MEDIAWATCH 7.11.04

A 34-minute recording of National Radio, Sunday 7 November 2004.
The recording begins with the 9am news bulletin read by Stuart Keith, then at 6'30" MEDIAWATCH, presented by Colin Peacock.
Topics: A big news week - the US election (won by the incumbent, President George W Bush), MP John Tamihere in trouble (offering to resign from Cabinet), Yasser Arafat on deathwatch. But Mediawatch focusses first on Tuesday's resignation by Paul Holmes from his Holmes Show on TV1. A look at media coverage of the resignation.
12'00" Russell Brown interviews persistent Holmes Show critic Gordon McLaughlan about how the show might now improve.
18'45" Actuality of Paul Holmes saying farewell on TV1.
19'50" New Zealand has no plans or target on adopting digital technology for TV transmission although a working group is addressing the issues. Colin interviews former New Zealand On Air chief executive Chris Prowse who is in the United Kingdom looking at what digital TV has to offer.
29'20" A brief comment on the United States elections and how the " too close to call" predictions based on the polls proved wrong. Reporters who reported what ordinary voters were actually thinking got it right. Among them was the Dominion Post's Tracey Watkins - travelling the United States as a Jefferson Fellow with the East West Centre in Hawaii.