May is New Zealand Music Month and to kick it off, the New Zealand Government has announced a deal with commercial broadcasters CanWest to save the ailing all-NZ music radio station Kiwi FM.
On the face of it, Kiwi FM is a wonderful idea.
New Zealand music, long overlooked by broadcasters in favour of internationally proven chart fodder, has clawed its way back up through a means of voluntary targets, week-long and eventually month-long celebrations and other incentive programmes.
Thanks to the efforts of New Zealand On Air (and, in particular, Brendan Smyth), local sounds that once occupied less than 2% of the nation’s broadcast output now command 20% and more. Astonishing progress.
And finally, it all came of age when kiwi music managed to get its own station – 100% New Zealand, 100% of the time. Clearly the triumphant end to a long struggle. A renaissance. Victory for the forces of good. Just read the press release.
Now, although I’m more than happy for NZ composers to receive royalty cheques from public performances of their work, I’ve always maintained that Kiwi FM was entirely a cynical bargaining chip on the part of CanWest’s Sith overlord, Brent Impey.
You see, commercial radio broadcasting entities in New Zealand are – and have always been – fundamentally opposed to promoting New Zealand music because, as they have always maintained: it’s not as good, it’s badly recorded, nobody likes it and nobody wants it. Prior to the voluntary targets that were introduced four years ago, this was the party line.
Clearly nonsense, but it’s far easier to play proven international hits than it is to have to select and champion local music – despite the self-evident formula that people hear music first, then they like music – not the other way around. The ‘giving the people what they want’ fallacy of commercial radio should be popped with a pin every time it’s encountered.
Then along came the Helen Clark government. Not only did we have a Prime Minister who was also Minister of Arts, Culture and Heritage – but a clear mandate, urgency and budget to do whatever it takes to boost NZ Music.
And so playing NZ music became the leverage for all other battles that the commercial radio industry wanted to fight. And the commercial radio industry, knowing full well that if they played local sounds, people would like local sounds, used the fact that they were begrudgingly complying with the government’s highest priority wishes as best as they could, to get their way on every single other matter going.
There are several issues that the Radio Broadcasting Association in New Zealand have as their key ‘red flag’ areas. A couple of years ago, the problem of the FM licence expiry in 2011 came off this list – and now, they can cross off the Youth Radio Network too.
Seven years ago, the idea for a nationwide, commercial-free Youth Radio Network in New Zealand was first proposed. It became a hotly debated topic in both broadcasting circles and at a level of public policy. It was considered such a potential vote-winner, every major political party was claiming it as their own.
Today, Steve Maharey, the most public-radio-friendly Broadcasting Minister in decades, killed it. And Brent Impey – the man whose local instance of the global CanWest media empire makes Clear Channel look like the good guys – can rub his hands together with sinister glee.
Maharey has given free major metropolitan FM frequencies to CanWest in order that they will continue to play exclusively NZ music – despite the fact that New Zealand music has been mainstreamed on every other radio station in the country and the 20% voluntary target has been reached (and, in many cases, exceeded).
On the first day of New Zealand music month, being the Broadcasting Minister that oversaw the shutting down of Kiwi FM was a far less palatable idea than simply giving them some frequencies, keeping quiet about the YRN and spinning it as a victory for New Zealand music.
While Kiwi FM’s part of the deal is to “work towards becoming a not-for-profit organisation”, and while Brent Impey has stated in the past that he is fundamentally opposed to any station, commercial or otherwise, being given free frequencies, this is a clear victory not only for CanWest, but for commercial radio in New Zealand as a whole.
But of course, this is not good for New Zealand music. It’s a ghetto. It’s the place where New Zealand music can be shunted off to and hidden away. CanWest have already made absolutely certain that this is a format that nobody will listen to.
Audiences want to hear Goodshirt and Che Fu AS WELL AS not INSTEAD OF Green Day and Kanye West.
But having given an all NZ music youth-orientated channel its own publicly-funded frequencies, the government’s arguments in favour of a Youth Radio Network have been further structurally weakened to the point of collapse.
The network that could have actually contributed something worthwhile to young New Zealanders – or at least made an honest attempt – while playing a diversity of sounds, both local and international – has had the rug finally, permanently and entirely cynically ripped out from underneath it.
Happy New Zealand Music Month, Brent Impey. Not only have you ghetto-ised local music, you’ve managed to be given assets to a value in excess of $20m, you’ve completely decimated commercial radio’s biggest perceived threat, dealt a huge blow to public broadcasting and had your way with the country’s Broadcasting Minister in an historic fashion.
Happy NZ Music Month, NZ music industry – this is not a reprieve, this is a set-back.
Happy NZ Music Month, Steve Maharey. this was the plan all along. You have been screwed.
