Column comment
Angst at ONE
Much angst at TVNZ over the abrupt sacking of One News producer Melanie Jones at 10am on Friday, a month after giving her a big pay rise. She was out the door by 10.10 and Bill Ralston’s PA was in her office packing Jones’s stuff into boxes, with the door open so all the staff could see as they filed into their 11am meeting. All this without the customary three warnings. And without getting anything in writing. And without a confidentiality deal. No full and final agreement. Nothing signed. It’s an employment lawyer’s dream, really.
Our usual sources report that the other news producers went out to lunch at Prego and stayed there until 4pm. Harsh words were said to and about Bill Ralston: the staff don’t expect to be reporting to him for much longer, as he ultimately is responsible for the show’s four percent slide in the ratings. As, obviously, are Hilary Barry, Mike McRoberts and the producers of TV3’s rival 6pm news, which as any viewer of both knows is consistently better: better news judgement, much better scripts, more likeable presenters.
Press F11
Can it be true that the One News stockmarket report is, gasp, pre-recorded? In a word, yes. Our usual sources report that Judy Bailey can’t quite manage the technology (something like press F5 while reading autocue, which Michael Wilson and Peter Williams can manage, but maybe it’s a guy thing), so has to pre-record before going live at 6pm. The extra hours will account for the $800,000 salary, then.
Sunday best
Which is the best Sunday newspaper magazine? For once the Qantas awards judges did get it right – it’s Sunday, from the Sunday Star-Times. It has the cleanest design on the best-quality paper, plus writers such as Ray McVinnie (his dry roasted kumara salad from a month or so ago is a work of genius) and Steve Braunias. Content is mostly local; the snippets up-front are amusing and/or pertinent; and my in-house expert tells me the fashion and shopping stuff is as good the food, wine and travel.
Of its two competitors, at least the Sunday Herald tries, and occasionally succeeds, which is more than can be said for Canvas. This isn’t necessarily the editor’s fault: editors tend to get the fame or blame, but often they’re only doing what the publisher demands. (Excessive interference from upstairs is said to be is why Metro editor Nicola Legat is leaving ACP for a publisher’s role at Random House. Which is owned by a vastly bigger company than ACP, but at least the local boss, Michael Moynahan, is a good egg, and if anyone is responsible for the continuing success of the Auckland Writers and Readers Festival, he is.)
No doubt for budgetary reasons, Canvas is full of cheap copy bought in from overseas. Even the book reviews, which God knows are cheap enough to get locally – $50 will get you half a page. And how lazy and/or cheap it is to buy in the food column. Donna Hay is good at what she does, but why not get a local? We are hardly short of ambitious chefs keen to make a name for themselves. The restaurant reviews were good for a while when they discovered Jennifer Yeee who, as a professional foodie, knows her rice from her elbow, but now she’s only monthly, and in the off-weeks it’s seems to be anyone on staff who feels like a free meal. Overall, a missed-by-a-mile opportunity.
Death by taxes
The email below, headed “Tax Credibility”, has been circulating around the business world, and is recorded here for the rest of us:
Remember those comments from Dr Cullen about proposals for tax cuts? Isn’t it just wonderful what a few adverse public opinion polls and a few weeks of post-Budget scorn from caucus colleagues can do for a Minister of Finance?
“As always, too much jam now is likely to lead to only crumbs later.” Budget 2005 Speech, 19 May 2005
“However, it does not give us any scope to indulge in large structural increases in expenditure or in wholesale tax cuts.” Address to CTU Forum, 12 July 2005
“Over the next three budgets the allowance for new spending has been set at $1.9 billion a year, thereafter growing by inflation. That is a target that will require careful prioritisation and some moderation of expectations.” Address to PricewaterhouseCoopers Briefing, 9 June 2005
“We must not fool ourselves into thinking there is more room to move when it is not the case. In an economy operating at full capacity, cutting tax or raising expenditure beyond what is already planned, or even signalling an intention to do so, will flow immediately into higher mortgage rates for homeowners and higher interest rates for businesses.” Address to KPMG Tax Seminar, 3 June 2005
“That is why, for my government, large scale fiscal loosening in the form of major tax cuts or undisciplined expenditure increases does not play any part in our strategy to get the economy back onto a higher growth path.” Address to Wellington Chamber of Commerce/AON Risk Services Business Luncheon, 20 May 2005
More politics. Sorry
If I lived in Epsom. I’d vote for Rodney Hide. Come on, he’s smart, funny, good company, scares all the other MPs and is an economist. Unlike our present Minister of Election Bribes. And how else will Act stay in Parliament? We need them to give National some ideas. It’s such a shame we don’t have an equally brainy party of ideas on the left to ginger up Labour. Where is the left-wing Stephen Franks? Come to that, where is the left-wing Rodney? And no, Jim Anderton doesn’t count.
