The Day in Review Oct 18

- Consensus non grata tonight for the networks. Prime opened with the DomPost's story on the SIS gaining access to the US Government's Terrorist Database, and Keith Locke's fears that refugees could be stifled when attempting to seek sanctuary in New Zealand. Nowhere else did this story run (the spooks are everywhere).
- 3 opened with an advertising campaign for The Joneses - best PR money can buy when you've got the Associate Minister of Justice backing you over the self-regulatory body. NewstalkZB and RNZ were also over this one. I don't suppose REINZ has many friends. One waited until no-one was watching before they slipped it in (or saw that 3 led it and thought they'd better do so).
- One, on the other hand, opened with the rising petrol prices ahead of Labour Weekend (not that that's ever happened before). Reps from BP, Gull, and the AA battled it out in their soundbites, with Gull taking the high road waiting until after the weekend before raising prices. Prime went with the AA in their opening piece, and 3 did their's too, but nothing could compare to Rawdon Christie taking a leaf out of the BBC handbook on broadcasting for beginners, and satnding by a computer graphic of the Middle East, explaining away why Turkey was escalating its blah blah blah. Normally you have to wait until BBC World for that kind of coverage. Oh, and David Young also took the opportunity to point out that the price hike would likely be inflationary in the lead up to the Reserve Bank's announcement on the OCR next week.
- Everyone leaped on the day's remarks by Dr. Pita Sharples of the Maori Party that the terror raids would set back race relations 100 years. Both One and 3 interviewed a couple of organic farmers in Taupo who were most unimpressed with their questioning by the police. While everyone agreed that the nearly all Parliamentarians were distancing themselves from any concrete comment (even Trotskyite Locke), Major Garner managed to have a superb interview with Minister of Maori Affairs Parekura Horomia, who in a rare move, was caught in a concrete statement that he did not believe Tame Iti was a terrorist. Political posturing ahead of the Cabinet reshuffle or just not quick on his feet? Well done Duncan.
- The MSD report on the well-being of New Zealanders got some good traction, as did the condemnation of the police force for sponsoring schoolboy rugby ("They shouldn't have to advertise"), but two goodies were back-to-back on One: NRL clubs antsy about being kept out of the loop over the rape allegations against the Kiwis (the Tigers in particular), and the Christchurch school putting locks on the toilets to prevent errant children from smoking in them (Libertarians of the world unite!).
- Campbell and Close Up had another duel, with Campbell playing a recorded interview with Dr. Sharples, while Sainsbury had Tame Iti's son and grand-daughter. Nothing really interesting.
- Insipid moment of the night had to go to Rawdon, but I did like Amanda Gillies' attempt to get a who's who of activists at a meeting in Auckland: Minto, Oosterman, um, ah, yeah.
Good night.

The Day in Review Oct 17

- Stop all the presses. Hold all the phones. Tame Iti's bail was declined. It gets worse, but I'll get to that.
- 3 bucked the trend with its opening, opting instead for an exclusive with Customs over the types of weapons getting into Utopia. Everything from claymores to M-60s to tommy-guns. I can deal with the latter (kind of takes me back to Prohibition times), but the first two? Michael Morrah gave us the lowdown, pointing out that it was unlikely there was a link between this weaponry and terror camps (someone should let Mark Jennings know you're not meant to let the public in on their ignorance).
- One and Prime jumped on the terror bandwagon tonight - a story that never seems to end (or change). We had Tame, we had the support in Wellington for the detainees, we had Paul Buchanan giving an explanation of what terror is (he's no long a Former Lecturer at Auckland University, rather, he's been given the austere title Former Advisor to the CIA). 3, held off, just keeping to Tame later on in the opening bulletin.
- The Government's crackdown on youth binge drinking came in at number two for 3 and One, with Sia Aston and Kris Faafoi giving us a rundown of what the Government's planning to do. Most people are saying not much or nothing new.
- Kudos to 3 (and RNZ) for putting Lloyd Jones coming up short at the Bookers in at number 3; even if it did say "oh well, at least the book's selling a lot". Poor form to One for relegating it to the end of the second segment.
- One did do well in reporting on Geneva Finance and its pending failure, although Owen Poland couldn't quite land an interview.
- More kudos to 3 for going with the Ministry of Consumer Affairs' report into formaldehyde disputing Target's research. Ed Connolly at The Warehouse was well chuffed.
- Campbell and Close Up had a head-to-head battle with anorexia leading their openings. John followed that up with a drawn-out interview on breast cancer that didn't capture me too much, although I had to admit I couldn't really watch Damien O'Connor explain away the guvmint's youth drinking thing for too long.
- Prime and 3 are joint winners tonight for sharing a moment of utter filth: Mike King has no place in making any comment whatsoever. None. Especially when it's him pontificating on how the arrests in Ruatoki are about this Government trying to do some Maori bashing to get up in the polls. There were much wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Good night.

The Day in Review Oct 15

- Today, all of our broadcasters could go no further than the raids around the country that were covered under the Suppression of Terrorism Act. Everyone tried to outdo the rest. Prime kicked it all off (where excluding Neil Waka for obvious reasons) with pics from 3 and Barry Soper's sober musings on the issue. One had Fran Mold opening their piece, with a threat to the Prime Minister bandied about. Lisa Owen took the hard details, telling us about Hemi Lockett's charge amongst other things. They tried going to Ruatoki direct, but had to wait until after their first ad break before getting a link that worked. 3 took a more sensational approach - not quite quoting 'Apocalypse Now' but really really wanting to (that's a thinly veiled reference to napalm; sorry kids). Garner Major let us know that H1 had been informed of the threat a week earlier, and that her office was aware of the situation several weeks ago. 3 also focused on the raid in the Wellington hippy house on Abel Smith and Willis. They also had an indepth piece on Tame Iti - well, wouldn't you? (All I can think of is Paul Thomas' 'Guerilla Season' and the Aotearoa People's Army - great book.)
- The second segment (yes, TV One and TV3 followed RNZ's lead in having a lead story last longer than 10 minutes) only had the upcoming Oz election in common. 3 had Banksie calling the Guvmint's bluff, while One went with the real estate agent's disciplinary hearing. There were other things, but they were mainly international (including the Brethren conspiracy in Australia).
- Top story went to 3 with Dr. Keith Turner of Meridian warning that the national grid could fail because Transpower turned off an interisland line. Good scoop.
- Close Up and Campbell went with the raids of terror, fighting over who could get Howard Broad first (Sainsbury did, so John had to talk to Tame Iti's lawyer - yikes).
- Nothing too insipid tonight (I'm excluding Banksie), so we'll go with a well done to the Kiwi boys who drive around in a circle for the Sheik's pleasure. And Jonny Reid really is a driver's name.
Good night.