Petition to Replace Mike Hosking as Election Debate Presenter

Written By: - Date published: 1:29 pm, August 10th, 2017 - 81 comments
Categories: election 2017, Media - Tags: ,

Dear TVNZ,

Please replace Mike Hosking as the host for the upcoming election debates on August 31, September 14 and September 20. Hosking is well known for his aggressively right wing views in his segments as a political commentator. As such, Hosking cannot be trusted to present each candidate fairly in a moderated debate.
Section 4(1)(d) of the Broadcasting Act 1989 requires broadcasters to maintain standards consistent with the principle that when controversial issues of public importance are discussed, reasonable efforts are made, or reasonable opportunities are given, to present significant points of view either in the same programme or in other programmes within the period of current interest.

Why is this important?

It is vital that the nationally broadcasted election debates offer an unbiased opportunity for candidates representing their political parties to debate on policies. Mike Hosking’s socially irresponsible style of presenting has led to public campaigns for his removal, notably his comments on Andrew Judd in 2016. Hosking is an inappropriate choice to present the election debates in a fair, unbiased manner.

Sign the petition at Action Station.

81 comments on “Petition to Replace Mike Hosking as Election Debate Presenter ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. weka 1
    10 August 2017 at 1:53 pm

    1,000 signatures in the first hour, now over 2,000.

  2. WILD KATIPO 2
    10 August 2017 at 1:56 pm

    Done deal. Now for the resignation of Patrick Gower.

    The cancer needs to be cut out.

  3. Red Blooded 3
    10 August 2017 at 1:58 pm

    There is a Change.Org petition as well

  4. eco Maori/kiwi 4
    10 August 2017 at 2:03 pm

    Any one can see Mike Hosking is a National supporter I sign the petition

  5. Grey Area 5
    10 August 2017 at 2:11 pm

    Signed it as soon as I saw it to register my opinion of his total unsuitability. But I have no hope he will be replaced as TVNZ would be admitting his obvious bias.

  6. infused 6
    10 August 2017 at 2:19 pm

    I’m sure the stations really care… seriously, who actually cares about these online petitions?

    • Wow 6.1
      10 August 2017 at 2:33 pm

      I know, right? Who cares about media bias? Who cares about polluted rivers and lakes? Who cares about the massive increase in homelessness and poverty? Lets just keep things the same, and you know who is guaranteed to keep things the same, because they never do anything about anything, except tax cuts?

      • WILD KATIPO 6.1.1
        10 August 2017 at 2:42 pm

        Repeat after me :

        Homelessness is good ! Polluted rivers are good ! Low wages and poverty are good !
        Corruption is good ! Exploitation of immigrants is good ! Housing crises are good ! Run down social services are good ! Mass surveillance is good !
        Foreign wars are good ! Corporate cronyism is good ! Tax havens are good !

        There?

        Feel better now ?

        We can all get on board with Mike Hosking and vote National and be assured to get all those election promise goody’s.

      • infused 6.1.2
        10 August 2017 at 8:43 pm

        My point is online petitions, nothing else. They literally mean nothing

    • Stuart Munro 6.2
      10 August 2017 at 3:13 pm

      The advertisers care.

      • Mrs Brillo 6.2.1
        10 August 2017 at 8:43 pm

        So protest individually to the channel’s major advertisers. In large numbers, or they will ignore you.
        They will certainly ignore petitions. Always have, always will.

  7. tsmithfield 7
    10 August 2017 at 2:21 pm

    Wasn’t the same thing tried last time without any effect?

    I don’t really see what the problem is. John Campbell is obviously left wing yet I thought he did a good job with the debates when he ran them. I don’t see why having a political leaning should have any relevance to whether or not someone can do their job or not.

    • rhinocrates 7.1
      10 August 2017 at 2:26 pm

      Their personal political leaning doesn’t matter if they are of good character, but Hosking doesn’t have it.

