Agenda dumped for Olympics
August 13th, 2008 at 6:20 pm by David FarrarGood God. TVNZ have cancelled this week’s Agenda for repeats of the Olympics.
Is this an example of the Charter at work?
I mean it is not as if there isn’t an election about to be held. Oh wait, there is.
I could understand if it was for live Olympics. But 10 am Sunday in NZ is 6am Sunday in Beijing so it is definitely only repeats.
Two months before an election, TVNZ dumps for a week the only in depth political show for sports repeats.
Our tax dollars at work.
August 13th, 2008 at 6:26 pm
Perhaps when they lost their guest Tony Ryall they had no choice.
Vote:Wise move , Ryall isnt one of those nice Mr key types
August 13th, 2008 at 6:34 pm
Our tax dollars at work? Damn, I didn’t know the kiwi dollar was that weak.
Vote:August 13th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
Surely they could just do one and air it on TVNZ and on-line?
Vote:August 13th, 2008 at 6:38 pm
Unauthorised History of NZ also on holiday.
Vote:August 13th, 2008 at 6:50 pm
What’s wrong with TV2?
Vote:Surely people are capable of switching channels for one or the other.
What programme of national importance is being shown then?
August 13th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
Well, wouldn’t you prefer to watch faked events from China instead of fakirs from NZ poitics?
Vote:August 13th, 2008 at 7:37 pm
Agenda be damned, they cancelled Coro, the outrageous bastards.
Vote:August 13th, 2008 at 7:42 pm
Looking at the poll results prehaps this move can be put down to a scared and power crazy government,who knows, wouldn’t surprise me. God this country suffers from political ignorance big time, we should have alot more programs like Agenda, no doubt the ruling elite would not agree. While I realise that our population limits the amount of political coverage that can be put on the tele what we get at the moment is pitiful at best and a down right right disgrace at worst.
Vote:August 13th, 2008 at 7:47 pm
What bearhunter said
Vote:August 13th, 2008 at 7:50 pm
I m glad you raised this. I find this monopoly coverage is not serving the public well. We are forced to watch what TV executives want us to watch. The most obscure event with a kiwi in it is covered in favour of far more important events. They are arrogantly piping the whole olympics through one channel, when we have a whole sky network available and in HD to boot. I sincerely hope this is the last olympics where state TV gives us their monopoly service for the olympics.
Vote:August 13th, 2008 at 7:56 pm
GWW2 …. re your 6.26 …. then put these Labour types in the order of nastyness:
Mallard
Vote:Benson-Pope
Tizard
Dyson
Williams
Cosgrove
Clark
Maharey
August 13th, 2008 at 8:10 pm
I’m only on here at the moment because Animal Rescue has been booted …
But anyway, I find the whole wall-to-wall Olympics bloody tedious. Live crosses to important NZ events, fair enough. But the rest of it? Sheesh!
Vote:August 13th, 2008 at 8:10 pm
I was told by a member of TVNZ that people are watching the olympics in record numbers.
Of course they are, what choice do they have?
Vote:August 13th, 2008 at 8:16 pm
Think for a moment that we had an imaginative TAB and they ran the contest to pick the nastiest Labour types. With eight contestants it would be like a greyhound race, complete with three bitches.
Vote:I think I would box Mallard, Benson-Pope and Maharey in my trifecta. But only with 50 cent units.
And the TAB could change their Easy Bets to Sleasy Bets.
August 13th, 2008 at 8:23 pm
Tauhei, I wouldn’t bother with Maharey in the order above. Years of botter greyhound experience tells me that you need a black dog in trap 6 to get a result.
Vote:August 13th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
I enjoy the Olympics as much as anyone, but whoever the dumbfucks that run programming at TVNZ 1, they have little or, no understanding of the value of their brand. When a company strays from its brand hallmarks, it risks losing its loyal customer base (aka market share), to market competitors. For example, I’m so sick to death of the olympics on TV1 (Breakfast), I’m now watching TV3 Sunrise. (I’ve never done that before) And to stop screening Coro s insane, it s watch by more females than males, and females make 80% of purchasng decisions in NZ.
Vote:August 13th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
There’s a gummint in place now, and people whinge about it.
There’ll be a gummint in place after the election, and people will still be whinging about it.
And there will be plenty more opportunities for a good whinge between now and the elections.
Some of us are just not that interested
The Olympics, OTOH, is pretty cool. The most motivated and skilled people around,doing just unbelievable things out of sheer determination to see how good they can be. I know what I’d rather watch…
Vote:August 13th, 2008 at 9:02 pm
Their problem, aparrently, is getting National Party spokespeople to come on the programme. Aparrently, senior frontbenchers are afraid of upstaging their boss, and their boss has been advised only to attend interviews with actively friendly media outlets.
