A series of Instagram posts showing TVNZ leaders socialising on a US business trip has riled some staff; Eric Young reveals he’s leaving Sky TV; Article on ad agency’s Shane Jones finger campaign pulled from industry website; RNZ CEO’s internal email on broadcaster’s Budget funding; All the PRINZ award winners.
Media Insider: TVNZ executives’ LA trip, social media posts in spotlight as broadcaster cuts jobs; Eric Young to depart Sky; Shane Jones ad furore
TVNZ executives in Los Angeles; Sky TV newsreader Eric Young; The Monkeys' Give Shane Jones the Finger ad campaign.
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TVNZ has defended the trip, which coincides with the departure of up to 68 workers, the end of flagship shows such as Sunday and Fair Go, and an acrimonious dispute with the journalists’ union E tū.
The Employment Relations Authority (ERA) delivered a rebuke to TVNZ earlier this month, saying it had breached its collective contract because it had not consulted union staff properly about the plan to cut jobs.
The ERA ordered the parties to mediation but that failed and TVNZ was this week appealing the authority’s ruling in the Employment Court. A judgment is expected today.
The Employment Court heard this week that it remained a challenging time for TVNZ, with more cost cuts likely. The court also heard evidence the company had been implementing cost-cutting over the past 12 months, including not having its Sunday team travel overseas for investigations.
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Some TVNZ staff have been fuming about the three leaders’ trip to the US, in particular the social media posts of them socialising at the likes of the Chateau Marmont and Paramount Studios.
Various sources, including TVNZ staff, contacted Media Insider during the past week.
While I completely appreciate the importance and need for overseas trips – my own firm and other media companies have undergone restructuring in the past 12 months and also had people away at international conferences and on staff incentive trips – it’s also a highly sensitive time.
Some TVNZ staff have been especially upset by the social media posts.
“It just comes across as tone-deaf and wasteful to send such a large group,” said one source.
“Posting up a storm from LA, making it look like a holiday and a party with Jodi, the new CEO front and centre, has really riled quite a few people up.”
A TVNZ spokeswoman said the company attended the LA Screenings each year.
“We have reduced our travel spend significantly this year and opted not to attend other major content events, however, we prioritise this event for a number of reasons.
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“LA Screenings gives us the opportunity to preview pilot seasons, negotiate deals to secure international content pipelines with our key distributors and meet with other broadcasters and international partners. While we’re at the event, we also encourage distributors to support locally made co-productions that TVNZ is supporting.”
TVNZ sent two representatives last year and four in 2022, she said.
“Our chief content officer and CEO have been recently appointed in their roles and this was the first opportunity for them to meet with our key international partners at the annual tradeshow. All screenings and events are fully paid for by partners, not TVNZ.”
TVNZ refused to provide an approximate outline of the costs it had funded itself, including airfares and other travel, accommodation and any additional entertainment. Media Insider has applied to the state broadcaster to provide these under the Official Information Act.
“Our attendees flew premium economy and there is very little expense outside of travel associated with the event,” said the TVNZ spokeswoman.
Asked specifically about any staff feedback about the leaders’ attendance at the event and the social media posts, she said the broadcaster did not have anything further to add to its statement.
Sky TV and Warner Bros Discovery in New Zealand said they had opted not to travel to the event this year.
“We received multiple invitations to several screens, and despite the LA Screenings being an incredibly fun event, we didn’t send anyone from WBD NZ this year,” a Warner Bros Discovery spokesman said.
“We didn’t think it was the best use of our limited budget, especially given the current economic climate and issues facing the NZ media sector at present.”
A Sky spokeswoman said: “The LA Screenings are one of many opportunities over the course of the year to meet with international content suppliers. We have excellent and longstanding relationships across a wide range of studios and suppliers, and we make careful decisions about where we invest our travel spend.
“We didn’t attend the LA Screenings this year, but are comfortable that we have other opportunities to engage with our valued content partners, including a number closer to home.”
The TVNZ spokeswoman said international content played a crucial role in the state broadcaster’s content mix, “providing a profitable means to attract and retain audiences and subsidising the more expensive and lower-yield local content that we bring to air for New Zealand audiences”.
“This is an even more delicate balance in a financially challenged market. International content ensures TVNZ can invest in local content and provide a competitive offering to international streaming platforms.
