Mike Riversdale

The Amazing Adventures of Victoria Clarke

2013-05-21T10:01:00.004+12:00

Can't remember where I stumbled across "The Amazing Adventures of Victoria Clarke", I suspect it was a G+ post from the Steampunk community. I link the idea (although having Ms Clarke in her underwear all the time is a tad interesting) and I certainly hope that the project takes off.

Here's a snippet from Ken Wallace's About page:

Developed by Writer/Producer Kendrick Wallace, "The Amazing Adventures of Victoria Clarke” is the stylish and exciting story of the exploits of a female British agent living undercover in the United States in the 1920s as a Hollywood actress.

The project is conceived of as an integrated package of materials: at its core it a is a tent-pole feature motion picture. Supporting the feature are a series of 10-15 minute serialized, high-quality webisodes, a graphic novel and a mobile-platform video game.

more ...

Who is Ken(drick) Wallace: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0908737/

And so, if this all tickles your fancy then you can follow / friend / circle at all the normal places:

AND, if you really want to get help it actually come to fruition then there is an Indiegogo (crowd funding) campaign coming up very soon where you can donate - go on, I will be.

Miramar Town Centre Upgrade – Newsletter 4, 17 May 2013

2013-05-18T14:02:00.000+12:00

Hmm, I wonder if the TelstraClear (sic. actually Vodafone) cable news below is why I'm still getting a pretty crap YoUTube service via the TV app.

Project home: http://wellington.govt.nz/your-council/projects/miramar

Update from last week’s newsletter
The bus timetable for the number 2 and 18 services has now been moved to the temporary bus stop on Hobart Street. Greater Wellington Regional Council is making up some larger, more robust signs directing bus users to the location of the temporary bus stop. When these become available, they will be attached to the site fence near the old tram shelter.

Some of you picked up on the disappearance, one day earlier this week, of the temporary public portaloo from outside the former Thai Restaurant. The portaloo was removed in error by the supplier who had incorrectly recorded the termination of the hire period. It was reinstated the following day and will remain in place until the new permanent public toilet has been installed.

In the process of removing the pohutukawa tree last week a Telstraclear cable that was embedded in the roots was damaged. We apologise to Harveys World Travel and any others we may not be aware of for the inconvenience this caused. We had the cable repaired the same day.

We are still finalising arrangements with the ultra fast broadband contractor for the installation of ducting for new fibre-optic cable but are anticipating getting this work under way shortly.

What’s happened this week
Hawkins Construction has completed the portion of the new stormwater drainage installation required for them to be able to lay most of the new kerb and channel along the Park Road edge. The site manager has asked me to thank people for their co-operation in complying with a temporary diversion while the kerb and channel machine was in operation.

New kerb and channel has also been laid along the Miramar Avenue edge.
Other work in this vicinity included the removal of redundant belisha beacons, whose power connections were also made safe.

What’s happening next week
Further work will take place immediately behind the new kerb and channel on Miramar Avenue. This will involve preparation of the surface to receive a layer of sub-base material, on which concrete will be later laid as the foundation for the new paving. Please be alert to possible adjustments to the line of the temporary footpath along this edge as work progresses.

This work will progress towards the centre of the site where the new car park is to be formed.

A second phase of stormwater drainage installation will also get under way in this area.

A reminder
Don’t be put off by the presence of the fencing. All of the businesses along the Roxy Cinema edge of the site are accessible and remain open. Please continue to support them.

Give me a call
Feel free to give me a call on either of the numbers below or email me if you want to query any aspect of the upgrade project.

Kevin Murphy
Project Manager
Wellington City Council
Tel 801 3448 or 021 227 8761.
kevin.murphy@wcc.govt.nz

Also check out my own "Best of Miramar" map with all the shops, restaurants, site seeing and attractions you'll ever need

Miramar Town Centre Upgrade – Newsletter 3, 10 May 2013

2013-05-12T11:10:00.000+12:00

From the extremely personable Project Manager, Kevin Murphy

Update from last week’s newsletter
I have been asked why the bus timetable has not been moved to the temporary bus stop on Hobart Street. This is because the timetable is currently fixed to the wall of the tram shelter with special tamper-proof screws that require a special tool to remove them. Greater Wellington Regional Council, which is responsible for bus stop operations, is arranging for the timetable to be shifted.

