Hakwesby tribute to Holmes

Newstalk ZB paid its final tribute to Sir Paul Holmes by broadcasting his funeral service live and commercial-free.

I was driving home from Christchurch and was moved by the tributes paid by his friends.

Among them was John Hawkesby. TV3 has the  video here.

TVNZ has extracts for that and other tributes here.

 

Radio Whale

Newstalk ZB’s talk back spot this morning has dual – and maybe duelling – hosts: Cameron Slater, of Whaleoil fame in the blue corner and John Pagani in the red one from 11 – 12.

If you’re in the lower North Island you’ll be able to listen on the radio otherwise you can tune in to Newstalk ZB’s live stream.

Live PM on RadioLIVE

Prime Minister John Key is hosting a RadioLIVE show from 2pm this afternoon.

In a first for RadioLIVE, the show will feature the Prime Minister, listeners and some very special guests including Sir Richard Branson and Richie McCaw.

General Manager of RadioLIVE Jana Rangooni says:   “This has been done in the UK and US but not, to the best of my knowledge, in New Zealand. 

“We hope to make this an annual event for whoever is the Prime Minister at the time.”

RadioLIVE listeners will have the opportunity to talk to John Key directly, sharing what’s on their minds, and putting questions to the Prime Minister via phone and www.radiolive.co.nz.

In the not too distant past, people flocked to public meetings to hear politicians.

These days politicians have to make more of an effort to go to the people and doing it via the radio waves is a very good way to do that.

The PM was on NewsTalk ZB a couple of weeks ago taking questions from callers on everything from politics to the personal which included the last film he’d been to (The King’s Speech).

Goff fails talkback test

When the Leader of the Opposition makes a speech outlining a major policy initiative in election year you’d expect it to generate discussion on talkback radio.

In spite of efforts by host Kerre Woodham to get responses to the speech Phil Goff delivered yesterday there were few takers on Newstalk ZB last night.

Between 8 and 10pm most callers talked about the suggestion junk food sales near school should be limited and almost all of the few who did discuss Goff’s speech weren’t impressed by his policies.