Happy NZ Music Month, Brendan Smyth. Back to the drawing board.
PS: If someone could get their hands on an NZ Music Month poster for me, I’d greatly appreciate it.
And can you direct me to somewhere I can buy the t-shirt?
Cheers.
The word is that the tees are only available at Hallensteins – not even the guy I spoke to via the NZ Music Month site could help beyond that! I’ve begged a mate to grab me one…Its my birthday soon after all, haha.
Paul
great post, sir. Kiwi FM, is a freakin govt-funded ghetto. Get me the hell outta there!
Great post sir
Though why would you want a NZ Music Month T Shirt?
Does your briefcase have a NZ Flag sticker? Your backpack a flag sown on…..
NZ Music month celebrates all that is mediocre about our local music
The granting of these free frequencies to a multi national only serves to confirm that
non profit – is our local fare still not up to the usual standards of business? Or is it as many would suggest and have since its inception, a fundamentally flawed premise
meanwhile in the real world many of our greatest musicians continue to be overlooked
quota’s and frequencies do not a culture make
I want the t-shirt because I like the t-shirt and because I am a proud supporter of NZ music. And I disagree that NZMM celebrates all that is mediocre. At least, that’s not what I use NZMM to celebrate.
Most of the people involved with NZMM – and Kiwi FM for that matter – are genuinely passionate about local music. They want the music to do well and the musicians to succeed.
Of course there are many artists that don’t get the recognition they deserve. That’s the nature of the music industry, the radio industry, capitalist modes of production and the economics of media. I think you’ll find that happens pretty much everywhere.
I also have to disagree about the quotas (actually, ‘voluntary targets’) and the frequencies. Without the targets and the other NZOA schemes, very little NZ music would make it to air and most people would hear very little of it.
People don’t hear music, people don’t like it and then people don’t buy it.
And frequencies equal broadcast equals public performance equals royalties. While there may be an inequity between who gets played and who doesn’t, I don’t think the solution is for nobody to get played.
And the culture is precisely the media environment, plus what people do – so yeah, those things make the culture.
I don’t have an NZ flag on my backpack – but the more time I spend here the more I find things about myself that I identify as very much culturally a New Zealander.
NZ Music is one of those things that speaks to that culture directly.
You’re absolutely right about the narrow range of music being served – and the absurdity of a multi-national being awarded public radio frequencies to create a reservation for local sounds – but put me down as a supporter of local music.
I’ll wear that t-shirt happily.
and Steve’s my local MP. We’re very disappointed, embarrassed even.
FM: Invented in the 30’s.
70 years on: NZders… still getting dicked around by so-called in-the-know officials in the 00’s.
We only have ourselves to blame for electing them in for so long.
You guys, though, are totally obsessed with what happens for Akld & Welly.
We’ve made a history comment:
http://www.vision100.com/history06.htm
Mortified, just mortified by this. The Labour Govt. just lost a voter. I did not vote for a culture packaged by rich, selfish bitch-boys of Canadian/American overlords! The Nats were that option.
‘Not-for-profit’ my arse. That’s just clever accounting…they already have 8 show’s worth of funding from NZ On Air along with the $20 mil frequencies.
(8 x $20,000-$50,000 anyone?)
I notice the CanWestNZ share price jumped 4 points today, that’s what this is really all about.
Maharey is a lazy, short-sighted, easily-bullied oaf. I used to like him. Shame.
Surely this is buying favours with the network who feeds the little creep.
Hi Andrew
I am afraid you are in danger of plunging into the dark pool of cynicism like a Diver.
NZ gets it’s own 100% music station – why not be happy about this development? Listener choice increases – we can program our presets and flick over to a bit of kiwi when stuck in Auckland’s traffic. Thus we can choose how much kiwi music we want in our lives rather than have this choice made for us by politicians and programmers.
Is the real problem your believe that all business people are bad?
Cheer up – it will be summer in Birmingham soon (stay alert in case you miss it).
cheers
Bruce
Well, well, well. It must be the unappreciated crowd on this site.
Am I to seriously believe that you believe any of this? Crikey! The world is not, unfortunately for you all I suspect, one giant conspiracy theory.
Try to take a deep breath through the ivory of your towers and imagine that SOME smart people do exist in radio. Though you’ve no doubt all been fired/not hired by them so you hold a grudge.
By the way, karma does happen. 13 years ago a schoolboy acquaintance of my flatmate told everyone she slept with him. He died a couple of weeks ago in a fiery helicopter accident.
It won’t happen over night…
But back to it. Please be the first sensible people to enter the debate with a little bit of reason outside of ‘Labour government sell-outs’ or ‘evil multi-national’. It’s hackneyed, tired and quite frankly boring.