I understand local residents have been asking town centre retailers for more information about the project. Please let your friends and neighbours know that they can find this information on the Council’s website (go to Wellington.govt.nz/Your Council/Projects/Miramar) or pick up a site plan from the Miramar Library or the Miramar Vet Hospital. If anyone you know has any queries, feel free to tell them to contact me..

I’m pleased to say we have been able to devise an alternative option for the installation of new storm water drainage that means we will not now have to trench across Park Road as previously advised. However, due to a similar possible conflict with trolley bus operations the contractor may still have to do work on a Saturday to reinstate the traffic island across from Sadhana Yoga. This work will take place later in the project and I will give you a fair amount of notice once the contractor has confirmed when this will be.

What’s happened this week
Hawkins Construction has finished setting up the work site and is now installing storm water drains. You will have noticed and possibly heard a water pump running on the Park Road side of the site during working hours. The ground water table is typically high in the low-lying parts of Miramar and this has proved to be the case in the town centre. The pump is keeping excavations free of water so that this work can proceed safely and efficiently.

The contractors have taken out the old kerb and channel along the Miramar Avenue side of the site and have dug a trench for the footings for the new kerb and channel. They have also removed the former footpath surface, which will eventually be replaced by new paving. This explains the presence of the ‘Astroturf’ covering the temporary pedestrian route. Please take care when walking along this edge.

You may also have noticed the work in this area to remove a small pohutukawa tree that is not required as part of the new layout. The tree is being be relocated by the Council’s Parks and Gardens team to Glenside, where it will be replanted in a commemoration garden.

What’s happening next week
It’s basically a case of more of the same. The contractors will continue with the stormwater drainage works and the installation of the new kerb and channel. Depending on receiving the go-ahead from the contractors managing the roll-out of the Government’s ultra fast broadband initiative, trenching for the installation of ducting for fibre-optic cable may also get under way.

Give me a call!
Please feel free to give me a call on the numbers below or email me if you want to query any aspect of the upgrade project.

Kevin Murphy
Project Manager
Wellington City Council
Tel 801 3448 or 021 227 8761.
kevin.murphy@wcc.govt.nz

Also check out my own "Best of Miramar" map with all the shops, restaurants, site seeing and attractions you'll ever need

Miramar Town Centre Upgrade – Newsletter 2 3 May 2013

2013-05-06T12:57:00.001+12:00

I've asked Kevin (the named person on the weekly newsletter - sign-up by emailing miramar@wcc.govt.nz) if he was OK me posting this and future updates on my blog? Then it can be shared to those not quite so e savvy on Facebook, Google Plus and Twitter ... he's said nothing yet so I'll take silence = compliance ;)

Project home: http://wellington.govt.nz/your-council/projects/miramar

Update from last week’s newsletter

The temporary bus stop for the numbers 2 and 18 services has been located outside 157 Hobart Street. Apologies for any confusion caused by my reference last week to the no. 24 service also stopping at this location. Go Wellington – the bus company - has confirmed that the stop adjacent the Holy Cross Catholic Church on Miramar Avenue will be the temporary start point for this service.

We have advised taxis to temporarily use the parking bay on Miramar Avenue outside the former Thai restaurant. We will not designate it as a taxi rank but they will be entitled to remain parked there, like any other vehicle, for a maximum of 20 minutes.

We have identified a space on the footpath adjacent the phone box on Miramar Avenue, again outside the former Thai restaurant, for the site for a temporary public toilet. We have requested a special disabled-access model. It will be delivered on site and be open for use on Monday (6 May).

What’s happened this week

Work has proceeded according to schedule. We have removed the traffic island opposite Sadhana Yoga (this will be replaced with a slimmer version later on in the project) and part of the island on Miramar Avenue to allow future right-hand turn access into the new parking area entrance. We have also removed the existing kerb and channel along the western edge of Park Road. This will be renewed. Those of you who have visited in the last day or so will have seen that we have also demolished the public toilet connected to the old tram shelter.

Tomorrow (Saturday) we had intended to dig a trench across Park Road from the Dynamix Gym entrance for a new stormwater connection. This work has been postponed to allow further discussion with utility companies about the nature of the underground services, particularly fibre-optic cables, that lie in the path of the trench. This will not affect the work programme and we will advise you when the work is to be rescheduled. Please note it will still have to be done on a Saturday to avoid interfering with trolley bus operations.