Plus, Hide isn’t Richard Worth. Look at this on sex with horses. Don’t know about you, but it’s not something I’d ever contemplated before. Actually the content is not nearly as interesting, just support for a private member’s bill sponsored by Larry Baldock (no relation of Leisure Suit Larry, presumably) of the United Future Party, but Worth’s reading is revealing of the underlying attitude.
Closing time
Today’s Sunday Star-Times carries a Sydney Morning Herald report that “At last the value of Michael Hutchence’s estate can be revealed: zilch. So what happened to his fortune?” Disappeared into the hands of crooks and conmen, apparently.
All part of the fine showbiz tradition of ripping off musicians – but wait, there’s worse. Leonard Cohen has suffered the same, though he’s still very much alive. Now 70, Laughing Len was hoping to hang up his guitar (well, these days a laptop with ProTools) and live out his days on his $US5 million retirement fund, but it’s almost all gone. Details here and here and here.
Good news for fans, though – there’s a new album and tour coming. No, seriously, that is good news. If you haven’t heard 2001’s Ten New Songs and 2004’s Dear Heather, you’re really missing something. Who else made good music in the 60s and is still doing so today? Well, apart from Bob Dylan, Richard Thompson, Joni Mitchell, John Martyn, Robert Fripp,
Jack Bruce, Neil Young , Martin Carthy and Norma Waterson, Jeff Beck, Geoff Muldaur, the Five Blind Boys of Alabama…
And no, Roger Waters doesn’t count, unless his “opera” Ca Ira, due on CD on 27 September is not a turkey. Yeah right.
Much angst at TVNZ over the abrupt sacking of One News producer Melanie Jones at 10am on Friday, a month after giving her a big pay rise. She was out the door by 10.10 and Bill Ralston’s PA was in her office packing Jones’s stuff into boxes, with the door open so all the staff could see as they filed into their 11am meeting. All this without the customary three warnings. And without getting anything in writing. And without a confidentiality deal. No full and final agreement. Nothing signed. It’s an employment lawyer’s dream, really.
Our usual sources report that the other news producers went out to lunch at Prego and stayed there until 4pm. Harsh words were said to and about Bill Ralston: the staff don’t expect to be reporting to him for much longer, as he ultimately is responsible for the show’s four percent slide in the ratings. As, obviously, are Hilary Barry, Mike McRoberts and the producers of TV3’s rival 6pm news, which as any viewer of both knows is consistently better: better news judgement, much better scripts, more likeable presenters.
Press F11
Can it be true that the One News stockmarket report is, gasp, pre-recorded? In a word, yes. Our usual sources report that Judy Bailey can’t quite manage the technology (something like press F5 while reading autocue, which Michael Wilson and Peter Williams can manage, but maybe it’s a guy thing), so has to pre-record before going live at 6pm. The extra hours will account for the $800,000 salary, then.
Sunday best
Which is the best Sunday newspaper magazine? For once the Qantas awards judges did get it right – it’s Sunday, from the Sunday Star-Times. It has the cleanest design on the best-quality paper, plus writers such as Ray McVinnie (his dry roasted kumara salad from a month or so ago is a work of genius) and Steve Braunias. Content is mostly local; the snippets up-front are amusing and/or pertinent; and my in-house expert tells me the fashion and shopping stuff is as good the food, wine and travel.
Of its two competitors, at least the Sunday Herald tries, and occasionally succeeds, which is more than can be said for Canvas. This isn’t necessarily the editor’s fault: editors tend to get the fame or blame, but often they’re only doing what the publisher demands. (Excessive interference from upstairs is said to be is why Metro editor Nicola Legat is leaving ACP for a publisher’s role at Random House. Which is owned by a vastly bigger company than ACP, but at least the local boss, Michael Moynahan, is a good egg, and if anyone is responsible for the continuing success of the Auckland Writers and Readers Festival, he is.)
