Haw) Joyce.

    More deceit and subterfuge from slimy Key, hiding behind Weldon!

    #SAVE CAMPBELL LIVE and to hell with Key, Joyce, Weldon, Christie and all their stinking cling-ons!

  6. Yes, make that letter into a form, send it to media works in the thousands! Time to fight back, the NZ MSM has turned to #%*#, lets let them know they need to smarten up their act!

  7. Gosh Rex I hope Nicky Hagar is now writing your expose’ down for his next book.

    Nicky and John Campbell should now be placed on the top of the NZ First/Labour list for the next election.

    We desperately need honest individuals who resonate such truth and credibility in this corruption riddled political time.

    Great effort Rex very much appreciated.

    • NZ First/Labour/Green party will you combine to do what is right for our democracy NOW PLEASE.

      I have long thought that the opposition should combine together in a (rare show of unity) for our common good and place a court injunction to seize control of half of the public media TV/RNZ to be placed under their guardianship for a free voice for these investigative journo to levitate to for their right to free speech vehicles for the public good so now is the Time.

      NZ First/Labour/Green party will you combine to do what is right for our democracy NOW PLEASE.

  8. Let’s not leave it to the bloggers NZ. If you can tap a comment you can tap a letter to TV3. You can stand against corruption, incompetence and cronyism. Share this on Facebook too as well as send a message out there on Twitter or any other social media you can. EXPOSE, EXPOSE, IRRITATE, and for heavens sake let’s not get apathetic. Remember the squeaky wheel? If enough of us make things too hot long enough maybe we can keep a little control over our country for ourselves. Man in the Mirror! So get on your keyboards Kiwis. I’ve already done all the above from France.

  9. Now we have that right-wing toadie Paul Henry on 1/6 th of the week – (3 hours in the morning and an hour of highlights at night) the Planet Key message is getting out there …and then some ….

    The ONLY opposition to the MSM message is CL, and TDB….

    All the rest have succumbed to Goebbels’ tactics (see above).

    Aotearoa needs champions like Campbell Live AND Rex AND others in The Daily Blog

  10. Looks like John Key is using Weldon to ax Campbell Live so that the ordinary kiwi can’t speak out against the government. Looks like the government wants to use mediaworks to spread their political propaganda and take full control of the government so that they can form a dictatorship.

    I urge all my fellow kiwis to send a letter to stop media works from axing Campbell Live. John Key, Mark Weldon and Steven Joyce are neo-Nazis. Christchurch is already run under a neo-Nazi regime.

  11. When people get touted as “great managers” when they can only manage people who look, act and think like them and never challenge them – that is like saying someone is a good mother when they have only ever baby sat a doll. If everyone is required to agree with them – that is a dictatorship and the corruption that existed many years ago when I had to get out of Govt role due to the corruption – funnily enough under a previous National Government. Am disgusted at how people cannot see the similarity to other dictators……and how inherently evil this is.

  12. I simply cannot wait until somebody does go right ahead and do an expose on this neo-con carpetbagger, Rawshark style.

    His pre-political history is just an insight into his mindset, not so much his deeds. When you add in his now hundreds of lies, misinformation, obfuscations and dodging, he is not going to be much of a fight for the truth – because that is all that needs to be said. We don’t need to make accusations. We can use his own weasel words against him, without any real difficulty, without needing to be accused of having things “out of context” because there is literally a gold mine of things he has said, and done, that will make him a pariah of this country for many a generation – because he sold us out to foreign interests, in both a financial and political manner.

    Putting it plainly, the Abolition of the Death Penalty Act 1989 passed by the Palmer Labour government, put the last nail in the coffin for death due to treason, and this I feel was a favour for the ones who led us to the selling of our nation’s soul to the IMF (Lange/Prebble/Douglas). Today however, is no different. It’s not enough to sell our assets anymore – our political will too. Can you imagine corporatocracy? The ability for a company to sue our government? This thinly veiled attempt at excusing all the lies of the past 6 years ought to come crashing down, but how to make this happen?

    Can only hurt and embarrass his “legacy” with the truth, sadly.

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