What’s happening next week

The contractor has delayed the closure of the slip road until Monday when the site perimeter fence will be shifted to the front of the verandahs along the Roxy Cinema street frontage. The angled parking will remain available this weekend but will then be off limits until the project has been completed and the new parking area has been established.

We apologise for this temporary inconvenience. As there will be fewer spaces available overall, we also respectfully ask that visitors do not overstay permitted time periods where these apply. We will monitor the situation in case there is a need to increase patrols by our parking wardens.

The perimeter fence will be covered with netting along the footpath side in front of the Roxy Cinema. This is to protect the public using the footpath from any dust generated during the rest of the week as we start construction. We’d like to remind everyone that footpath access will be maintained to all of the businesses on this side.

Other works next week include the installation of ducting across the footpath to the Roxy and the removal of kerb and channel along the Miramar Avenue edge. The footpath at this location will be temporarily shifted but will remain open.

Song About Miramar

2013-05-01T15:56:00.000+12:00

Censorship Can Be Merely Other Peoples Playground Rules You Don't Like

2013-05-01T14:31:00.000+12:00

In the true manner of, "a man in a pub told me" I received this forwarded email from someone in da family a while ago:

If this is true (bearing in mind the apparent censorship that has happened in the UK), then this is really serious...

Via a retweet from Gervais:

http://scriptonitedaily.wordpress.com/2013/04/25/facebook-censors-users-during-media-blackout-on-privatisation-of-the-nhs/

Sent from my iPhone

My response
...

Yip ... Facebook,. of course, has no need to explain itself as it's a privately owned (to all real means) US-based organisation. It is not a British media organisation it's not a "platform" - it is a privately owned website. Just like my blog, I get to choose what goes on it, so do they.

If that's not understood then that's a little sad, eh.

As for mainstream media in the UK, they are also private (well, privately run, owned by large financial organisations) that get to something similar. They are slightly less free as they have some UK legalities to comply with but I'm sure (thought not certain) that there's nothing that says they HAVE to print/broadcast something.

That leaves the BBC. And that's a worry.
I know Robert has been ranting about the lack of BBC voice to echo the people of the UK for quite sometime and it seems he as been right to do so.

AND, of course, this might not be malicious humans with evil intent but bad algorithms detecting unforeseen patterns within the Facebook code. This was the case with some goo.gl shortlinks I tried to post a while back and both Google and Facebook recognised it as a problem and sorted out the systems (ie, they wrote better code).

Maybe it was just that.

However, one needs to be aware of the playground rules you play in when dealing with Facebook, Twitter, Google and other privately owned platforms. If those rules aren't what you want, find others or do it yourself (run your own website/blog).

Updated the Six Nations 2014/15 and Rugby World Cup iCal Dates

2013-04-18T13:54:00.000+12:00

And the Lions tour of Australia starts on 1st June!

Or check out the other ways on my permanent "International Rugby Fixtures iCal Calendar" page.

Wales 30 England 3

2013-03-18T09:36:00.003+13:00

Thee are many reasons why this Welsh win had me buzzing ranging from I *did* get out of bed to see it (6am kick off in NZ), I was with rugby mates that cheered along with me, it was a great Welsh win, it was against England ...

But when I stop and think I know that it was a direct and deep link back to my childhood. The inside 10 year old (almost the age of my son, wow) was hugged and warmed and spoken to.

Spot the Welshman

Happy St David's Day AND Happy Birthday Liz

2013-03-01T08:33:00.000+13:00

"Dydd Gwŷl Dewi Sant hapus"

Hope (1st March) was a happy one for you all and that you were eating leeks, speaking Welsh and singing (just to perpetuate the myth) to the best of your abilities.

The classic picture is still valid :-)

HAPPY ST DAVID'S DAY!

If we were in Wales ("Never Forget Your Welsh") we'd be wearing a daffodil and/or leek, quoting Max Boyce, singing at the top of our lungs AND having a go at every Englishman you could find.

And if you're on Twitter try @walesdotcom / @saintdavidsday and #stdavidsday

And on Google+ #stdavidsday

Happy birthday to my darling wife as well!

