The Mike Hosking Breakfast

I'm trying to work out what the ratio would be.  How much squeaky clean, beyond doubt, rock solid truth would the BBC need to deliver to offset the one gargantuan cock up that has seen the Director General and Head of News quit?  Or in this day and age, where doubt and mistrust is so high, is it a futile exercise and the damage is permanent?  Like all these stories you can dilute its seriousness – the Panorama programme wasn’t actually made by the BBC, it was a contract company, so was the bias external not internal? Obviously I am clutching at straws.  Does a resignation mean the organisation is no longer biased, or perceived as biased? I would have thought not.  How do you prove inherent bias? Which is an ongoing charge not just at the BBC but a number of public broadcasters all over the world.  I cited the Radio New Zealand example yesterday, out of the boot camp report, their headline read the conclusion was of a ‘rushed’ exercise.  That wasn’t the conclusion. It was an observation, not a conclusion. But even if you argued the observation was a conclusion, that would mean there were many conclusions. Why pick that one when there were positive ones to choose from as well? And is that inherent bias or just a busy journo looking to publish a story?  Are we the punter inherently biased and therefore whatever we see and we don’t like must be biased?  The BBC bit is of course indisputable. It's not about inference or emphasis, it is about making something seem real which factually wasn’t – they made it up.  Why would you do that unless you had an agenda? Why would the BBC not spot it? Too busy or too biased?  The Culture Secretary said now more than ever the need for trusted news is essential to our cultural and democratic life. Which is what they say when they have carnage to deal with using taxpayers' money.   The BBC were already booked in this week, ironically, for a parliamentary inquiry into their coverage of trans rights and Gaza, cementing in many people's minds what they already suspected.  My summation is basically: it's over. The jury is in, the verdict is guilty, and the people are always right. Whatever the media might once have had by way of respect and trust is largely, if not completely, gone.   And two resignations cemented any remaining doubt. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The BBC's chairman has denied claims the BBC is trying to bury accusations of bias as Donald Trump threatens to sue the company.  A leaked BBC memo suggests the Panorama programme edited Trump’s speech to imply he encouraged the Capitol Hill riots of January 2021.  The US President is demanding a full retraction and is threatening to sue for nearly NZ$1.8 billion in damages.  BBC director general Tim Davie and BBC News CEO Deborah Turness have both stepped down.  UK Correspondent Rod Liddle told Mike Hosking that Chairman Samir Shah said he doesn’t believe the BBC is institutionally biased, but Liddle isn’t sure he believes that.  Liddle believes Shah said it as he feels the need to hold the BBC together in the wake of its two most damaging resignations, Davie and Turness.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Kiwi is at the helm of the latest movie in an iconic franchise.  The first Predator film was released in 1987, and four films —and two Alien vs Predator films— and 38 years later, Kiwi-born Dimitrius Koloamatangi holds a starring role in ‘Predator: Badlands’.   Auditioning for the role of Dek was a bit of a funny process, Koloamatangi revealed to Mike Hosking.  “My character is obviously an alien, so he doesn’t really speak English,”  “So I had to do a take in just like, a made-up language.”   While the audition process had Koloamatangi integrating elements of Samoan and Tongan into his own language, for the actual film, he had to learn something entirely new.  “When I jumped on, I had thought I could just freestyle and do my own thing, which I was like, ‘oh this is gonna be fantastic, no lines.’”  “But then they were like, oh we’re gonna set you up with the Zoom call with this guy named Britton who constructed the whole language,” Koloamatangi told Hosking.  “I was like, bro, I have to learn a whole made up language? Like, I struggle Samoan somewhat fluently, now I have to learn this? But it was fun.”  The Predator franchise is iconic, boasting a massive fanbase, including Koloamatangi’s father.  “My dad’s a massive fan of the first one – we used to watch that one a lot growing up,” he said.  “It’s pretty surreal to be honest,”  “The franchise has such a massive fan base, like you said, spans like 20 years, you know, and, yeah, it’s kind of crazy to think that I’m now a part of it.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 11th of November, the mess with Te Pāti Māori has resulted in the expulsion of two of its MPs and a communication breakdown is being blamed for the situation.  ANZ CEO Antonia Watson is on to talk their massive record profit and bank margins amidst the RBNZ capital review.  Dimitrius Koloamatangi is the Kiwi star of the new 'Predator: Badlands' film, and joined for a chat about his role in a major Hollywood franchise.  Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Everything is looking up for one of the biggest days on Christchurch's social calendar.  New Zealand's Cup Day is kicking off, with around 13 thousand punters expected to watch horse racing, fashion shows, and live music at Addington Raceway.   Despite the early morning rain, Addington Raceway Chief Executive Brian Thompson told Mike Hosking he’s confident about how the day will turn out.   He says once the gates open, it never rains on Cup Day.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Business NZ believes further action is still needed to address compliance costs for small businesses.  It says the Government's making good on its promise to cut red tape, but its new progress report shows several compliance burdens across sectors, including construction.  The Ministry for Regulation’s engaging with businesses, councils, and industry bodies to begin removing inconsistent regulations.  Chief Executive Katherine Rich told Mike Hosking some areas, including hairdressing, are showing positive progress, but wants to see a similar approach applied across all sectors.  She says 97% of all businesses are small, and the red tape they face can be significant.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Firearm owners are waiting to see what changes to the gun laws are on the way.  Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee is expected to announce her rewriting of the Arms Act this morning.  Deerstalkers Association Chief Executive Gwyn Thurlow told Mike Hosking any details have been kept quiet so far.  He says they believe that's been to stop people on both sides of the argument from getting upset before they've read the whole Act.  Thurlow says there's a lot of trust in McKee.  He says she's seen as someone who can walk the fine line between balancing public safety and lawful use of firearms.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The boss of our largest bank says its latest rise in profit doesn't tell the full story.  ANZ New Zealand's annual profit has reached a new record high of $2.53 billion – up 21% on last year.  That compares to a 13% rise for Westpac and no major change for BNZ and ASB.  But Chief Executive Antonia Watson told Mike Hosking when you exclude the bank's hedging investments, cash profit isn't rising nearly as fast.  She says that headline growth in a cost of living crisis is very uncomfortable, but underlying profit is only up 4%.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Iwi Chairs Forum says a breakdown in communication is to blame for tensions boiling over within Te Pāti Māori.   MPs Mariameno Kapa-Kingi and Takuta Ferris have been expelled from the party.  They're both remaining defiant and have labelled the process illegitimate.  Iwi Chairs Forum spokesperson Bayden Barber says he was trying to set up a meeting between the two factions for tomorrow, but that's not going ahead.  He told Mike Hosking the two sides haven't talked in a month.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are concerns housing developers are paying little attention to design and/or comfort.  Christchurch building company, KR Construction, and the Green Building Council are questioning whether townhouses are fit for purpose.  They claim many new builds are getting far too hot and have moisture issues.  KR Construction Director Dan Richardson told Mike Hosking townhouses are a particularly new type of build.  He says standalone houses have been built for about 150 years, while townhouses have only been hitting the market more in the last 10.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.