No awards for Radio NZ staff
September 30th, 2009 at 5:03 pm by David FarrarAn e-mail sent to all Radio NZ staff today:
2010 New Zealand Radio Awards
This is to advise you that due to budgetary constraints Radio New Zealand has – reluctantly – withdrawn from this year’s New Zealand Radio Awards. As you know, Radio New Zealand’s funding was frozen in this year’s Budget and we have been forced to implement a range of cost-saving measures to offset an increase in non-discretionary overheads totalling $1.5 million in the current financial year.
Unfortunately the New Zealand Radio Awards carry significant entry costs for Radio New Zealand and the decision to temporarily withdraw has been made to protect expenditure on core services. This decision will be reviewed after the 2010 Budget.
Peter Cavanagh
Chief Executive and Editor-in-Chief
I understand the staff are less than impressed.
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September 30th, 2009 at 5:15 pm
better than losing their jobs – they should be praising their CEO for his actions.
Vote:September 30th, 2009 at 5:27 pm
It will also lead to hollow victories in some categories if RadioNZ staff and programmes aren’t contenders.
Ele Ludemann
Vote:September 30th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
I’m cheering – if I read this right we are not going to spend tax dollars that would otherwise have allowed Radio NZ to participate in a competition to get awards.
It’s not even a commercial radio station, this can only be for “feel good” for staff.
Vote:September 30th, 2009 at 5:31 pm
“It will also lead to hollow victories in some categories if RadioNZ staff and programmes aren’t contenders.”
Excellent point.
Vote:September 30th, 2009 at 5:31 pm
Diddums.
Vote:September 30th, 2009 at 5:37 pm
I don’t get any awards for doing my job
Vote:September 30th, 2009 at 5:41 pm
Do you get awards for being boring then? Or used to until this decision. Shit I could win the Nobel for boring. (Note to self–put name forward to Nobel commitee).
Vote:September 30th, 2009 at 6:30 pm
Politics. By not participating in something high profile, they’re attempting to pressure the govt into increasing their budget. They’ll be back participating next year, and surprise surprise, they won’t have got a budget increase. There are other cuts they could have made, but it wouldn’t have been media worthy then.
Vote:September 30th, 2009 at 6:40 pm
PaulL, you have nailed it!
Vote:100%
September 30th, 2009 at 6:55 pm
Rather a shame as some of the Concert FM chappies would certainly have been contenders to win various awards.
This is what happens when you are not allowed to run advertising on your station and have to rely on handouts from the State.
http://www.nightcitytrader.blogspot.com
Vote:September 30th, 2009 at 7:10 pm
Then there should be no awards at all. The proportion of material on commercial stations that isn’t either juvenile playacting aimed at the intellectually underdeveloped or pompous egotistical ranting masquerading as informed opinion, designed to appeal to the ingrained prejudices of the unevolved is infinitessimal.
Vote:September 30th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
I think Rex means they are fuckwits
Vote:September 30th, 2009 at 7:18 pm
Jesus Rex!
” juvenile playacting aimed at the intellectually underdeveloped or pompous egotistical ranting masquerading as informed opinion, designed to appeal to the ingrained prejudices of the unevolved is infinitessimal.”
Were you ever employed as a script writer for the TV series Yes Minister?
That little quote is one that Sir Humphrey would have been proud to use.
Vote:September 30th, 2009 at 7:20 pm
Nuthin like good old plain speakin I have always said!
Vote:September 30th, 2009 at 7:22 pm
as far as quality radio is concerned..radio new zealand piss all over most others in the room..
(bfm gets notable-exception-mention..)
saturday mornings with kim hill is often excellent..as is the afternoon music show..
sunday morn has chris laidlaw..(but i’m afraid his droning-monotone sends me to sleep..)
sunday afternoon is also very good..
the 4-5 pm with the garden makeover guy can be good..or dire..
(and saving the willie nelson..and the seals and croft..ditties..today 1-2 pm musically entertained two generations..)
i don’t go near nights..(c.f.. sun morn..)
breakfast weeks is very dry..but useful/comprehensive..
week mornings can be ok..(i have some issues with the interviewing skills of the host..)
so..linking back to bfm again..
a listening mash-up of nat-rad and bfm..
leaves you well sated..
and of course..
nat-rad has no manic ads exhorting you to have your cars’ body beaten..and the like..
(and who but a masochist..cd enjoy those wall to wall screaming ads/promos..?)
so really..all in all..those bagging nat-rad are talking absolute horse-shit..
and..could they plse cite the alternative examples they extoll..
..as giving good radio..?
phil(whoar.co.nz)
Vote:September 30th, 2009 at 7:23 pm
“..Johnboy (1257) Vote: Add rating 1 Subtract rating 0 Says:
September 30th, 2009 at 5:41 pm
Do you get awards for being boring then?..”
well..you get one..eh..?
phil(whoar.co.nz)
Vote:September 30th, 2009 at 7:25 pm
Whuck Phil you actually listen to RadioNZ! Now I realise where you perfected being boring.