    • lprent 7.2
      10 August 2017 at 2:49 pm

      Because Hosking is a simple minded idiot who appears to treat his opinion as being the only thing of any value apart from John Keys rear-end.

      Frankly he is a arrogant dickhead who I wouldn’t trust to be competent as running any kind of fair debate. He’d be incapable of not trying to make the debate be on the ground he made.

      John Campbell is at least a journalist who is self-aware of his own levels of bigotry and bias. Hosking shows no signs of any similar levels of self-awareness of his own personal failings.

      • Philj 7.2.1
        10 August 2017 at 8:16 pm

        “Because Hosking is a simple minded idiot ”
        He is, but he is a symptom, not the cause. I can handle an idiot, but the root cause leading to Hosting is the issue that must be overcome.

        • ropata 7.2.1.1
          10 August 2017 at 8:22 pm

          The root cause is Hosking’s bigotry and stubborn stupidity. The solution is telling him to fuck off. New Zealand deserves someone who can ask sensible questions not mug for the cameras.

      • Philj 7.2.2
        10 August 2017 at 8:49 pm

        Even a dumb robot asking the questions would be preferable than Hosking. An intelligent robot would be far superior.

  8. tsmithfield 8
    10 August 2017 at 2:28 pm

    On what objective basis could you possibly say that? Even if that were the case, what relevance is that to him doing his job if he does it well?

    [lprent: Please try to use the reply button. ]

    • Draco T Bastard 8.1
      10 August 2017 at 2:40 pm

      Even if that were the case, what relevance is that to him doing his job if he does it well?

      He doesn’t do it well as he lets his bias interfere.

    • McFlock 8.2
      10 August 2017 at 2:40 pm

      His job in the debates is to be unbiased. He wasn’t last time, he won’t be this time. He is biased as fuck. He’s been a tory mouthpiece for years, and he doesn’t change his demeanour on the few occasions (like election debates) where he’s paid to be something other than an obnoxious fuckwit.

      John Campell has stuck it to Labour and the Greens as well as to the nats. If anyone doesn’t have their shit together when he’s interviewing them, they’re in trouble damned quickly. Hosking is an obsequious, partisan lickspittle to tories.

      He doesn’t do the election debates job well.

    • Shona 8.3
      10 August 2017 at 7:54 pm

      Hosking IS NOT a Journalist . He is a trained broadcaster. aka a mouth attached to an asshole from which a whole lot shit flows endlessly, and we the people have had a gutsful of being forced to listen to it. He is an uniformed pig ignorant bigot who is shoved in front of us thru every medium possible. He’s even tried to write columns in newspapers … all of them execrable drivel. He is a paid propagandist. Just like Hooton, Soper, Gower , Espiner, Fergusson Campbell etc.Except he has more exposure . That;s why he’s paid shitloads. A constant barrage of hate and filth is what we the people are exposed to from him so we think what the ruling class want us to think. Target is now 15,000

    • JC 8.4
      10 August 2017 at 7:59 pm

      11K!

      Try another station… talk back may suit you best!!~

      http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/281847/are-media-bias-claims-anything-new

      “It was quite a broadside in the New Zealand Herald. The New Zealand First leader called broadcaster and newspaper columnist Hosking “a National Party stooge” whose “jowls are up the Prime Minister’s cheeks”.

      http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11502114

  9. Dennis Frank 9
    10 August 2017 at 2:35 pm

    I just signed – it was at 3168. Wonder why they have only 4000 as target.

    I find Hosking mildly irritating at times, refreshing sometimes, but not interesting enough to actually watch. He’s so obviously partisan that only a moron would consider him suitable to host any election event.

    • tc 9.1
      10 August 2017 at 5:10 pm

      No these aren’t morons, the hosk is chosen for his bias knowingly.

      A sure sign TVNZ needs to be cleaned out for a more quality focused product and get that short attention span duke relaunched with higher quality content they’re sitting on.

