Cutting off the nose to spite the face
April 28th, 2010 at 10:53 am by David FarrarOn the 1st of May, the Shanghai World Expo opens. NZ T&E describes it as:
The World Expo to be held in Shanghai, China in 2010 will be the biggest in world history. During the six months the Expo will be open – 1 May to 31 October 2010 – it is expected to draw 70 million visitors.
This is a major economic and business opportunity, hence the large New Zealand pavilion that will be there.
No Radio NZ has a freeze on international travel, so can’t send someone to cover it. However I understand that one of their staff – Chris Laidlaw – was so keen to cover it (due to his interest and links in this area) that he persuaded NZ T&E that it made sense for them to fund his attendance. They even agreed to guarantee in writing his editorial independence – he won’t be forced to only broadcast good stuff.
Sounds like a sensible win-win. However Radio NZ management have vetoed it. They say it compromises their commercial neutrality to accept funding from NZ T&E.
Now I ask myself – who funds Radio NZ? The taxpayer! Who funds NZ T&E? Also the taxpayer! So how exactly is this being compromised?
So let us be very clear about this. The policy of Radio NZ is that it is wrong for Radio NZ staff to fly to Shanghai, funded by the NZ taxpayer through NZ T&E.
However it is fine for Radio NZ staff to fly to Iran, funded by the Iranian Government.
Madness I say.
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April 28th, 2010 at 11:14 am
Laidlaw’s main interest is in Communism , everything he broadcasts has a leftwing bias. He probably has comrades at NZ TE remnants from the last administration.
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 11:16 am
Radio NZ management’s hypocrisy is clear- if the facts are as reported. There must be more to this- they cannot be that stupid- can they?
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 11:17 am
SILENCE! The Commisars have spoken!
Grant. From direct observation, yes.they.can
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 11:20 am
Which raises a very interesting point, that being that Radio New Zealand is almost certainly taking a petulant stance with its international travel freeze to try and make a petty political point. How do I know? Because I’ve read their last four annual reports, which show that far from being constrained in how much international travel their correspondents can do they actually have more scope for international travel. Radio New Zealand’s travel budget has increased year on year from about $400,000 to over $600,000 in the current year. They’re fibbing to make political capital in their spat with the Broadcasting Minister. They deserve to be called out for it.
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 11:41 am
Radio NZ did the right thing! Good on it. What could a confirmed leftist like Laidlaw have to say of value about a business-marketing venture like the NZ stand in Shanghai.
But should we be sceptical about the value of these shows? How much did NZ gain from the tens of millions it spent at the big exhibition in Spain a decade or two ago? The money would bring a lot of Chinese TV and film crews and journos to NZ over a decade or two.
NZ business has shown a number of times it is naive and poor at trading with CHina, from Lion Nathan’s brewery fiasco (that may have led ultimately to the Japanese takeover) to cement works,leather tanning, and even a potato-chip factory. Then of course there’s the lack of copyright protection in China. Build up the “Pure NZ” image, and the counterfeiters will benefit.
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 11:42 am
A quick look at the RNZ travel expenditure I could lay my hands on: 2007 = $405,000; $2008 = $553,000; and, from memory, 2009 was over $600,000. And remember, the Minister of Broadcasting hasn’t cut any budgets. So why the travel freeze?
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 11:56 am
Petty, very petty.
Second thoughts – is it explicit in their charter (or whatever founding document/act they work under)? That would be the only valid reason I could see.
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 12:00 pm
Can anyone say “Beat Up”? I can.
Its a world expo, aimed at a world audience. What is radio NZ’s world reach? Even RNZI has a narrow focus on the pacific, nothing like the reach of the BBC World Service or Radio Australia.
Of course, all you “free market is good” believers can explain why no commercial radio broadcasters see fit to cover this event, can’t you? Surely as an event supposedly established to promote trade the broadcasters of capitalism are falling over themselves to be the first to cover this.
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 12:21 pm
Dear Minister of Broadcasting,
I am disturbed to hear that….etc etc
In summary, can you please place a boot firmly up the RNZ boards arse.
Yours
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 12:28 pm
@LRO
Vote:Your taking the piss right?
Nobody is that fucked in the head.
April 28th, 2010 at 12:35 pm
Actually even tho I think LRO is a racist tool, I agree with him. Why the hell should taxpayers pay for Laidlaw to go? Any benefit for NZ from the expo is going to come from foreigners not NZers so who needs Radio NZ (assuming anyone actually listened to it) telling us anything.