Liz on the left in her natural state - with laughing with friends

Summerfest 2013 at Worser Bay Boating Club

2013-02-07T13:40:00.000+13:00

(print this as a poster for your office)

See you there:

G+ event: https://plus.google.com/events/cb530rhpbpg0hib33dbuegg5730
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/summerfestworserbay
Details: http://www.worserbay.school.nz/summerfest-2013.html

Move To Christchurch, Can You Help?

2013-02-03T09:13:00.000+13:00

NO, not us, we're not moving.

A friend of mine has just got a new position based down in Christchurch and the whole family (Mum, Dad and 2 young boys) are moving down to Christchurch.

And it's all happening very quickly, and can you do these 2 things:

1: Help find a rental place
What they'd like is a 3-4 bedroom property (home, townhouse, apartment) in the north or west of the CBD.

They'll also consider anything out of town ie: Rangiora, Amberly, Rolleston, Lincoln and their surrounds that is a half hour drive or so from the CBD, though if the property is the right one, they may be prepared to travel further.

They would also consider a 2 bedroom as a temporary measure, until something else suitable came up. John's office is at the end of Riccarton Road, close to Hagley Park.

As they say:
Hopefully we will be down there for the week commencing Monday 11 Feb, so we can meet up with peeps (and drink loads of wine), I mean, look at properties.

If you know of anything :

Leave a comment,
email me (miramar.mike@gmail.com),
give me a call (021-169 1359)

2: Pass this on
Pop this into your Facebooks, Twitters, Google+ and see if you're the one to find them the perfect place.

URL: http://blog.mikeriversdale.co.nz/2013/02/move-to-christchurch-can-you-help.html

They (and I) thank you SO much.

The Great South Island Holiday

2013-01-28T23:17:00.000+13:00

A taste of our summer holiday around the South Island - hope it gives a flavour of where we were, how far we travelled and the range of memories we have.

Mickey Mouse My Arse - Picton, What Are You Thinking

2013-01-16T16:58:00.000+13:00

Maybe this is all to ensure that Disney don't sue the crap out of the Picton council but really ... what are they thinking.

These are prominently displayed in the otherwise awesome Picton waterfront play area.

Yes, there is a Donald Duck-esque statue as well ... *sigh*

2012 - What A Year

2012-12-13T09:25:00.000+13:00

One of those years that, now I look back on, has been full of wonder, tears, change and love. One that's taken me from 'a' to 'b' and has moved me to a different place. It has also been one of amazing strength and incredible passion.

Really, this is a red letter year for me and I am so glad.

... more: http://goo.gl/fRcu6

Skylight Exclusive Fundraiser JRR Tolkien’s ‘The Hobbit’, Autographed by the ‘Cast of the Movie’

2012-11-26T12:48:00.001+13:00

Click on the following link to bid: http://trade.me/SkylightTrust

Find out more here: http://goo.gl/ZAkxH

Mt Crawford Prison (Miramar) Seen Off

2012-11-24T21:37:00.000+13:00

Nice video over on Stuff.co.nz's "Thousands see old jail off" page ...

Wales And NZ Connect Again

2012-10-30T21:00:00.000+13:00

What do te reo Māori and Welsh languages have in common

1 Guess - What Connects These Wellington Locations?

2012-10-23T08:31:00.000+13:00

Leave your guess as a comment ...

View What connects these places? in a larger map

I. Had. A. Holiday

2012-10-15T16:27:00.001+13:00

Off we went ....

A trip up to the very top of the South Island and Cape Farewell

On the way down we went into The Musell Inn ...

... and Rosy Glow's Chocolate Shop

Yes, we did have a rainy day or two ...

On the way to Te Anaroa Caves we saw an amazing rainbow ...

... and the caves were spectacular, one of the highlights of the holiday

Another highlight was definitely salmon fishing, so darned easy :-)

There was, of course, playing on the beach ...

And a meal at The Blue Penguin Cafe hit the spot for us all (go!)

Between Takaka and Pohara is the (free) Labyrinth Rocks Park which was fun

And then it was all over and homeward bound we travelled ...

Sunday 28th Oct - Worser Bay School Fair

2012-10-15T12:53:00.002+13:00

See You There!