  11. Booker 11
    10 August 2017 at 2:44 pm

    Signed. Thank you whoever set this up.

  12. marty mars 12
    10 August 2017 at 3:06 pm

    Signed and shared – hosking is bias, bogus and bloated with his own self impotence – a sad little man.

  13. Nic 181 13
    10 August 2017 at 3:06 pm

    What a complete travesty, putting Jacinda up against English and Hosking. It sounds like this has been set up by the National Party! We all know how caring and unbiased they are!

  14. mary_a 14
    10 August 2017 at 3:25 pm

    Signed it.

    With the number of signatures already and gaining momentum at a rapid rate of knots, TVNZ would be unwise to ignore this petition.

  15. faroutdude 15
    10 August 2017 at 3:33 pm

    So Hosking should go, and Gower should go,
    https://thestandard.org.nz/gower-rightly-apologises-to-greens/#comment-1366454
    It’s all so unfair on you misunderstood and hard done by Lefties isn’t it.
    I’d be doing some soul-searching instead, and you might just get why NZ has rejected Labour/Green ideology and personalities enough to keep them out of Govt for almost 12 years.
    Some here seem to swing between love and hate for the MSM, depending on what they say on the day.
    Ditto the Pollsters.
    Get real

    • red-blooded 15.1
      10 August 2017 at 5:03 pm

      faroutdude, are you too spaced out to do a bit of basic math? Labour last formed a government 9 years ago, not 12! Yes, it’s a long time, but it’s 25% shorter than your assertion.

      How about while I do some soul searching you do a basic numeracy course? Or maybe even some internet searching (lets you brush up your clearly somewhat befuddled memory).

    • WILD KATIPO 15.2
      10 August 2017 at 8:31 pm

      @ faroutdude ( comment 15)

      Grab an education and pull your arse out of Hoskings jowls for just one minute to get some air.

      Here.

      Here’s a helping hand to give you an understanding a bit higher than a tapeworm of whats really gone on in this country for the last 3 decades and why viruses like Hosking are so offensive. Then after you have actually read and understood all that , – come back and see how you go about adding intelligent comments instead of being such a pig shit ignorant git.

      New Right Fight – Who are the New Right?
      http://www.newrightfight.co.nz/pageA.html

      • In Vino 15.2.1
        11 August 2017 at 12:19 am

        Good reference WK, but I suspect that he is agent provocateur.. It is not often the innocent who come to troll.

  16. indiana 16
    10 August 2017 at 3:55 pm

    Hang on, why do we need to be so concerned about who the debate moderator is? Isn’t Jacinda competent enough to handle tough situations like this? It should should all fall in her favour to show how prime ministerial she is, if she can debate strongly when the odds are so heavily against her.

    • weka 16.1
      10 August 2017 at 4:05 pm

      Some of us would like to have an actual debate and hear about policy, not watch a Hosking driven media circus. I’m sure Ardern can figure out how to make the situation work to Labour’s advantage, but Hosking presenting still doesn’t serve democracy.

    • McFlock 16.2
      10 August 2017 at 4:07 pm

      Great. Say the same for Bill English and get Bradbury as MC.

      • weka 16.2.1
        10 August 2017 at 4:53 pm

        lol, that would actually be worth watching in a train wreck kind of way.

      • indiana 16.2.2
        10 August 2017 at 5:41 pm

        You do realise that if you let Bradbury anywhere near a microphone, no one else would get a say in, plus you’d end up buying real estate from him by accident.

    • lprent 16.3
      10 August 2017 at 4:23 pm

      Who cares. Hosking is an incompetent fuckwit who tries to make the whole thing about him. Who in the hell wants to see this incompetent on the only time I actually watch free to air TV in 3 years. He is only there for the other ignorant fuckwits like you.

    • ropata 16.4
      10 August 2017 at 8:18 pm

      Hosking is so immensely fucking ignorant that he makes his listeners dumber.

      Get that ego stroking peacock off the air and bring on someone with a brain like Kim Hill.