Vote:September 30th, 2009 at 7:27 pm
so..’boring-award’ one..
what is your example of ‘good radio’..?
phil(whoar.co.nz)
Vote:September 30th, 2009 at 7:32 pm
“”——–I just luv ——–being on ———-”The Coast”!!!!”"”"
“”"”——(phil)””’
Johnboy (Walton.sheep.mountain)
Vote:September 30th, 2009 at 7:52 pm
Who cares? Not evrything is political! Radio NZ doens’t compare to Laws on Radio Live… It’s the funniest thing you’ll ever here. If he isn’t making fun of other people he’s making a fool out of himself. Either way it’s jus funny radio. RNZ doens’t need to exist. Who listens? Who cares? & who cares about the Radio awards?!? Get over it!!!
Vote:September 30th, 2009 at 7:53 pm
Any chance they might also cancel the TV ones as well. They are worse than sycophantic boring and we have it thrown at us for the rest of the year. Content makes the sponsors pay not awards. They are not bottles of wine.
Which reminds me has anyone kept an eye on the trash that Bernard Hickey has been dishing out trying to vilify the Crafer’s.
Vote:If eve r there was a blogger that was doing their shit for ratings and readers this is one crappy effort. Lose supporters for sure.
September 30th, 2009 at 8:02 pm
Can I ask the obvious question of why on earth you have to pay to enter? Is there a specific entry cost to be considered or does the CEO mean having to fork over thousands in tickets and booze at the function?
Surely awards that should be based on merit don’t require an entry fee.
Vote:September 30th, 2009 at 8:07 pm
Kate – why do you think they share them around equally, and have a category for everything? They’re paid for awards, so of course everyone needs to win one.
Vote:September 30th, 2009 at 8:23 pm
All of us like peer recognition and in the professional arena, the payback for receiving such or even the chance to compete, is always cheap at the price in terms of productivity.
Denied the opportunity even to compete in an industry award ceremony?
How stupid of the CEO.
Perhaps he knew Sean Plunket was going to win something…
Vote:September 30th, 2009 at 8:46 pm
Step right up, everybody gets a prize.
Vote:It does not matter if you win, you get a prize
September 30th, 2009 at 8:47 pm
PaulL – if that is the case, and always my suspicion (rather like the spammers who offer to put our receptionist in Business Who’s Who) then it shouldn’t be something a taxpayer funded organisation should be too concerned with.
Vote:September 30th, 2009 at 8:48 pm
two weetbix for you and you and you and share a choc fish
Vote:September 30th, 2009 at 8:48 pm
But I agree with Reid. Clearly it was Plunket’s turn to win Broadcaster of the Century.
Vote:September 30th, 2009 at 9:40 pm
The only reason the commercial stations enter this wankathon is so they can use it as propaganda to sell another package of over-priced 60 second live-crosses to Martha’s Used Vibrator Emporium promoting her huge weekend of savings on her massive range of stock.
The live cross (which is pre-recorded) is hosted by some spotty-nosed polytechnic media ‘graduate’ wannabe jocktstick whos is paid fuck-all as an intern, but he doesn’t care ‘cos he can screw all the bogan groupies just because he has a branded jacket and gets to drive the company truck to the live cross.
New Zealand has the most radio stations on a per-capita basis in the world, and the depth of quality (or lack of) shows. Except maybe for RDU.
Vote:September 30th, 2009 at 11:18 pm
The entry fee covers the cost of running the awards.
This is either a blatant attempt to squeeze more money out of the government, and really what do the schools and hospitals need it for anyway?
OR
It’s a sly attempt to con those of us who make a living in radio selling ads, to cough up a little bit more to keep RNZ in the game.
Vote:September 30th, 2009 at 11:34 pm
No, why should RNZ pay to enter a wankfest that it is excluded in part from because of it’s non-commercial charter. Fuck, The Stooges have dominated the radio awards for eons, and TRN, well, O’Reilly bought them/inherited them from RNZ.
Vote:October 1st, 2009 at 2:42 am
No problem.
Noelle McCarthy will go to the awards show anyway, show her bits/clothes and thereby make the society pages, plagarise any awards given for “artistic” merit, and return with them to credit RNZ. RNZ will see no harm no foul and list the awards on their website because “they” did not plagarise. A few tut tuts and months later, Noelle will get to talk shit on the airwaves once again paid by the taxpayer. Privately owned rant radio will screech for a short while but desist because Noelle is a ratings draw and therefore a recruitment target. Once she is on board they will list her accomplishments–one of which will be the 2009 radio awards.
It is a perfect plan: win-win for all principals given the state of NZ journalism, even if not so good for the rest of us who like real news and have to pay for it regardless.
Vote:October 1st, 2009 at 4:48 am
Having given this matter some thought (about five seconds worth) I figure the budget is just the excuse and someone leaked to RNZ the plan of the awards promoters to make a statement at the beginning of the night that went something like this;
“Due to the standard of radio that has been broadcaste in New Zealand over the last twelve months it has been decided that no one achieved a quality high enough to gain an award and therefore none will be presented this year.”
Vote:October 1st, 2009 at 6:39 am
Anyone know how much the entry fee is?
Vote: