Colin Peacock

1 week ago | rnz.co.nz | Colin Peacock

When Stuff announced it was merging its digital wing with Trade Me last week, things had gone full circle. New Zealand's biggest publisher of news had bought the online marketplace itself in 2006 for more than $700m. Back then it was called Fairfax Media NZ, a subsidiary of the giant Australian news publisher which parted with $1.2 billion to buy the The Press, Dominion Post and Sunday Star Times and others. By 2012, TradeMe was sold off in bits to ease debts and falling revenue.

2 weeks ago | rnz.co.nz | Colin Peacock

"NZME's D-Day is finally here" said a headline in the New Zealand Herald last Tuesday, before shareholders of its owner NZME settled a bitter battle over its governance. But in the end, there was no fighting on the beaches. The existing board and the activist shareholders who wanted to clear it out compromised late last month and endorsed an agreed slate of nominees. That included the Canadian billionaire who sparked the whole saga, James Grenon.

1 month ago | rnz.co.nz | Colin Peacock

The sudden scrapping of pay equity claims was hailed as "saving the Budget" by Act leader David Seymour, while Finance Minister Nicola Willis insisted it was not a book-balancing move. When reporters and analysts went into the Budget day lock-up, the estimated saving was the first number many looked for - and it led the coverage once the embargo lapsed. The sum certainly startled presenter Ryan Bridge. "12.8 billion dollars.

1 month ago | rnz.co.nz | Colin Peacock

Skinny Mobile has new ads mocked up like breaking TV news coverage, featuring animated character Jo who says she's such a satisfied customer she allowed the company to use an AI clone of herself to endorse it. The cost-cutting use of AI fits the no-frills, low-cost telco's brand. But surveys show the public is sceptical about machine-made journalism - and many people don't trust it. And it's happening anyway.

1 month ago | rnz.co.nz | Colin Peacock

On their ZM show last Wednesday, Fletch, Vaughn, and Hayley listed things they'd ban for teenagers if they could. "When I go to the mall, they're bloody crawling everywhere, aren't they? Oh, my God," spluttered Fletch. "How do they get the money? I was at the mall the other day and there were all these kids and they had like, shopping bags. I know, it's like, where do you get the money?" asked Hayley. It was a mocking response to news from the day before.