Also, check out the Silent Auction now to see a large range of items from restaurants, travel, accommodation, speciality tours, artwork, photography, professional services, sport, music, art and educational tuition, entertainment, cafes and fashion available to bid on now. This year we have 52 lots and there is something for everyone!!!!!

Going Forward

2012-09-07T10:30:00.001+12:00

To all those that know how I hate this phrase ....

Finally! You Can Get The T-Shirts In The Finest Miramar Shops

2012-08-08T11:36:00.001+12:00

You'll see these around the finest of Miramarian shops meaning you can now just buy it right there and then!
(you can still send an email to sarahwells@vodafone.co.nz to order one)

Home = Beautiful

2012-07-30T20:56:00.000+12:00

This is my home, Wellington

Lest We Forget - TVNZ 7

2012-07-04T21:41:00.001+12:00

From a (self confessed) lengthy email that I believe deserves more air than it will get sitting in my InBox.

If you’re feeling frustrated or missing TVNZ 7 we urge you to email John Key right now and ask him “What’s on tonight, John?

Dear Mike

At midnight on Saturday, TVNZ 7 was switched off.

The channel ended with the Goodnight Kiwi (a subtle nod to the Save TVNZ 7 campaign?) before being consigned to history.

Earlier that evening Save TVNZ 7 held a large and passionate funeral procession through central Auckland. We marched past TVNZ where mourners lay flowers and candles on the doorstep of the ‘national broadcaster’. In St Matthews, Father Bomber lead a moving service with speeches from Peter Bell of the Screen Directors Guild, Karen Soich from SPADA, Labour’s Clare Curran, Julie Anne Genter from the Greens and David Beatson who brought a message of hope. It was a fitting tribute to one of New Zealand's best TV channels.

For the first time Save TVNZ 7 made the 6 o’clock news on both channels and we were covered in all national media. If this had happened a year ago, we might have had a better chance of saving TVNZ 7. And watching TVNZ 7’s last hours it was clear that each newsreader and the team behind them were proud of the channel and sorry to see it go.

We have to thank all the people who made TVNZ 7 such a great channel with it's informative, thought-provoking and quirky programmes, and giving us a rare taste of public service television in New Zealand. It certainly made our campaign to save public service television much easier.

Now that the channel has closed there will be 1.6 million Kiwis looking for something else to do with themselves. And we are here to help. Check out our website for links to great videos on the internet, and please email us your recommendations.

So what has Save TVNZ 7 achieved?

We may have failed to save TVNZ 7 but we have succeeded in other ways.

Our Facebook page totalled 9,603 and rising.   
13 public meetings were held nationwide: Auckland (Freemans Bay), Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch, Palmerston North, Dunedin, Hamilton, Golden Bay, Masterton, Milford, Orewa, Manukau and Oratia . And there was a meeting at the end of each march just for good measure.  
The list of speakers at the meetings was venerable: Joe Atkinson, David Beatson, Peter Bell, Bomber Bradbury, Steffan Browning, Wallace Chapman, Clare Curran, Trisha Dunleavy, Brian Edwards, Kris Faafoi, Darien Fenton, Jim Flynn, Barry Fox, Tom Frewen, Julie Anne Genter, Pete George, Aaron Hawkins, Wayne Hope, Rahui Katene, Sue Kedgley, Iain Lees-Galloway, Geoff Leyland, Tracey Martin, Richard Mays, Graham Murdock, Damien O’Connor, Erika Pearson, Grant Robertson, Mark Servian, Karen Soich, Peter Thompson, Phil Twyford, Andrew Williams, Barry Wilson and Phillip Woollaston. Many thanks to all.
Advertisements to help us save TVNZ 7 were placed in the Listener, NZ Herald, Sunday Star Times, Herald on Sunday, Dom Post, The Press, ODT, Nelson Mail, Waikato Times, Manawatu Standard and Auckland Suburban Newspapers.   
Our online petition totalled 36,155 signatures and was presented to parliament.
Two major billboards: Auckland on Sturdee St near Fanshawe St and Wellington on the Terrace. 
Countless articles in the press, on radio and even on TV.
Support from Grey Power, SDGNZ, SPADA and other organisations. 
The march in Wellington: approximately 400 people marched to parliament to present the petition.
The march in Auckland: over 1000 people marched on TVNZ 7's last day of transmission.
Political unity: When we presented the petition a line up of MPs spoke in support of our campaign and pledged to reinstate a public service television channel when returned to office. This included Russell Norman - co-leader of the Greens, Grant Robertson - Labour deputy leader, Andrew Williams from NZ First, and Peter Dunne from United Future. Mana and the Maori Party also support this view.   
Funds raised: approximately $40,000 was raised from your generous donations, and every last cent was spent making all of the above happen. 
Renewed awareness of the need for public service television in New Zealand.

