Hard News by Russell Brown

This also happened last night – the awesome Harkanwal Singh gave an Ihaka lecture about data journalism. The talking starts at 11:20.

Soz if you've already covered this.

I don't get it. Did Nielsen or whoever does the survey give RNZ a discount on the fee for inclusion?

If a lot of the point of the ratings is to be able to price advertising, then including RadioNZ doesn't help them since RadioNZ doesn't sell advertising.

Being able to say "Most listened to station-that-will-take-your-advertising-dollars" is less attractive than being able to say "most listened to station".

From a RadioNZ point of view, being able to get someone to give them some numbers so they can track it over time is worth something and I don't know that they care about being able to brag to advertisers; I'd bet that being able to say to the Gummint that they have better listener numbers than the commercial stations is useful come time to argue about budgets.

To call the commercial radio stations disingenuous would be a a bit of an understatement. Lying bastards would be a better description.

I have joined up with Newsroom.pro. It is $29 a month but cancelling our NZ Herald sub would more than compensate.

Good news about Media Take. I will try and get up for it when I can.

Russell: re the Patron thing. I think we are still contributing a regular auto payment to PA but should we shift it to this new option?

In regards to the Herald article it sounds like a Press Council complaint could be in order for a breach of accuracy, fairness and balance.

I don’t know that they care about being able to brag to advertisers

Obviously, whatever they're in it for, it's nothing to do with advertisers.

But touting one's ratings clout is good for listenership and sends a message to funders, I'd have thunk.

The only way RNZ's funding will increase is if we change the government.

Russell: re the Patron thing. I think we are still contributing a regular auto payment to PA but should we shift it to this new option?

Yes, please do. And thanks!

If a lot of the point of the ratings is to be able to price advertising, then including RadioNZ doesn’t help them since RadioNZ doesn’t sell advertising.

Being able to say “Most listened to station-that-will-take-your-advertising-dollars” is less attractive than being able to say “most listened to station”.

Indeed. And under the agreement they even get to state their station shares as if RNZ doesn't exist.

From a RadioNZ point of view, being able to get someone to give them some numbers so they can track it over time is worth something and I don’t know that they care about being able to brag to advertisers; I’d bet that being able to say to the Gummint that they have better listener numbers than the commercial stations is useful come time to argue about budgets.

Exactly – although I don't hold any hope whatsoever of RNZ's budget being unfrozen without a change of government. Even though it has been proving itself as a part of NZ's civil defence infrastructure, etc.

But it has firmly shut down a very common criticism from the right – that it was too scared to participate in the "real" ratings. Actually, it has always had a substantial audience, and it nicely timed its re-entry to the ratings as that audience was growing.

OK I tried the red button but it didn't seem to be working.

Oh the blessed irony . Newstalk ZB was an RNZ station don't forget, until the Nats sold RNZ's entire network, destroying local radio in the process despite the insistence of ZB managers ( like Bill Francis, now on the Board at RNZ) that the provinces would not miss out. Well, they did.

ZB was supported by RNZ right through its "difficult period" following the format change. If it had set up at the same time the public broadcaster was split up , I doubt whether it would have survived.