MEDIAWATCH: Losing Aunty Jenny May-Clarkson is the death knell for TVNZ Public broadcasting

By
Martyn Bradbury
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12
820

Media Insider: Why Jenny-May Clarkson’s Breakfast time is over

The end is coming swiftly – some might say brutally. Jenny May-Clarkson’s departure from Breakfast was delivered via press release just 40 minutes after she came off air yesterday morning.

There had been no warning, nor – surprisingly – any announcement on the show itself. Clarkson will finish, after six years on the Breakfast couch, next Friday – a full four weeks before the show finishes for the year.

Questioned about who had made the call, a TVNZ spokeswoman told Media Insider by email: “Jenny-May and TVNZ have agreed that Jenny-May will conclude her tenure on Friday 21 November, following a long and valued contribution.”

I think Jenny May-Clarkson leaving TVNZ is the death knell for public broadcasting on TVNZ.

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I wasn’t always a fan of her, which was more to do with the fact she was previously a cop (I don’t trsut cops), but over the years Jenny May-Clarkson has risen to the most important title any New Zealand Woman can attain, that of Aunty.

Her emotional intelligence during very tough interviews mark her as a unique talent.

There really was only one reason to watch TVNZ Breakfast, and it was her.

Jenny reached Aunty status on TVNZ.

She was faultlessly kind and respectful but hard as nails when demanding accountability for a marginalised group.

She managed all this without a hint of elitism of condescension.

TVNZ ditching a broadcaster with the emotional intelligence of Jenny bodes ill for a Broadcaster who has effectively walked away from its Public Broadcaster Obligations and is now simply hoping to be sold off by National and privatised.

Losing an asset like Jenny merely highlights how far TVNZ have divested itself of any true mana.

 

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12 COMMENTS

  1. Our media is fucked under this CoC government who do not like to be asked questions or be held accountable for anything. They don’t see a value in us having our own NZ media and they bully the journalist. Everything is up for sale under this lot. And I see they are promoting themselves with billboards up in the Hutt Valley show casing Bishop re- the Melling link like it is or was his project, yet he held it back for 2 years as part of his cost cutting measures. The wealthy donors of the CoC lot will pay for all the expensive billboards to get these nasty pricks back in power we need to ensure this does not happen.

    • Yes you are correct in putting the blame on the government, tvnz is a diverse team and some of them are in the government’s pocket and others have a social conscience but the government doesn’t want any organizations questioning their actions which is the problem.

  2. Perhaps, just perhaps it’s just because Breakfast was performing poorly with ratings and advertisements and this presenter was one of the main reasons.

      • Not sure who “Squeaky” is but judging by your comment “in general” you’re most definitely not one to deal in facts? But “downhill” could be attributed to this CoC.

  3. I know there are MPs in government who refuse to be interviewed by RNZ. Frankly I think they should not have a choice, RNZ is our radio station and MPs are our servants.

  4. I don’t watch tv and haven’t for years since a short while after Roberts came to head it. But this lady sounds really good, and that she was regarded as an Aunty was an indication. Reading about her style and achievements she sounds similar to Kim Hill who also was outstanding.

    Calls to mind excerpts from WHAuden – his 1 September 1939
    https://thepoetryhour.com/poems/september-1-1939/
    …The enlightenment driven away,
    The habit-forming pain,
    Mismanagement and grief,
    We must suffer them all again.
    …no one exists alone;
    Hunger allows no choice
    To the citizen or the police;
    We must love one another or die.

    Defenceless under the night
    Our world in stupor lies;
    Yet, dotted everywhere,
    Ironic points of light
    Flash out wherever the Just
    Exchange their messages:..

    • Sorry, but Jenny-May Clarkson is nowhere near to being in the same league as Kim Hill.

      I watch very little television but see clips on other political sites. John Campbell has been the only real journalist on Breakfast in recent years. The others are lightweights.

    • She won’t have heard of you of course. And there may be nobody to know, who knows? But the two sides are of ass-ymnetrical importance.

  6. Sorry, but Jenny-May Clarkson is nowhere near to being in the same league as Kim Hill.

    I watch very little television but see clips on other political sites. John Campbell has been the only real journalist on Breakfast in recent years. The others are lightweights.

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