No doubt for budgetary reasons, Canvas is full of cheap copy bought in from overseas. Even the book reviews, which God knows are cheap enough to get locally – $50 will get you half a page. And how lazy and/or cheap it is to buy in the food column. Donna Hay is good at what she does, but why not get a local? We are hardly short of ambitious chefs keen to make a name for themselves. The restaurant reviews were good for a while when they discovered Jennifer Yeee who, as a professional foodie, knows her rice from her elbow, but now she’s only monthly, and in the off-weeks it’s seems to be anyone on staff who feels like a free meal. Overall, a missed-by-a-mile opportunity.
Death by taxes
The email below, headed “Tax Credibility”, has been circulating around the business world, and is recorded here for the rest of us:
Remember those comments from Dr Cullen about proposals for tax cuts? Isn’t it just wonderful what a few adverse public opinion polls and a few weeks of post-Budget scorn from caucus colleagues can do for a Minister of Finance?
“As always, too much jam now is likely to lead to only crumbs later.” Budget 2005 Speech, 19 May 2005
“However, it does not give us any scope to indulge in large structural increases in expenditure or in wholesale tax cuts.” Address to CTU Forum, 12 July 2005
“Over the next three budgets the allowance for new spending has been set at $1.9 billion a year, thereafter growing by inflation. That is a target that will require careful prioritisation and some moderation of expectations.” Address to PricewaterhouseCoopers Briefing, 9 June 2005
“We must not fool ourselves into thinking there is more room to move when it is not the case. In an economy operating at full capacity, cutting tax or raising expenditure beyond what is already planned, or even signalling an intention to do so, will flow immediately into higher mortgage rates for homeowners and higher interest rates for businesses.” Address to KPMG Tax Seminar, 3 June 2005
“That is why, for my government, large scale fiscal loosening in the form of major tax cuts or undisciplined expenditure increases does not play any part in our strategy to get the economy back onto a higher growth path.” Address to Wellington Chamber of Commerce/AON Risk Services Business Luncheon, 20 May 2005
More politics. Sorry
If I lived in Epsom. I’d vote for Rodney Hide. Come on, he’s smart, funny, good company, scares all the other MPs and is an economist. Unlike our present Minister of Election Bribes. And how else will Act stay in Parliament? We need them to give National some ideas. It’s such a shame we don’t have an equally brainy party of ideas on the left to ginger up Labour. Where is the left-wing Stephen Franks? Come to that, where is the left-wing Rodney? And no, Jim Anderton doesn’t count.
Plus, Hide isn’t Richard Worth. Look at this on sex with horses. Don’t know about you, but it’s not something I’d ever contemplated before. Actually the content is not nearly as interesting, just support for a private member’s bill sponsored by Larry Baldock (no relation of Leisure Suit Larry, presumably) of the United Future Party, but Worth’s reading is revealing of the underlying attitude.
Closing time
Today’s Sunday Star-Times carries a Sydney Morning Herald report that “At last the value of Michael Hutchence’s estate can be revealed: zilch. So what happened to his fortune?” Disappeared into the hands of crooks and conmen, apparently.
All part of the fine showbiz tradition of ripping off musicians – but wait, there’s worse. Leonard Cohen has suffered the same, though he’s still very much alive. Now 70, Laughing Len was hoping to hang up his guitar (well, these days a laptop with ProTools) and live out his days on his $US5 million retirement fund, but it’s almost all gone. Details here and here and here.
Good news for fans, though – there’s a new album and tour coming. No, seriously, that is good news. If you haven’t heard 2001’s Ten New Songs and 2004’s Dear Heather, you’re really missing something. Who else made good music in the 60s and is still doing so today? Well, apart from Bob Dylan, Richard Thompson, Joni Mitchell, John Martyn, Robert Fripp,
Jack Bruce, Neil Young , Martin Carthy and Norma Waterson, Jeff Beck, Geoff Muldaur, the Five Blind Boys of Alabama…
And no, Roger Waters doesn’t count, unless his “opera” Ca Ira, due on CD on 27 September is not a turkey. Yeah right.
1 Comments:
Ah, John Martyn! "I was very shy and retiring until I was 20 and then I just got the heave with Donovan and Cat Stevens and all that terribly nice rolling up joints and sitting on toadstools watching the sunlight dapple its way through the dingly dell of life's rich pattern stuff!"
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