Media: Punchline coming over Radio NZ's burqa Barbie

Radio New Zealand National says it is not planning any changes to Afternoons with Jim Mora after the show's burqa Barbies debacle.

RNZ received 13 complaints last week after panelist John Bishop on Thursday's show referred to a story about toymaker Mattel and its Barbie doll.

Given the size of the market Mattel could develop a "Muslim Barbie" or a "Terrorist Barbie" to meet demand.

As is so often the case when problems arise on the Afternoon show, Jim Mora was away sick. His role was filled by National Radio newsreader Paul Brennan who threw caution to the wind and suggested a "suicide bomber Barbie" that came with "a little belt".

RNZ head of features John Howson said Brennan had continued as a casual newsreader this week and might end up filling in for Mora again.

Panelist Bomber Bradbury was removed from the roster of guests on the show's panel segment for a rant against Prime Minister John Key but Howson thought Bishop would return.

The broadcaster had apologised profusely for a case of humour gone wrong. RNZ had treated it as a serious matter and a formal decision on the complaints was being processed.

RNZ has cautioned presenters about "inappropriate remarks" and the "processes" of the show were being looked at - as happens after all complaints.

RNZ spokesman John Barr said the Afternoon show was popular and had increased listeners. Indeed it is RNZ's most commercial and least-structured show. It sometimes pushed the envelope, he said. But there have been earlier issues and one well placed source at RNZ - a supporter of the show - said it was "too loose".

Last month RNZ was pilloried by the left for pulling the plug on Bradbury who had recited a blistering attack on Key.

RNZ decided it breached standards. The broadcaster was accused of censorship, but the real issue was that Bradbury had been allowed to read his blog on air rather than provide fresh new content - an arrangement that had been accepted several times in the past.

Recently fill-in host Sandy Hodge - a senior public relations adviser with Vector - introduced and promoted her "friend", Auckland councillor and prospective mayoral candidate Cameron Brewer. And way back in 2008 there was the plagiarism row over fill-in host Noelle McCarthy and an essay she read on air.

Audience numbers are up but some of the criticism about the panel segment of the show is that it has become too staid and prosaic, reaching a low recently when John Bishop waxed lyrical about cooking potatoes.

RNZ sources said there had long been concerns about scrutiny of the panel segment. Others point to the paucity of training and replacements when Mora is away.

PC GONE MAD?

Some say people should be able to say what they like on air - and criticism of Bishop and Brennan is a part of the "politically correct clobbering machine". The other view is that the broadcaster has to remain true to its brand.

Barr said the Barbie comments were news because they were on Radio New Zealand, which had high standards, and they would not rate a mention if they were by Paul Henry, these days at MediaWorks. The earlier Henry transgression that cost him his TV job was more significant because it was on state-owned media.

Javed Khan of the Federation of Islamic Associations said the issue was over promoting stereotypes that Muslims were terrorists.

Muslims around the world have clashed with Western expectations about freedom of speech, while some international broadcasts by Islamic Imans have attacked people based on their sexuality or religion.

Khan said there had not been a lot of publicity over the Barbie comment and many in the Muslim community did not make a fuss because it would open them to attack.

WHYBIN WIN

Tourism New Zealand has a new advertising agency for handling marketing of the country overseas.

The shift from Assignment to Whybin\TBWA follows changes at the top of Tourism New Zealand and increasing pressure on the long-running "100 per cent Pure New Zealand" branding that has been amended to "100 per cent Pure You".

Whybin\TBWA's Auckland office will look after global work, while Sydney will take care of the Australian market. Mindshare will continue as media buyer. The change ends a longtime relationship with Assignment, an agency owned by senior executives from the halcyon days of Saatchi & Saatchi Wellington.

About 21 months ago former Telecom executive and YahooXtra boss Kevin Bowler replaced George Hickton as chief executive of Tourism New Zealand. Tourism New Zealand marketing campaigns under way or under development in Australia will continue. Tourism New Zealand communications head Julian Watson joined from McDonald's in October last year.

RALSTON 'CENTRE RIGHT'

Political pundit-cum-public relations man Bill Ralston is proudly outside the boring old bounds of journalist objectivity having installed a big billboard of National Party candidate Nikki Kaye in his front yard.

Ralston - who was once head of news and current affairs at Television New Zealand - said he and his partner Janet Wilson were friends and supporters of Kaye, who is standing in the Auckland Central electorate, and happy to have her billboard outside their Ponsonby home.

Asked about his role as a political pundit - he turned up recently with Brian Edwards on TV3's The Nation - Ralston said he could be seen as coming from a centre-right perspective. Kaye is understood to have received media training from Ralston and Wilson's media training company Deadline.

The TV3 head of news and current affairs Mark Jennings laughed heartily about the Kaye billboard, which was the funniest thing he had heard for weeks. "I'll have him on about it," he said.

GRAVITAS

These left versus right line-ups on current affairs shows and election coverage have become commonplace, but sometimes it seems an artificial way to debate politics.

TV3's Jennings said the left-right mix did not guarantee balance but did give different insights. Jennings said that as TV3 plans its November 21 leader debate it had learned from TVNZ's effort this week, which had tried to fit in too much. (It may be that John Campbell will do a better job on TV3 - so long as he can trim his questions and it is not all about him.)

The TVNZ special turned into a slug fest of soundbites. Moderator Guyon Espiner is a good political reporter, but lacked the gravitas to direct the debate. In my opinion the best person for a leaders TVNZ debate is Newstalk ZB breakfast host and sometime Close Up host Mike Hosking. Paul Henry could have held it together, but he has gone wacky, and his relationship with Key is too cosy to give him credibility as an objective moderator.

RED EYES

All eyes are on the Vodafone account pitch and whether Colenso BBDO or its Clemenger Group owner will be able to keep hold of its biggest client. Draft FCB recently resigned from the Orcon account. Ogilvy, whose global ownership has links to WPP, which has a relationship with Vodafone internationally, is a contender.

For Clemenger, the country's biggest advertising group, the battle is a reminder of the vagaries of the advertising world. Clems agencies Colenso BBDO, .99 and Aim Proximity moved hell and high water to bring Vodafone on board and it was a match made in heaven. But a marketing source said the relationship appears to have fizzled.

Over the years Vodafone had developed a strong image as the young and groovy challenger brand with some great ads like "Fold". The account was built largely around Vodafone's relationship with Colenso BBDO's charismatic CEO Brent Smart. When Smart's mentor Roger MacDonnell moved on, Smart left for bigger and brighter things in US.

Since his departure the relationship has faltered and Vodafone has mostly forsaken brand advertising for quick hit retail work through Clems retail agency .99. 2degrees has taken on Vodafone's role as the challenger brand.