Vote:August 13th, 2008 at 9:20 pm
Murray says:
Ahhh the self-fulfilling wisdom of TV programmers. Try sweating blood to produce intelligent quality programming and being told by some marketing graduate twenty-something that “it’s too serious for prime time” and that people are watching “Celebrities Dancing on a Desert Island to See Who Loses the Most Weight” or whatever the current dross is.
But even the fried brians of the couch potatoes are starting to object to this constant diet of pap. “Make Me a Supermodel” dived so horrendously straight out of the gate that they resorted to delaying a cross to live Olympics coverage so they could show (at a time when kids were likely to be watching) soft porn. And it still bombed. Only this time it bombed and pissed people off. Brilliant.
Vote:August 13th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
There are 4 different TVNZ channels showing olympics Tim Barclay, go to the frickin website!
Vote:August 13th, 2008 at 9:27 pm
stephen – quite right: 3 new-fangled digital ones that trip out whenever it rains or the wind blows, (always at critical moments) or tried and true TV1.
There’s progress…
Vote:August 13th, 2008 at 9:47 pm
It obviously upsets you lefties when the Nats have better things to do on week-end mornings than go on a nonsense TVNZ show. Going door knocking for the same length of time would net the same number of votes!
Vote:August 13th, 2008 at 9:51 pm
It “obviously upsets” the straw man…
Vote:August 13th, 2008 at 10:05 pm
Did Sky tender for the Olympics? They’ve got 4 dedicated sports channels, so it would not have diseupted their normal programming.
If they did tender for it, then how much did TVNZ fork out at the taxpayers’ expense to beat them? I actually quite like to watch some Olympic sport, but it should not be at the expense of free to air current affairs programming (or drama, although I’m no fan of Coro).
I’m somewhat pissed off that I pay my sub to Sky, but they couldn’t secure the Olympics, when I could watch it when I chose, and without disruption to regular free to air current affairs and drama.
The free market has failed me – yet again!
Vote:August 13th, 2008 at 10:12 pm
Toad! I wouldn’t have picked you for one of the
Vote:“I’ve-paid-for-the-right-to-watch-(XYZ)-on-Sky-and-all-free-to-air-viewers-are-bludgers-living-off-my-hard-work” type theorists!
August 13th, 2008 at 10:17 pm
How heartless for the Chinese politburo to change the young girl in the opening ceremony at the last minute.
Now we know why Chinese never smile.
And this is the cruel system Liarbour want to thrust on us.
No, Winston, NO!
Vote:August 13th, 2008 at 10:22 pm
“GWW2 …. re your 6.26 …. then put these Labour types in the order of nastyness:
Mallard
Benson-Pope
Tizard
Dyson
Williams
Cosgrove
Clark
Maharey”
Hmm, am Olympian task.
But to be fair Mallard and Benson Pope have had their justice dealt out.
another hmm,
there has to be a corelation between a court and a tennis ball
Somewhere in these two men, they have the answer
Vote:August 13th, 2008 at 10:25 pm
“Now we know why Chinese never smile.”
Are you for real?
Vote:August 13th, 2008 at 10:37 pm
It could be the case of TVNZ clearing the decks for some possible medal wins. TVNZ can then go into hyper drive with triumphalist pictures about how “Little New Zealand” punches above its weight and once again demonstrates to the world that New Zealand is the best country in the world.
How many medals has New Zealand won so far?
Hels will rush to the airport to commence some serious ass licking of the returning heroes, the Olympic champions, to try and bask in their reflective glory. Too bad she will still get booted out of office on 8 November.
Time for a change.
Vote:August 13th, 2008 at 10:38 pm
The current Olympics broadcasting contract was negotiated a long time ago, when Sky was but a tiddler (and couldn’t convince the IOC that they’d be as significant as they now are). However this is the last Olympics “covered” by TVNZ — obviously they’ve chosen to go out with a whimper.
Sky has picked up the rights for both the Winter Olympics of 2010 and the London Olympics of 2012. For the latter, they’re promising at least 8 Sky channels carrying Olympic coverage 24 hours a day — plus, for free to air viewers, 22 hours a day on Prime. More than enough to drown the memory of the TVNZ “let’s pretend we’re a multi-channel broadcaster by adding in ‘Sports Extra’ on the barely-watched Freeview service — oh and two more buffering-buffering-buffering ‘channels’ on the internet.” WOW.
Vote:August 13th, 2008 at 10:38 pm
er…dare I say there is more to life than the glowing flat thing on the wall. Good night.
Vote:August 13th, 2008 at 10:46 pm
Half correct! Habitual TV2 watchers are visually and intellectually stupefied to the point that changing channels first requires a TEC-funded training program.
Vote:August 13th, 2008 at 11:47 pm
I don’t see anything sinister here. More people are interested in the Olympics than politics. I know that’s hard for some to accept (me, too at times)…..but I am now well beyond any doubt on the point.