“Our relationships with distributors [are] an important part of this, and attending the LA screenings is the best way to further these relationships and to ensure that TVNZ is the partner of choice for premium international shows.”
She said the photos on social media were posted on a personal account.
They have been freely visible to any member of the public including TVNZ staff.
“These were a snapshot of the social events and networking that take place after the screenings, however as noted in the post, in reality, it is a packed agenda of meetings with studios, distributors, platforms, and producers,” said the TVNZ spokeswoman.
She said TVNZ attended screenings hosted by NBC Universal, Lionsgate, Paramount, Sony, Fremantle, Warner Bros. Discovery, ITV, Red Arrow and Disney, and met with several other international partners.
Eric Young’s ‘tough’ farewell
One of New Zealand’s finest journalists and broadcasters, Eric Young, has confirmed he will host his final 5.30pm news bulletin on Sky TV’s Open channel on Friday, July 5.
Young has been a significant name and face in New Zealand media for four decades, starting out in radio in 1981, working alongside the likes of Peter Sinclair at Radio i before branching into the written word and, later, television. He is a man of many talents.
I remember first coming across Young’s byline while I was studying journalism and being captivated by his writing style. He was a prolific and stylish sports and feature writer for the Auckland Star in the mid-1980s.
He returned to broadcasting – and the bright lights of television – in 1989 as an original staff member when TV3 launched. After a few weeks, he was presenting the sports news.
Since 2006, he has presented the 5.30pm news on Prime/Sky. The bulletin has had various iterations and production changes in that time – it’s now produced for Sky TV’s Open channel by Newshub – but Young has been a trusted and consistent face.
Young is employed by Sky TV but works out of Newshub’s Flower St newsroom and studio each day – the same place he started his television career 35 years ago.
With Newshub’s closure on Friday, July 5, Young’s newsreading career will also come to a close, he confirmed today.
Sky TV has not announced what, if anything, will replace its 5.30pm bulletin.
I personally feel Sky should have had room for someone of Young’s talents, especially with his extensive news and sport broadcasting experience.
“There’s no easy way to bring down the curtain on almost 45 years in journalism and nearly 35 in television,” said Young, who has read the news on all four TV networks (TVNZ 1 and 2, TV3 and Prime/Sky).
“The numbers alone are exhausting.
“But when News First ends on Sky Open next month, I will leave with it.”
Young said he was “incredibly grateful” for his career and the kindness shown to him in that time. There were many people to thank, which he would do at the appropriate time.
“It’s been a ride. I’ve seen some stuff, I’ve made some great mates and I leave with incredible memories.
“Don’t get me wrong, leaving the building on July 5 will be tough. My career in television began in that very place in 1989 which seems, because it is, a lifetime ago.
“News First, and before it Prime News, has been my home for more than 18 years and Sky, from [chief executive] John Fellet on, has been an incredible source of support. For them, I have nothing but gratitude.”
That included their support when, in 2017, he underwent open-heart surgery.
A few weeks later, following successful surgery, he told the Herald: “I sort of knew in one sense what open heart surgery was, but it wasn’t until then... that you realise ‘oh s***, they’re going to stop my heart and deflate my lungs. This is not going to be fun’.”
Young is not ruling out another role in media after July 5, but for now he has a critical priority.
“The tradition is to say you’re going on to other projects. And I am. He stands just over a metre tall. His name is Alfie and he turns 4 next month. Hopefully, he’ll love having me around more. Kindy isn’t for the faint-hearted.
“He, and my wife Michelle, are my everything. It’s time.”
Sky chief executive Sophie Moloney said that as well as Young’s “brilliant stewarding” on thousands of news bulletins, he had made a “significant contribution” as a presenter across multiple Olympic and Commonwealth Games and Halberg Awards events.
“He is an absolute professional and highly skilled at his craft.
“News First at 5.30pm is produced for Sky by the team at Newshub, and so will conclude on July 5 when Newshub closes. While there will be time closer to the 5th to acknowledge all of Eric’s excellent work, I do want to say thank you to Eric on behalf of the Sky team and all of our Sky Open viewers for his significant contribution over almost two decades.”
Agency asks for article on Shane Jones finger campaign to be pulled
A creative agency asked for a story about its “Give Shane Jones the Finger” advertising campaign to be removed from an industry news website, says the website’s editor.
The CampaignBrief website story about the finger campaign was headlined: “Kiwis urged to give Shane Jones the finger in new WWF campaign via The Monkeys Aotearoa.”