So who do we have to thank for all this?

You of course.

The incredible support from the 36,000 TVNZ 7 'saviours' has made this campaign spectacularly successful. Although Save TVNZ 7 was setup by yours truly (Myles Thomas) I'm just the person who writes these emails and speaks at meetings. There are many, many people working for the cause who deserve to be loudly applauded. So at risk of leaving people out and in no particular order, a very large and grateful thank you to:

Chris Parry, Chris Cooper, Gerard Otto, Jono Otto, Jennifer-Lee Pritchard, Carole Venecourt, Hilary Jones, Terry Dunleavy, Sue Hawkins, Terry Holloway, Nora West, Roy Ward, Oriana Brine, Ray Prowse, Stuart, Kristen Wilson, Grant Bridger, Vicky Johns, Janette Howe, Sam and Todd, John Maidment and the rest of the Auckland committee; Kirsty Fyfe, Gary Chiles, Fred MacDonald, Jim Baltaxe, Melody Thomas, Simon Reece, Jan Rivers, Duncan Graham, Jan Bieringa and the rest of the Wellington committee; Helen Baker, Kris V and the rest of the Christchurch committee; Jo Bond, Gemma Satterthwaite, Gail Marmont, Jo Harford, Josh Thomas and the rest of the Dunedin committee; Betty Sinclair, Andrew Fenemor, Hilary Fenemor, Esme Paliser, Joan Skurr and the rest of the Nelson committee; Stan Jones, Alison Wardle, Daphne Bell and the rest of the Hamilton committee; Heather and Jerry Tanguay, Eric Turner and the Masterton committee, Victoria Davis and the Golden Bay committee, all the speakers mentioned earlier, Miranda James, all the people who donated money, the exceedingly generous person who donated $5000, Nigel Brown, Badge King, Chris von Batenburg and
APN Outdoor, Mai Chen, Kim Dotcom, Lauren Hourigan, Isobel Cairns, St Matthew-in-the-City, 0800 Phantom, Wattie, Raul Sarrot, Simon Manning and Harbour City Funerals, Richard Melville and Weir’s Funeral Home, Tricia Reade, Deb Cairns, Simon Denny, Jeremy Dunningham, Susan Miller, Colin Hodson, Toby Quignan, Pascal de Roeck, Gavin Ellis, Sue Kedgley, Regan Cunliffe and Throng, Paul Feenstra, Toby Curnow, Kris Lane, Martin Gillman, Hugh Major, Gwen Shaw, Nosh Ponsonby, Nosh Dominion Road, Radio One, Relax, Ripe, Little Grocer, Mamata, Unichem Pharmacy Motueka, Arts Foundation, Riverton Eco Centre, Made.It, The Backbencher, Output Images, the many bloggers and columnists who covered the closure of TVNZ 7, Fraser Crason and the Issues website, Steve Shaw at OnFilm, Wholemeal Café, Judith Baragwanath, Emma B, Ruth Ames, Alistair Johnson, Fusion Cuba St, Lighthouse Cinema, Penthouse Cinema, Empire Cinema, Helen Chapman, Athol McCredie, David Thomson, Caroline Cottrell, David Mamea, Ann James, Pamela Taylor, Robin McIntyre, Ro Tun, Elizabeth Henry, Joanne Waitoa, Graham Warren, Gina Garvey, Fiona Farrell, Jane Robertson, Russell Tregonning, John Ewen, Liz Sullivan, Liz Angelo-Roxborough, Jenny Horne, Katherine Clark, Julia Moodie, Bryan Beames, Jess Willis, Charmian Koed, Jeremy Hall, David Kelly, Annie Collins, First Scene, Dudley Benson and Paul Norris.

