TV sell-off prompts political response

MediaWorks' move to cut off its TV arm has swung the spotlight onto the government's plans for broadcasting. Politicians sent out distinctly mixed messages this past week ranging from staged schadenfreude to promises of help  - and 'wait and see'.

Last week broadcasting company MediaWorks put its loss-making TV channels Three, Three Life and Bravo up for sale. 

New Zealand media companies all have their own problems at the moment and none have so far signalled firm interest. The offer was just a footnote in Australian media news stories about the buyouts and deals being done between big media players over there, like broadcaster and publisher Seven West Media.

And if there’s no new owner found soon enough? 

Two days before the move was announced, host Jesse Mulligan had already said on Three’s show The Project that MediaWorks' next move could be to close the channel down.

The end of Three would have a heavy impact on the local TV production - especially  in Auckland. The death or diminution of MediaWorks' Newshub would mean the end of a news service of national significance. 

Both would be bad for our national cultural and public life. 

Most politicians expressed concern about this and sympathy for the hundreds of people employed there - but one seemed to have utu on his mind last weekend.

Winston Peters was all smiles at last weekend’s NZ First party conference when he said he had “a message for our friends in the media” and “good riddance” to some of those at MediaWorks. 

The party faithful - for whom the schadenfreude was stage-managed - had no sympathy either judging by the applause in response. 

Winston Peters kicking MediaWorks when it was down had the same antagonistic effect on media people as his NZ First colleague Shane Jones had on gun control advocates with his recent vacation visit to a Thai rifle range.  

So when the PM fronted up for her post-cabinet press conference on Monday, the first question came from Newshub’s Tova O’Brien. She asked if the potential loss of jobs at a factory would be a laughing matter for a Labour-led government.

Jacinda Ardern said she didn't share her deputy’s opinion but she didn’t condemn it. 

One name at MediaWorks loomed largest in Winston Peters’ grudge:  former cricketer turned TV host Mark Richardson who has been a vocal supporter of the National Party and critic of Winston Peters on air. 

In 2017 Mr Peters threatened to sue Richardson for defamation when the MediaWorks man said Mr Peters was a “political predator” who seeks out injuries like a “political white blood cell” -  or a form of political pus.

After the election that year Mr Peters also took legal action against nine people - including Newshub political reporter Lloyd Burr - over the leak of his superannuation overpayment which emerged in the media during the campaign.

It’s not only MediaWorks that has rubbed Winston Peters up the wrong way over the years but his hostility now worries many in the media because he’s a key member of a government whose media policy which is under review and due to be revealed in December. 

But therein lies a big irony. 

TVNZ1 being made non-commercial has been a longstanding policy of NZ First - and it’s also a demand cash-strapped MediaWorks has been making for years with no sign of success. 

Surprise switch 

Last Monday Winston Peters appeared on the Project to walk back his “good riddance” remark - and surprisingly he pledged to help MediaWorks. 

“We’re going to look after you,” he told host Kanoa Lloyd. 

“We won’t leave the scene,” he said.

On the same programme last week, Jesse Mulligan accused the government of fiddling as MediaWorks burned. Four days later one of the most influential and senior members of the government was offering help. 

But even though Winston Peters repeated the claim a third time, Jesse Mulligan called time on the interview with critical questions unanswered such as: who is ‘we’? And what help was on the table?

The following morning the question of what Winston Peters said was probed when PM Jacinda Ardern fronted up for her regular round of Tuesday morning media interviews. 

On Three’s AM show she said MediaWorks had made a commercial decision to bail out of TV and she pointed out that the company already gets money from the public purse for content via NZ On Air. 

The PM was even able to cite the precise percentage of the NZOA funds that go towards the cost of MediaWorks’ content.  

Forty-five minutes later on TVNZ’s Breakfast Jacinda Ardern also made the point that MediaWorks radio networks were turning a profit and had in the past backstopped the loss-making TV channels. 

Clearly this is now an issue that’s being actively aired at the top table. 

"We've been very clear  . . . what we need to do is to make sure New Zealanders can still see their stories and access their news and that we have strong journalism. So that's why we're focused on public broadcasting and making sure we really boost that," she said.

"That's what we been working on; we'll have more to say about that down the track," she added.

For Mediaworks - and other under pressure and up for sale news media outfits such as Stuff - the length of that track is critical. 

Time is running out for them, along with money and owners’ patience. 

They really need to know what’s coming from a government that has so far kicked the can down the road as far as its plan for the media is concerned.