TV One has the staff over there. They aren’t TV2 people. TV2 is (as far as I know) devoid of any news content at all. Not sure….I rarely watch it.
Much like C4…all fluff, no stuff…
As for sports generally, I’ve long since stopped wasting any time on the games and infomercials – “playtime news” – they include in the evening bulletins after the 10 minutes oif serious stuff early in the bulletin. Campbell Live’s nightly infomercial segment for cars or other luxury items is also a non-starter at my house. I may watch the odd tech piece…..but the iPhone segment was fluff and not stuff….so I’m sorry i wasted those minutes.
TV One kicking a good political show for sports re-runs is par for the course in NZ. That IS the typical level of public discourse in NZ outside the insiders, geeks and nerds.
Vote:August 13th, 2008 at 11:55 pm
Ross – easy to put them in order – Joint 1st.
Vote:Edit – How about a list of Labour & govnt supporter MPs with integrity.
August 14th, 2008 at 12:39 am
More to the point, Agenda is these days the only political show in NZ and it’s screened early Saturday or is it Sunday?
Do the morons who design TV programming and for that matter, newspapers, ever stop to ask themselves: Gee, wonder how come we never used to have so much sport and celebrity pap and yet we still made a profit.
It’s called creating your own reality, fucktards.
Guess what, fucktard media executives? Do it right: i.e. design hard news properly and make it accessible, and you’ll instantly capture the highest earning segments of the population.
Hint: No sport except on the weekends, no celebrity, period and no human interest, except on the weekends. Fire every fucktard journalist (i.e. all of them except for a handful I’m sure we could all name), especially ALL the anchors on ALL channels and FFS get Hoskings full time on Closeup. At least he can think on his feet and sometimes even ASKS the questions that are on everyone’s mind, unlike the fucktard incumbent.
After you’ve done that, do NZ a favour and resign you useless fucks, you’ve proven yourselves as useless as Chamberlain. In the name of God, GO!
BTW, I’m quite enjoying the Olympic coverage.
Vote:August 14th, 2008 at 2:01 am
Hi this is Robert Black from China. I have been here 7 years and have written two novels:
The Control Sickness (about New Zealanders generally and their conservative English judgmental attitude);
and The Fake Celebrity in China.
Today my Chinese gf asked me why does New Zealand have no medals?
I told her this:
“New Zealand has a split culture. The Maori people, who came to New Zealand long ago, from near Hawaii. You know where Hawaii is?”
“Yes,” she replied.
“Well, before them, there was a peaceful race in New Zealand, called the Moriori. They were kind of fat and lazy, due to the abundant food in New Zealand. Anyway, it was their bad luck that one day the Maoris set off in their war canoes and there was a big storm that blew the South and they ended up in New Zealand. Now the Maoris were very different to the Moriori, they were big tough warriors and they were also cannibals. Which means they ate people. Anyway, to cut a long story short, the Moriori were wiped out. They don’t exist anymore. Kind of sad. Not only that, people now say they never existed, I mean how can they argue? They are all gone. But a western guy called King, wrote a couple of books about them and they can be found in most public libraries throughout New Zealand.”
“Robbie, I’m bored, what has this got to do with the Kiwis getting no medals?”
“Well, later, the English came, led by Captain Cook. They had rifles, but even then in the land wars they never really won against the Maoris. The Maoris are very big and tough. And so New Zealand has had two cultures for a very long time, and the economy is traditionally farming, quite poor, so lately our leader Helen Clarke has opened the doors to rich Chinese.”
“I’m sleeping!”
“Ok, I think, firstly it is lack of money for our athletes. No money for the proper training and coaches. Unlike Australia, our athletes have to do it all by themselves. Just like our artists. No wonder, so many of our elite athletes, artists, doctors and so on leave New Zealand. I am a victim of this, having to self-publish all my writing to date. I can sympathise with the athletes. Rugby supports and pays but few other sports. Secondly, there is little cultural harmony in New Zealand now. We have four main populations and cultures, Maori, Polynesian, Caucasian and English. As I said in my book The Fake Celebrity in China, it seems the expression, “She’ll be right mate! Have a go! And good on ya’ mate!” have all but disappeared in an era of the 70′s and 80′s when a comedian called Fred Dagg was around. His real name was John Clarke.”
“Pauline?”
“Zzzz.”
Anyway, my books can be viewed at:
http://www.poseidonbooks.com/fake_celebrity.htm
and:
http://www.bookhabit.com/book/182/The-Control-Sickness
and:
http://www.bookhabit.com/book/181/The-Fake-Celebrity-In-China
Vote:August 14th, 2008 at 2:21 am
u think the Chinese have no freedom of speech?
haha, try a little fishpond country called New Zealand,
The Control Sickness!
http://www.bookhabit.com/book/182/The-Control-Sickness
Vote:August 14th, 2008 at 3:36 am
grew up in the John Walker era.