The campaign, for WWF, urges Kiwis to send Jones a message - in the form of a virtual fish finger - to “urgently commit to protecting 30 per cent of our ocean by 2030″.
CampaignBrief publisher and editor Michael Lynch confirmed The Monkeys Aotearoa agency had asked for the article to be removed after becoming concerned about the nature of some comments from readers.
He said he reviewed the comments and felt they were becoming aggressive, talking about the political topic that the campaign was based on rather than the campaign itself.
“We’re not a Reddit site, we’re not a political site. We’re not the NZ Herald site where a fierce debate might go on. We focus more on the campaign itself – was it good or bad?”
Comments were becoming “a little nasty” and weren’t just focusing on the campaign work, he said.
Media Insider has a copy of several dozen readers’ comments.
As well as several abusive comments about the client and the ad – “drongos” and in “cloud cuckoo land” – several readers made the observation that The Monkeys Aotearoa is owned by Accenture Song, the global creative agency that has a number of lucrative government contracts.
“Can’t imagine the Government is thrilled about Accenture leading a personal attack on one of their ministers given the huge fees Govt agencies pay them each year,” said one anonymous commenter, under the name “Biting the hand (or finger) that feeds”.
Another said: “Will Shane Jones find out this was done by Accenture? Dangerous game to be a major govt consultancy/provider that attacks key members of Government.”
Others said the campaign was disrespectful while some were more praiseworthy.
An industry observer told Media Insider: “Accenture have just launched a campaign for WWF that directly and personally attacks Shane Jones by asking New Zealanders to give him the finger.
“This is significant ... I am sure you are aware that Accenture are one of the largest consultancy partners to the Government and their ministries.
“It’s typical that campaigns for non-profits like this are done at cost at most for clients, so with that in mind Accenture are likely even more invested in this campaign. [It] seems like dangerous territory for Accenture to be attacking one of the Government’s most senior ministers and government policy.”
While CampaignBrief pulled the article from its New Zealand website, a version remains on its Australian platform. That has only five, relatively innocuous comments.
Accenture’s NZ managing director Justin Mowday and The Monkeys Aotearoa chief creative officer Damon Stapleton did not return messages, calls or answer specific questions yesterday.
A Wellington-based PR firm, Blackland PR, said it could not reach Accenture but thanked Media Insider for the opportunity to comment.
Media Insider eventually tracked down Accenture’s Kate Maher in Australia, who at least responded quickly. “We appreciate you giving us the opportunity but we will decline to comment in your article.”
One Good Text
To wrap up New Zealand Music Month, we catch up with leading entertainment and music writer Karl Puschmann.
RNZ celebrates funding retention
RNZ is celebrating the retention of an extra $25 million in annual funding that it received from the previous Labour Government.
In an internal email to staff yesterday, chief executive Paul Thompson said there was a “welcome outcome” for RNZ in yesterday’s Budget.
“Our funding has remained the same. This is testament to your hard work and the quality of what we deliver,” said Thompson.
“We will need to keep making the case for what we do by continuing to produce outstanding public media that matters.”
He said the recent “terrible disruption” in the media sector “underscored the importance of a public media entity to New Zealand”.
“While the government has retained our funding level, it has also set high expectations on performance efficiency and the delivery of our strategy. That is good.
“We need to show the value we bring for New Zealanders.”
PRINZ Award winners
Congratulations to all the winners from the PRINZ Awards this week.
Best Use of Media Relations
Gold: Mango Communications for Correct the Internet
Silver: Great Scott for One for wāhine – a stunning victory for NZ Young Farmers; Blackland PR for Lowering fees for Wellington sports players; Development West Coast for Return of the Kōtuku: a media campaign takes flight
Bronze:: Anthem for Lifting Aotearoa’s sights to greater sustainable transport opportunities; Great Scott for Putting the springs in Hanmer’s new slides.
