Radio Ga Ga
Broadcasting Standards and Plunket's Platform.
All we hear is radio ga ga
Radio blah, blah
Radio, what’s new?
Radio, someone still loves you.
Songwriter: Roger Taylor.
If there is one man in NZ media that I despise more than Sean Plunket, it’s not Mike Hosking or Ryan Bridge. Although their poorly thought-through misreckons no doubt negatively impact the knowledge of their listeners.
That would be Shayne Currie, who writes a snivelling column each week, purporting to be media news, but which is really about bad-mouthing the opposition, especially public broadcasting, and spruiking for NZME.
Last night, Currie joined the clamour that has taken place since the Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) dared to consider a complaint.
Going to war? Goodness, that’s fighting talk from Plunket. The man who mocked starving Palestinians didn’t want any fingers or noses pointed in his direction.
On July 22nd, Plunket referred to tikanga Māori as “mumbo jumbo”, which, to be fair, sounds like something you’d hear on ZB, as well as the more extreme Platform of Plunket.
Richard Fanselow wrote to The Platform complaining of racism and defining it as “someone who spends a disproportionate amount of time focusing on just one racial group, mainly to emphasise negative characteristics.”
That certainly sounds like Plunket, not to mention Currie’s stablemate Heather du Plessis-Allan. They constantly speak negatively about Māori and bear some responsibility for the renewed openness of racism in this country.
Mr Plunket was not taking it seriously and responded to Fanselow, “You plonker. We aren’t subject to the Broadcasting Standards Authority.”
So Fanselow took the matter to the BSA, asking, “Is there any kind of remedy for such obviously racist talk?”
The BSA produced a provisional decision that was “not for broadcast” and gave Plunket until November 12 to make submissions. He responded, “I’m not playing that game. You don’t have authority over me,” the equivalent of a toddler rolling on the ground saying, “you’re not the boss of me”.
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