      • WILD KATIPO 16.4.1
        10 August 2017 at 8:50 pm

        Yes ! Kim Hill . No more greasy palavering around and offering a great big soft cushion to the National party like Hosking would – just straight to the facts and to the point.

  17. Tautoko Mangō Mata 17
    10 August 2017 at 4:01 pm

    TVNZ has many very capable women such as Kim Hill, Mihi Forbes. Mike Hosking is not even in their league. Who is pushing the self-opiniated, biased shock jock type of host? We don’t need the host to impose their “personality” on proceedings. We want fair questioning of candidates to provide the viewing voter with information.

    • Foreign waka 17.1
      10 August 2017 at 7:46 pm

      I go for Mihi no worries there but pleeeese not Kim Hill. She is almost as bad as Hoskins.

      • Richard Christie 17.1.1
        10 August 2017 at 7:58 pm

        but pleeeese not Kim Hill. She is almost as bad as Hoskins

        Get real.

        She has won some of the most prestigious journalism awards in the world. For skills involving real journalism research and for real interviewing skills.

        dickhead

        • Foreign waka 17.1.1.1
          10 August 2017 at 8:37 pm

          She is shrill and not seldom disrespectful. I do listen to her on weekends but quite often have to change channel because the way she railroads over the guest is unbearable.
          She won best radio personality and NZ outstanding broadcaster award, yes this is true but this is not for journalism. Christiane Amanpour she is not.
          As for your last line, how childish.

          • ropata 17.1.1.1.1
            10 August 2017 at 8:56 pm

            Kim Hill is not big on politeness and kowtowing to the glamour of fame and fortune. She can be rude and obnoxious (and that is a good trait for a journalist), but she can also draw out someone by asking the most interesting questions. The best interviewer in NZ.

            Her razor sharp mind will not take any politician’s crap. There’s a reason why FJK refused to be interviewed by her.

          • WILD KATIPO 17.1.1.1.2
            10 August 2017 at 9:02 pm

            Kim Hills style is to zero in on hypocrisy and unfairness and cut down whoever’s apologizing for it. All too often NZ media personality’s are far too soft on these politicians and come across as weak , apologetic interviewers almost / giving tacit approval to obvious wrongdoing.

            Kim Hill could have torn John Key apart. When you look back at past interviewers this country had, – none of these current blighted politicians would have stood a chance. Neo liberalism has given them this chance.

            Even our comedy has been neutered to make way for their insidious lies.

            McPhail & Gadsby Let’s Learn Lange 1985) – YouTube
            ▶ 1:31

          • Richard Christie 17.1.1.1.3
            10 August 2017 at 9:28 pm

            As for your last line, how childish.

            perfectly apt for your equivalence that Hill = Hosking.

            Dickhead it remains.

        • Tamati Tautuhi 17.1.1.2
          11 August 2017 at 4:40 pm

          Says a lot for the quality of journalism in the world today ?

      • Mrs Brillo 17.1.2
        10 August 2017 at 8:50 pm

        Mihi would be my choice, too. Talks like a grown up and knows when to shut up.

  18. Cemetery Jones 18
    10 August 2017 at 4:11 pm

    Seems kinda pointless to me. He chaired the first debate last general election; Key went up against Cunliffe and got totally kerbstomped. Nothing little Mikey could do but look on in horror as Johnny got waxed.

    • WILD KATIPO 18.1
      10 August 2017 at 4:36 pm

      Aye,… as we will see English get waxed by Adern.

      And though little Mikey will be wetting his pants, the point is, New Zealanders should not have to be subjected to the biased little cretin in the first place.

      • Cemetery Jones 18.1.1
        10 August 2017 at 5:40 pm

        Well, not on state owned platforms, that’s for sure. If fools wish to part with their money to listen to the little nonce wittering away or to facilitate his employment in that regard, then it’s their time, money, and brain cells to waste.

