By TONY STICKLEY
An Auckland couple who have been banned from various national talkback radio stations have gone to the High Court to get back on air.
Regular callers Areta Ransfield and Tui McLeod are taking action against Newstalk ZB, Radio Pacific and Maori broadcaster Radio Watea demanding the right to have
their views heard.
The Mt Wellington couple have filed a statement of claim in the High Court at Auckland and were due to serve papers on the radio stations yesterday.
They are seeking a permanent injunction against the radio networks for what they say is an attempt to ban them for the rest of their natural lives from exercising their legitimate freedom of expression through talkback or other radio programmes.
Mr Ransfield, aged 46, and Ms McLeod, 40, both beneficiaries, are also seeking damages of $1 million from each of the radio stations and $3 million from the Attorney-General on behalf to the Broadcasting Minister.
In addition they want apologies broadcast on the air.
This is not the first time the couple have taken court action over a grievance.
They have represented themselves in a claim for more than $1 billion in an on-going action against Housing New Zealand over tenancy on a house in Orakei which was terminated.
Mr Ransfield said they were first barred from going on air by ZB, then Pacific and finally Watea two years ago.
They believe that if they do not act now, the ban will become permanent.
The couple say they were never told why they were stopped from being allowed on air, though one radio person said they "dissed" (insulted) people.
They claim there was political interference and suspect their "staunch" and outspoken Maori views might also have been an issue.
The couple, co-leaders of the Aotearoa Tenants Party, say they spoke on a great number of topics on talkback, not just politics.
They maintain many other people are also refused airtime on talkback.
"We are merely asking for access back to their broadcast facilities, for an apology and monetary compensation of $1 million per radio station and $3 million from the Minister of Broadcasting," Mr Ransfield said outside the High Court yesterday.