Just as an aside, I think we can also THANK Canwest occasionally for competing with TVNZ. The quality of programming has definitely…actually, no.
Hey but look, maybe we could give the new dudes at the top a go. I think Karyn’s credentials stack up, don’t you?
In case you didn’t know (and I doubt that, but I’ll say it again) It was the very same Karyn Hay who orchestrated a 250,000-signature petition to government to get more local content on air. How quickly we forget.
You’re right about one thing though. Kiwi was set up to fail. Set up to fail by the hypocrites, sychophants and those cast aside.
Kiwi was systematically beaten up from its very inception. Those that claim to support NZ Music when there’s a free Heineken and a sausage roll and quietly bag it as soon as the tab runs out are among the worst offenders. As always, the hedge-your-bets ‘commercial’ music print media (because if you’re going to use’commercial’ to describe ultra-formatted and uninspiring radio, then it fits this bunch too)had a jolly good crack as well.
But really. The issue is about ownership, plain and simple and that’s a truly sad indictment on you all. Who gives a damn? does that mean it’s less able than if it were State-owned? better? More effective?
I doubt it.
100%
or
20% (all the same on all the stations by the way. just the hits!!)
You choose.
Personally, I’ll keep tuning in. I’m looking forward to listening to what happens when you unleash Andrew Fagan and Karyn Hay in their own new radio station.
I hope you’ll give it a chance. If only to go against the grain.
1. Great to see some alternative opinion. The notion of the blogosphere as a giant echo chamber is dismissed.
2. You’re right to make the point that Karyn and co are all lovers of NZ music. I harbour a suspicion that the love of NZ music is not, however, CanWest’s motivation here.
3. Bruce, you know full well that I love business people. Particularly entrepreneurs like your good self. However, I don’t believe that liking business is incompatible with a cautiousness about the motives of multi-national corporations, especially when they are being given public assets.
4. I don’t buy the listener choice argument. There is not a single commercial radio station in New Zealand (and I use the word commercial in its traditional sense) that does what it does out of a desire to provide listener choice.
5. Of course some smart people work in radio. Some of the smartest people I’ve ever met work in radio. Sometimes I agree with those people and sometimes I don’t. You’ve got to admit though – like any industry, the radio business has its share of complete planks.
6. Finally, I’m not sure why you particularly Bruce (maverick Gisborne media boss and radio entrepreneur) are so happy about this turn of events. This is not a victory for the business set over the public radio set. This is essentially a new public radio station using state assets and government handouts to directly compete with your level-playing-field market-driven industry. Ordinarily you’d be crying foul. The only thing I can think you might be celebrating is a member of the RBA putting one over the Labour Government. Can you help me out here? I genuinely don’t get it.
Hey there Dubb – you can get a t-shirt at Hallensteins (or at least, thats where I got mine last year….)
cheers – fantastic article! Excellent point of view succintly and clearly put. Onya!
rock on Kiwi Music…always.
KSG
Radio is a business and this was a really nasty business transaction that favours Canwest, and the government has collected a lemon.
Im now REALLY REALLY interested in TRN’s thoughts on this, as well as the LPFM sector.
What a can of worms…
I don’t believe the failure of Kiwi or it’s potential success lies in the Music. The greatest void in New Zealand radio is quality talent. If you want to listen to music you go to your ipod or your stereo or whatever – you’re in charge of the playlist 24/7. Radio is a form of entertainment. So rather than just providing a stage for the latest garage band in Upper Hut to attempt to gain fame at their high school or a misunderstood artiste to exhibit their interpretation of 16th century baroque, Kiwi should be used to provide unadulterated NZ entertainment. I’d like to see it as a home for the new generation of Fred Daggs or Lyn of Tawas to come through… and for that matter – the next Karyn Hay. New Zealand music continues the same vicious cycle it always has done. Artist (A) makes music, nobody plays the music (One play per week in a specialised show doesn’t count), the artist calls the industry corrupt and unsupportive. Artist (B) uses brain and writes catchy pop hit which receives mainstream airplay and enjoys moderate success.
Artist (A) calls (B) a sell out. Artist (B) goes overseas in pursuit of the big pay day and resurfaces years later on some arty farty show extowing the pitfalls of the UK/US recording industry. Artist (A) meantime has turned to pottery in Hokitika.
Every now and then somebody will break through internationally but will lack the public profile to maintain their success. Whether or not the music stacks up to U2 or Coldplay – doesn’t matter. We haven’t in recent times produced anyone with the marketability of Bono (saving the world) or Chris Martin (married to Gwynny, father of apple). What Kiwi can do, however, is broadcast free of the heavy commercial constraints of most stations nationwide. I hate to draw comparisons with Z, but, like Z I hope that it is bold enough to be it’s own beast. I hope that it is best described as weird, eclectic and Kiwi.