        • Robert Guyton 18.1.1.1
          10 August 2017 at 5:58 pm

          “the little nonce wittering away”

          Poetry, Cemetery Jones! Much ado about nowt!

    • Robert Guyton 18.2
      10 August 2017 at 5:57 pm

      “waxed” – gorgeous!

      • Cemetery Jones 18.2.1
        10 August 2017 at 7:56 pm

        Heh, Thanks. I still think ‘kerbstomped’ is one I’ll be using in future.

        So viscerally graphic!

  19. Nick 19
    10 August 2017 at 4:25 pm

    Signed….past 5,500

  20. Tamati Tautuhi 20
    10 August 2017 at 5:53 pm

    If Hoskings is the interviewer on TV One Bradbury should be the panel interviewer on TV 3, or to be fair let Bradbury do one on TV One as well ?

    • lprent 20.1
      10 August 2017 at 6:00 pm

      It’d be nice to raise the intelligence of free to air TV so it is higher than what is displayed in adverts.

      Not having to put up with Hosking will help. But adding another ranting talking head is probably not moving in the right direction to encourage me to put up with the braindead advertising aimed at people who let the TV think for them.

      • Dspare 20.1.1
        10 August 2017 at 9:10 pm

        Bradbury isn’t going to get anywhere near any state owned media while National remain in power (for his sin in daring to criticize Key on RNZ show The Panel back in 2011). But he did have a good point about why Hoskings should not be involved in the debate:

        Hoskings’ skill as a broadcaster with a known and pretty open political bias isn’t the issue here.

        The issue here is that Mike obviously hates women.

        Hosking was at the forefront of the mauling firstly on Metiria and then on asking Jacinda baby questions. He has an obvious dislike of women, his vitriol was some of the worst against Metiria and Jacinda and his despicable behaviour attacking the young waitress who complained about being touched was so bad the Broadcasting Standards Authority actually handed out an admonishment over his coverage.

        https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2017/08/10/why-i-disagree-with-banning-mike-hosking-from-hosting-the-debates-for-being-politically-biased/

  21. mosa 21
    10 August 2017 at 7:28 pm

    All signed up as usual and have made a complaint to TVNZ which they will ignore.

    Shame there will be no protest outside the TVNZ mansion , that would be great.

  22. Foreign waka 22
    10 August 2017 at 7:43 pm

    Obviously there is some serious bias in the TVNZ top office (is it a question of funding?) and I for one will not even watch if this persona non grata is given the spot.
    I like to see a debate not a circus.

  23. ianmac 23
    10 August 2017 at 8:06 pm

    11,469 @ 8:02 at Action Station.
    Instant democracy?
    Of course Hosking would bend over backwards to be seen as fair.

    But remember that Hilary Clinton was apparently shown the questions before the debate with Trump. Dirty tricks?

  24. swordfish 24
    10 August 2017 at 9:29 pm

    Sadly, the petition remains utterly silent on surely the most egregious problem of all with Hoskers … his wardrobe*. What embarrassing outfit will Kate force the poor bugger to wear in the debates ? And, given she has total control over his Hair Product regimen, what potentially absurd state will his already-massively-overly-refurbished hair be in on the night ?

    * Unless, of course, the petition’s passage on his: “socially irresponsible style of presenting” is a vague reference to his hair and wardrobe ? Certainly difficult to see Hosker’s Hair-Do as anything other than “socially irresponsible”

    http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9h4UKWsVuwM/VTy-gbgH1AI/AAAAAAAADlU/4olK-jxDWFA/s1600/April%2B16.png

    http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JvbCEdB_4i8/VUH6hW1lJhI/AAAAAAAADow/p8aEiAL-6M8/s1600/April%2B23.png

    http://www.massivemagazine.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Hosking1.jpg

    http://www.massivemagazine.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/mike-hosking.jpg

    http://images.tvnz.co.nz/tvnz_images/news2010/new-zealand-people/mike_hosking_3004_2.jpg