The fight back against the canning of Campbell Live show has been marvellous to watch. The show’s previously muted viewing statistics have surged as many progressives have made sure that they watch.
It was not as if they/we did not like the show before. It is just that so many of us choose how and when we access media and sitting down and watching it live does not appeal.
The latest show (which I was not able to watch) sounds like it was perfectly formed. Starting off with the song “let me entertain you” and finishing with his request “we hope we have entertained you” the show was designed to extend the middle digit of Campbell’s hand in John Key’s direction with his palm facing himself.
I would now give Campbell a fighting chance of surviving. With lawyers floating around and court proceedings in the air Mediaworks will find it difficult to explain how it has been keeping an open mind on the matter when it persuaded Mazda, one of the show’s main sponsors, to extend its sponsorship of the show for only three months to May 2015 rather than the usual twelve months. I hope Campbell succeeds.
But to be frank Campbell Live is on the wrong channel. It should be on a State Channel where there is respect for the need for quality journalism unaffected by corporate interests.
That we have Campbell on TV3 and Mike Hosking on TVOne is utterly ridiculous. Campbell should not be on a private television channel because you can expect a privately owned organisation whose current chair of the board is an old mate of John Key’s to try and tilt the scrum National’s way. But Television New Zealand is state owned with what is meant to be a strong charter and it ought to reflect some notion of balance. I cannot think of anyone less balanced than Mike Hosking and I cannot think of anyone at Television New Zealand who is providing a counter to his odious views.
The silencing of progressive voices is not a new thing. Back in the 1930s the liberal voice of Colin Scrimgeour was silenced by a tory government who refused to allow dissent or contrary views. And there has always been an urge to have a left wing alternative to the Herald. It has always been the way of things which is why Campbell’s show is so refreshing.
The other aspect of current media that always disturbs me is the presentation of most issues as a one dimensional left verses right argument. Why don’t the media allow strong green voices to develop and be heard. Outside of the Green MPs the only person I can think of who even starts to fulfil this role is Rod Oram and he does so through and sophisticated understanding of not only economics but also the forces that shape our planet.
It is bizarre that TV3 is willing to seek public money through New Zealand on Air for some sort of idiot reality show at the same time as canning the best regular news show currently on television. There should be a quality requirement so that those sorts of shows do not receive public money.
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