Best Use of Digital and Social Media
Silver: Stats NZ for Building Trust & Confidence Online for the 2023 Census; Development West Coast for West Coast Wikipedian at Large
Bronze: ANZCO Foods for A Technology Leap Forward
Consumer or Customer Relations
Silver: Acumen for Samsung: A taste of 5G; Acumen for Uber: Helping Kiwis Donate from their Doorsteps; Cherryred for NOT out with the old, but in with the new
Government Relations and Public Affairs
Silver: Restaurant Association of New Zealand and Awhi Group for Advocating for Change: Elevating the Hospitality Industry through Government Partnership; Priority Communications for FundaPen campaign – A triumph for Aotearoa’s anaphylaxis sufferers; Anthem for Lifting Aotearoa’s sights to greater sustainable opportunities; Silvereye for Silvereye campaign for the NZ Game Developers Association; Anthem for The Domino Effect
Most Innovative Campaign
Gold: Development West Coast for West Coast Wikipedian at Large
Bronze: Acumen for Samsung: A taste of 5G; Mango Communications for Correct the Internet
Corporate and Business Public Relations
Silver: Port of Auckland for Port turn-around: Reversing years of declining favorability; Anthem for Lifting Aotearoa’s sights to greater sustainable transport opportunities
Bronze: ANZCO Foods for A research-led solution that worked for users and ANZCO; Kordia for Kordia’s Business Cyber Security Report
Financial Communications and Investor Relations
Bronze: One Plus One Communications for Growing up in public: Binance NZ’s journey from crypto disruptor to mature financial services provider; Fonterra for Flexibility for farmers under new capital structure
Internal Communications
Silver: New Zealand Blood Service for 25-years of Te Ratonga Toto O Aotearoa New Zealand Blood Service: Celebrating a lifesaving story; NZ Superfund for Supercharging our intranet
Bronze: Switched On Group for Constructing Culture through Values Campaign; Kiwibank for This is empowering our people. This is Kiwibank Wardrobe.
Community Relations & Engagement
Gold: Palmerston North City Council for Paving a new path for Palmy’s most dangerous street; Great Scott & McElrea Consulting for Huihui Mai: bringing Waitaha together to plan our future
Silver: Fonterra for Fonterra’s Climate Ambition; Development West Coast for Reframing perceptions through media and community engagement; Queenstown Airport for A Master Plan for an airport our community can be proud of; Beca & Waipa District Council for Ahu Ake – A spatial plan for Waipā, like never seen before
Issues, Crisis or Reputation Management
Silver: Watercare Services for Communicating to customers and stakeholders in stormy times; Unison for Power to the People
Bronze: ProCare Health for I ore ate tuatara ka puta ki waho? A problem is solved by continuing to find solutions; Pan Pac Forests for Rising above: Maintaining business reputation following a natural disaster
Marketing Communications
Silver: Mango Communications for Correct the Internet
Bronze: Coastguard Tautiaki Moana for It Takes A Crew To Save A Life
Experiential & Activation
Gold: Acumen for Samsung: A taste of 5G; Acumen for Uber: Helping Kiwis Donate from their Doorsteps
Prize for Excellence in Research, Measurement & Evaluation
Winner: Mango Communications for Correct the Internet
PR In-House Team of the Year
Gold: Invercargill City Council
Silver: Development West Coast
PR Consultancy of the Year – Small to Medium
Gold: Little & Loud
Silver: Scope Communications; Campbell & Co
PR Consultancy of the Year – Medium to Large
Gold: One Plus One Communications; Special PR
Sally Logan-Milne Young Practitioner of the Year
Winner: Briar Robb
Highly Commended: Lebron Davis
Supreme Award
Mango Communications for Correct the Internet
In case you missed it...
Radio and outdoor advertising media company MediaWorks has posted a net after-tax loss of $107.1 million after an impairment of $86.5 million – it insists its “turnaround” is on track, despite a challenging economy and media market.
For the second consecutive year, auditors have said “material uncertainties” exist which cast “significant doubt” on MediaWorks’ ability to operate as a going concern but the company says this was before refinancing was completed and it is confident it has the capital to deliver the company’s strategy.
The company says “existing debt facilities were amended with the support of our shareholders and lenders shortly after the finalisation of our FY23 accounts”.
In those accounts released on Thursday, MediaWorks posted ebitda of $34.6m (up from $34.4m last year) and a net loss before tax of $14.2m million (compared with a $9.7m net loss before tax last year).
Total revenue was $204.1m, a 5 per cent drop from the previous year, but the company has also slashed costs - operating expenses were $11m less than those in 2022.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE.
Editor-at-Large Shayne Currie is one of New Zealand’s most experienced senior journalists and media leaders. He has held executive and senior editorial roles at NZME including Managing Editor, NZ Herald Editor and Herald on Sunday Editor and has a small shareholding in NZME.
