TV flickers on tsunami cover

Posted by Brendon Burns on March 1st, 2010

Further to earlier blog about Radio NZ being best info source to turn to about the tsunami, this from Gretta on the Save Radio NZ Facebook page.

“I have just had a reply, of sorts, from TV1. My message to them was:

“There is a nationwide official tsunami alert for all of coastal New Zealand. Why is your tv station continuing with its regular programming this morning?”

Their reply: “I was surprised to read your email and complaints, as a full half hour bulletin of ONE News screened at midday yesterday updating the latest information about the Chilean earthquake, resulting tsunami and the impact it had on the Pacific. ONE News and TVNZ 7 also ran hourly updates throughout the afternoon. And on top of that, TVNZ provided extensive coverage online via tvnz.co.nz. Thanks for your email.”

As Gretta observes, the primary need for information yesterday was breakfast-time – by midday the risk had mostly passed. Still a news story for telly but no channel she receives  - TVNZ. TV3,  Maori, Prime, C4 – made any real effort towards providing urgent, on-going public service information. Not even a ticker tape of cover. Why disrupt commercial scheduling when that’s what the Govt tells you is your only function?

Some Facebookers who hadn’t previously acknowledged the value of Radio NZ, yesterday changed their mind.

See this on Red Alert