One of the existential problems for public broadcasting in NZ was the free market splintering of the audience. With multiple channels, the town square of civics has been crippled by ever diminishing attention spans, add to that the cacophony of a thousand voices screaming at each other into the void of social media and the ability to have any kind of informed debate becomes a sad joke looking for a punchline.
That’s why moving Q+A to 9.30pm matters.
Putting political discussion on the dead wasteland of Sunday morning relegates it to religious programming, something only train spotters in anoraks enjoy. 9.30pm however creates a space that builds the town square into an audience that actually matters and is meaningful.
It is a clear move by TVNZ to the new Government that all that extra public broadcasting funding can find a home with them and that TVNZ are prepared to play ball for it.
The challenge for Q+A will be to lift the panel from politely spoken Sunday morning academics into political voices that can hold prime time attention. TVNZ should see this as an opportunity to bring in new voices as well as a new audience and we might finally get a prime time politics show that is actually worth tuning into.
I agree Martyn. The Q & A Sunday comedy is too funny for words as the Fat Capitalist panelists and the “Divine Right” National Interviewers skin the bones off the low waged Kiwis. HaHaHa
At 9:30 pm (after Sport, Booze, Road Toll, Rapes etc, Shitty Tourists-Seymour):
Then bring on the:
The Labour Bashers – Jacinda Haters – Trade Deplorers – and other sadists can be led by Herr SS Interviewers, Army Adams, and the uncontrollable daisylazy Bennett.
Also, Mrs mummy can have her say and demand more money to buy Marijuana to put in the kiddies lunch box.
Great. An even better opportunity for dyed in the wool Nat supporters like Corrin Dann to give the Opposition some desperately needed air time.
Wouldn’t have happened under the previous mob, where any form of critical examination of their actions was to be found solely on websites such as TDB.
An objective compere and panel might make it worthwhile, but sorry, the sight of Michelle Boag et al spouting their poisonous propaganda turns my stomach.
From the link: ‘From Sunday 29th July, Q+A will move from a morning slot to primetime on TVNZ 1. Scheduled for 9.30pm, the move will bring Q+A to a bigger audience. Hosted by Corin Dann, Q+A will continue to bring viewers the important political issues and discussions of the week.’
What a sick joke!
TVNZ is dedicated to PREVENTING discussion of the important political issues and discussions of the week.
TVNZ is an important component of the ubiquitous propaganda system that promotes everything that is exploitive, destructive and unsustainable.
We are one day closer to the inevitable collapse.
‘Independent journalism has become the last firewall against government and corporate lies. Yet, with frightening regularity, independent media sources are losing funding, closing down or being blacked out by Google and Facebook. Never before has independent media been more endangered.’
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/05/22/waters-rising-because-its-getting-warmer
What pisses me off is that taxpayers money is spent on Q+A and The Nation, onlt to have it ‘ghettoised’ on saturday and sunday mornings. By contrast TV1 and TV2 offer bullshit tripe like “married at first sight”, “the project”, etc , pap for infantilised viewers.
If taxpayers cash is to be spent on these things, a criteria should be to broadcast them at a decent time.
What a laugh – our media is!
NZ is the most expensive country in the world. Propgandised by Capitalists recruited by RNZ TVNZ ZB Bull dust – plus unintelligible Reo rattled at the speed of rockets like ghastly all black threats.
Demands for some very “special” ethnicities – nothing for any ordinary people.
The more capitalist this place becomes, the more people will suffer. Our Media do not give a fig about that.
At least Jacinda Ardern, Grant Robertson, and Andrew Little have an integrity that we really need. We do not need a Boag. A Paganini. Not Bankers. Not Bennetts.
As for Aucklanders – it is about time they learnt how to plan and got on with the job. The media is all about Auckland. Non stop.
For Aucklanders want to suck off the rest of the Nation – for the work they have not done. The Media is nearly all about Auckland.
Again, Jacinda, Grant, Andrew, Winston, Shayne – have done something for the rest of NZ. Not the Media.
The Media in NZ is a Viral Vomit.
That Corin Dann though… there’s the glint of the beast of prey in his eyes. He knows the wretchedness inside these wolves… in sheep’s clothing… and something about that glint tells me he has it in him to bring some real pain to these pretenders and I predict he will
Bloody good point Martyn,
That was why we loved and miss your excellent nightly program you had back in 2016 The fourth Estate, shit I miss it.
http://www.pmc.aut.ac.nz/pacific-media-watch/nz-martyn-bradbury-still-awaiting-birth-real-fourth-estate-10159
I wish siomeone would kick the minister of Broadcasting to get it going again.
Indeed, CG. Martyn’s “Citizen A” was one of our viewing highlights when it screened on TV. It was a kind of Kiwi-version of Seth Meyers/John Oliver and good fun to watch (as well as striking a firm counter-point to the blandness of the msm).
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