There’ve been many heroes of the Save TVNZ 7 campaign. Two that must be specially acknowledged are Clare Curran and Julie Anne Genter who have both spoken at most of our meetings and campaigned tirelessly behind the scenes. Of course, as politicians they haveplenty to gain from being involved in our campaign but after spending time with them, it’s clear they are both deeply committed to public service broadcasting. The views of some other MPs are less secure and while Green, Labour, NZ First and United Future policies are good right now, we need to keep reminding them that public service broadcasting is important, lest other issues take precedence at the election and beyond.

So where to now?

As you may have read, David Beatson is about to launch a trust that will attempt to create a public service television channel with donations and grants. Exact details haven’t yet been revealed but the channel will probably be similar to Stratos and we are very positive about it.

Meanwhile Save TVNZ 7 will become a more formalised group and build further on the work already started to strengthen public service broadcasting. We aim to become an established membership organisation, similar to Forest and Bird, that is an authority on public broadcasting and media issues. We hope to become the ‘go-to’ organisation for journalists on any broadcasting or media issue and with a specific focus on public service broadcasting.

Into the future, once a public service television channel has been re-established (it’s only a matter of time) we would work with the channel, helping them find their audience, representing viewers' concerns, providing feedback to broadcasters and hopefully supplying board members to represent the audience.

We will become a charitable trust and are about to establish local committees around the country. If you would like to form/join a local committee please email us now.

Also, please email us your view on these two questions:

The name needs to be broad enough to include all the work we want to do (television, radio, new media and online), be authoritative, encapsulate what we are about and be easy to say (my personal preference is Coalition for Better Broadcasting and Media because it would appeal to Kiwis across the board but having said that I’m open to better suggestions so please hit us with them).

The question of a name has already proven highly contentious at the recent meeting in Wellington. It was almost the only thing people wanted to discuss so in an effort to get the best possible outcome we will decide it by a vote among people who sign up to join a local committee. Send in your ideas, we'll narrow it down to 3 or 4 and then we'll ask committee members to vote.

We’re also looking for trustees of the national organisation and a patron or two. Please email to get in at the beginning of what will be a strong force for good in NZ.

So what else?

There's been a veritable plethora of news around the closure of TVNZ 7. Especially interesting was the Q&A online extra last weekend where Steve Maharey explained Labour's original plan for continued funding of TVNZ 6 & 7 was to be from Sky (this has been confirmed by a well-placed source at TVNZ). A point picked up and expanded on by Russell Brown. This basically answers criticism that funding was only for a finite period and puts the lie to various accusations that the previous Labour government was equally responsible for the death of TVNZ 7.

The National government removed the Sky funding option but Peter Thompson and ourselves are trying to get it back on the table.

Just hours after TVNZ 7 closed down for lack of funds, the government gifted a radio frequency to an old mate.

And we released the outcome of Mai Chen's research and will be making a complaint to the Ombudsman.

In other breaking news, we have lots of merchandise left over so if you missed out and want a T-shirt to remind people how cool you are, or a collectable Nigel Brown badge, then please go to our website for details.

And finally, if you have been meaning to donate to Save TVNZ 7 but never quite got around to it, it's not too late. We've still got expenses coming in and we're a thousand dollars short, so any spare dollars would be gratefully received - Kiwibank 38-9006-0783529-04.

But I still haven't got my TVNZ 7!

Hopefully this lengthy email has provided you with enough distraction to forget about the loss of TVNZ 7 for a while. If you find yourself suffering severe public service television withdrawal symptoms, we recommend you search for the best bits of public service television on the commercial channels, regularly check our list of online programmes, hire DVDs, buy tickets to the Film Festival and rediscover the joy of reading.

If all these solutions fail and you’re still angry, sad or lonely without TVNZ 7, email John Key or your favourite National MP:

ask them for the names and timeslots of the programmes they think will replace TVNZ 7’s daily schedule
ask them to explain how NZ On Air is providing public service television when the channels won’t play it
ask them to (at the very least) set aside digital spectrum for regional and public service television in the future
and if you voted National or ACT at the last election, tell them (this will probably have the most impact)

None of this will bring back TVNZ 7 but it might make you feel better.

As always, many thanks and we will be in touch with more news in the next few weeks

Myles Thomas and the Save TVNZ 7 team

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Simply The Best Product Demo Ever

2012-06-28T12:05:00.000+12:00

This was done live earlier today - amazing