I have lived in China for the last 7 years and proudly tell me Chinese “feeonce” about Sir Edmund Hillary, John Walker, Buck Shelford, the America’s Cup and so on.
I am trying to get her to New Zealand and I think she has got a bit wet about the idea.
So now, the Olympics!!
“Why has New Zealand got no medals when Australia has gotten so many?”
The killer question. But I thought f… it, I will give her the truth!
Well, I told her, New Zealand has some problems lately.
“What problems!?”
“Well, New Zealand has like split cultures, a bit like split personalities, but without the shrinks.”
“What’s a shrink!?”
“Like a mind doctor.”
“I don’t understand!!”
“Well, back in the old days, like in the qing dynasty or something, there was a race of people called the Moriori. They lived in New Zealand and were like fat and lazy as at that time there was much food, like huge chickens. Bigger than ostriches!”
“Really!?”
“Yep, anyway, those guys were pretty happy, contented, but a race of people from near Hawaii set out on their war canoes. You know where Hawaii is?”
“Of course!”
“Ok, well, they were the Maori warriors, very big an tough. And bad luck for the Moriori, they got washed down in a storm to New Zealand. Thaty called it Aoteroa, the Land of the Long White Cloud.”
“Cool.”
“Well, not too cool for the Moriori. The Maori were cannibals, that means they ate people! So, the Maori killed and ate the Moriori. They chased them to the Chatham Islands and it is said the Moriori had a meeting, but being the peaceful people they were decided not to fight the Maori warriors. And so they were wiped out. The bones of the Moriori can still be found on the beaches of the Chathams if you go there. And now there are no more Moriori, all wiped, all gone.”
“That’s terrible! How can the Maori not be punished!”
“Well, the English came around this time too. They also did many bad things, headed by Captain Cook. And the English and the Maoris had what they call the “land wars” and at that time the English had rifles, but the Maoris were so tough, it was kind of a draw, but the Maoris were cheated out of many of their lands.”
“But what about the Moriori!?”
“Well, in fact, no on really cares about them now and in fact many people deny they existed. You know, how can a dead race argue? But a white guy called King did record their fate and his books can be found in most public libraries.”
“But what does this have to do with the Olympics and New Zealand getting no medals?”
“Well, New Zealand is a poor country. We don’t have the money to pay our athletes, even train them. It is like our artists, our doctors, our lawyers, out teachers, we all leave. I feel this, the only country to ever support my writing is Australia. So, as you said before, all the good kiwis go to Australia, or the UK. It’s called the brain drain, but also passes on to everyone, including our athletes.”
“A big pity!”
“Yes, but I thik it is more than that. The old sayings like “She”ll be right mate! No worries! Have a go! ” have all gone. In fact these were from the late 70’s and 80’s, from a guy called Fred Dagg, but even the real actor went to Australia, and I think those ideas went with him. Now we have cultures, Caucasian, Maori, Polynesian and Asian. It is not a harmonious relationship.”
Anyway, my name is Robert Black. Search the internet for my books The Control Siuckness about the controlled nature of the New Zealand citizen and The Fake Celebrity in China, the truth about the Chinese.
God bless.
Vote:August 14th, 2008 at 4:20 am
but don’t be despondent kiwis!
I hear Mark Ellis (big mate of tony veitch and brent todd) is going to challenge his previous cheese downhill racing record in Ireland later
supported by Mathew Ridge
after all they are our heroes, the idles that define the image of modern new zealand
who cares about John walker, buck shelford,
these guys have got that special mystery kiwi factor
who cares about the Olympics, we got Marc Eliss chasing cheese
what u think Buck, he is the real deal? Can he get the gold?
Vote:August 14th, 2008 at 7:45 am
For the first time ever, Adolf has not watched or listened to one second of Olympics coverage. However, on Radio Left Wing News one regularly hears of our valiant brushes with near success. It is highly likely that Helen Clark will have no photo ops as there will be no medals. Not even a bronze.
You see, all the competitors have come from a school system which encourages losers and we have become very successful losers.
Vote:August 14th, 2008 at 7:52 am
Adolf, it would be Ok if there was a KFC eating competition, Lazy-Boy sitting competition, or Kid Bashing festival.
Vote:August 14th, 2008 at 8:43 pm
Has illness laid waste to New Zealand’s rowing medal chances?
It would be most impressive if New Zealand did worst in the medal results than it did in Sydney. Bring it on!
Vote:August 14th, 2008 at 9:16 pm
And right here on good ol’ Kiwiblog, we find the kind of proud patriotism that is going to make our country “great again”…?!?
Vote: