Mike's Minute: The real world is catching up to Radio New Zealand

Now, perhaps the most startling thing of the news yesterday that our old mates at the state radio broadcaster have opened a voluntary redundancy programme, is that they've never done that before.  

100 years they've been doing the business at Radio New Zealand. 100 years, never had a voluntary redundancy. Tells you something about how insulated the real world from the real world they are.  

Mind you, I don't even know that's true actually, because Radio New Zealand used to be a whole different beast.  

In my early days of broadcasting, Radio New Zealand encompassed commercial and non-commercial radio stations, and there was, I can tell you from personal experience, no shortage of carnage fiscally. The place was run by halfwits and we were permanently in a state of flux, if not carnage.  

The most famous might have been a thing called Project Aurora, where we allegedly all took pay cuts – that was a scandal in and of itself. 

So it's not like the media hasn't seen tricky days, and I think that's the ultimate point here, isn't it?  

There's a tremendous amount of coverage of the media, too much, really. And if I can be a little bit blunt, a lot of the tough stuff in the industry is no more upsetting than the dark days for any number of industries.  

Also, and this applies to Radio New Zealand, if you live in a false world, it will catch up with you eventually.  

Yes, media like a lot of industries is changing, but then it always has. 44 years in and counting for me, I can tell you media has been in a constant state of change, if not upheaval – it's all I've ever known. No, it wasn't always Google or Facebook nicking the ad money, but it was video, or TV, or deregulation of licences, or rubbish management.  

Having worked at Morning Report myself, you've never seen such a sheltered workshop of lavish staffing and indulgence. They enter the Radio Awards every year and apart from not winning, the joke in the industry is the number of producers they've got: 19. Are you serious?  

For contrast, this show, which 1. wins and 2. has more listeners, has three. And that includes Glenn, which is debatable as to whether we should include him at all.  

I wish no one ill will, don't get me wrong. I wish no one ill will. I wish boom times prevailed across the whole landscape. But equally, I wish people lived in the real world. And Willie Jackson handing out tens of millions is irresponsible politics, not a business plan.  

Willie and his ilk, as always, never paid the price for this. The poor sap who took the new Radio New Zealand job will.  

The money that pays for jobs has either earned or it's given. If it's given, it's always on a whim – in this case a political one. It is not their fault that Willie is an idiot. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Well now, Perhaps the most startling thing of the news

(00:03):
yesterday that our old mates at the state radio broadcaster
have opened a voluntary redundancy program is that they've never
done that before one hundred years. They've been doing the
business at Radio New Zealand a hundred years, never had
a voluntary redundancy tells you something about how insulated the
real world from the real world they are. Mind you,
I don't even know that's true actually, because Radio New
Zealand used to be a whole different beast, and my
early days of broadcasting Radio New Zealand en compassed commercial

(00:26):
and non commercial radio stations, and there was I can
tell you from personal experience, no shortage of carnage. Fiscally.
The place was run by halfwits and we were permanently
in a state of flux, if not carnage. The most
famous might have been a thing called Project Aurora, where
we allegedly all took pay cuts. That was a scandal
in and of itself. So it's not like the media
hasn't seen tricky days. And I think that's the ultimate
point here, isn't it. There's a tremendous amount of coverage

(00:49):
of the media, too much really, and if I can
be a little bit blunt, a lot of the tough
stuff in the industry is no more upsetting than the
dark days for any number of industries. You can try
a construction and hospital at the moment. Also, and the
supplies to radio in New Zealand. If you live in
a false world, it will catch up with you eventually. Yes, media,
like a lot of industries, is changing, but then it

(01:09):
always has. Forty four years in accounting for me, I
can tell your media has been in a constant state
of change, if not upheaval. It's all I've ever known. No,
it wasn't always Google or Facebook nicking the ad money,
but it was video or TV or deregulation of licenses
or rubbish management. Having worked at Morning Report myself, you've
never seen such a sheltered workshop of lavish staffing and indulgence.

(01:31):
They enter the Radio Awards every year and apart from
not winning, the joke in the industry is the number
of producers they've got. Nineteen nineteen, I think we counted
as a record here series. For contrast, this show which
one wins and two has more listeners, has three, and
that includes Glenn, which is debatable as to whether we
should include them at all. I wish no one ill will.

(01:52):
Don't get me wrong, I wish no one ill will.
I wish boon times prevailed across the whole landscape, but
equally I wish people lived in the real world and
Willie Jackson handing out tens of millions as irresponsible politics
not a business plan. Willy and a zilk As always
never paid the price for this, the poor sap who
took the New Radio New Zealand job. Will The money
that pays for jobs is either earned or it's given.

(02:14):
If it's given, it's always on a whim, in this
case a political one. It is not their fault that
Willy is an idiot. For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast,
listen live to News Talks at B from six am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.