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 12:41 pm
Lance, taking the piss? expecting a commercial radio station to cover an international trade event? You’re right, that would never happen, commercial radio has no interest in news.
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 12:42 pm
kiwigreg, why do you care if I am a racist? I don’t. Although I am not really a racist, I am simply discriminating in the people with whom I play and do business with. You do understand the fukll meaning of discriminate, don’t you?
/threadjack
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 12:48 pm
LRO, when I can understand the fukll meaning of ANYTHING, I’ll let you know.
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 12:51 pm
But KiwiGreg
DPFs text says Laidlaw will be paid to go by NZTE but is not allowed to report the activities by RNZ.
Our business has been substantially helped with gaining significant exports through market development grants and other assistance from NZTE. This is not welfare just like shit is not clay.
Vote:Elite leftist vehicles like RNZ might actually inspire some of it’s listeners to engage in business opportunities. If this is bunkum then why does TVNZ have business sections on the news etc? Should no-one report business activities unless it is private sector?
That’s the sort of crap I expect from Full Goof
April 28th, 2010 at 12:56 pm
@ Lance NZTE’s money comes from the taxpayer just like RNZ’s. At the end of the day it’s OUR money.
It might make you sleep easier at night trying to distinguish your entitlement to grants from NZTE as not being the same as my entitlement to welfare should I be in such a position but it’s ALL just money the government has forceably extracted from one person to give to another.
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 12:57 pm
@LRO you might like the semantics of arguing that discriminating against (or indeed in favour of) someone on the basis of race isn’t racism I just think that’s crap.
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 1:06 pm
Look at Laidlaw’s strong left wing political history before you decide what he can contribute to New Zealand.
Good on RNZ for not letting him coin it. but get somebody with better balance reporting to go.
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 1:11 pm
@ KiwiGreg
Vote:I am by no means a lefty but your position suggesting the shutting down all forms of govt assistance is an extreme view.
If this is not your view then you do not display this with your suggestion all tax is theft.
April 28th, 2010 at 1:43 pm
Tsk, why can’t we get some consensus and compromise here, people?!
I suggest allowing Laidlaw to accept the trip, but making it one way. There you go, now everyone’s happy.
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 1:52 pm
“If this is not your view then you do not display this with your suggestion all tax is theft”
I sure as hell dont pay any voluntarilly so characterise it any way you like.
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 2:09 pm
Reason 2409 why RNZ should be closed down and closed off Ditto TVNZ Both are a waste of my hard earned tax dollars
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 2:14 pm
KiwiGreg (1282) Says:
April 28th, 2010 at 1:52 pm
“If this is not your view then you do not display this with your suggestion all tax is theft”
I sure as hell dont pay any voluntarilly so characterise it any way you like.
From that, can I assume you don’t voluntarilly (sic) use any of the facilities priovided by tax – schools, roads, hospitals, police, fire brigade, ambulance, customs, defence, immigration, etc?
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 2:22 pm
“From that, can I assume you don’t voluntarilly (sic) use any of the facilities priovided by tax – schools, roads, hospitals, police, fire brigade, ambulance, customs, defence, immigration, etc?”
Why would you think that? I’ve paid for them.
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 3:32 pm
Laidlaw was extremely efficient at accumulating a bulk supply of taxi-chits for himself (at tax-payers expense), I suspect he has also squirrelled away a fair few air-points (at no expense to himself) – so why doesn’t he buy the air tickets with those?
Vote:April 28th, 2010 at 4:33 pm
My Gawd! This is the 21st century!
Is there *really* a need to send a piece of wetware halfway across the globe just to browse a few NZ trade stands at a Chinese expo?
Isn’t there an easier way?
Can’t we just get some feedback from those doing the PR work there or even a news-feed from our ocker cobbers (assuming they’re dumb enough to waste money sending their bods to cover this event.
Besides which — exactly what is there to report?
“Crowds were seen milling around the NZ stands and exhibitors report strong interest in their products/services”
Yawn….
Let’s use some technology to interview these people via the internet (Skype video anyone?) and forget the “live cross to our reporter in China” crap.
There *are* better things to spend taxpayers’ money on.
Good work RNZ.
Vote:April 29th, 2010 at 1:16 pm
3-Coil – OUCH – getting close to the Mark!!!
Vote: