11:32 PM |
Truth Facts and Lies… the real story about what's been going on at the Pacific Media Network….
Well, how surprising that the NPRT saga does not go away, and even more surprising that Will Ilolahia appears to know nothing about a "secret" email (has anyone actually sighted it or is another myth in the NPRT saga?). How strange that Will hasn't – usually he's involved in writing such emails and spreading them around. He is after all the 'self appointed media expert' and self-declared crusader working tirelessly on behalf of "his people, his community" to right the alleged wrongs at the Pacific Media Network.
It never ceases to amaze me how gullible our people can be, especially our Pacific media: consistently sucked in by the libel and lies that Will and others like him propagate in order to pursue very self-serving agendas. Agendas that have nothing to do with protecting the interests of our Pacific communities, or the very important radio services that are so critical to our communities: but rather to enable Will to conduct a personal vendetta. It's unbelievable too how many of Will's 'friends' - in this PIMA forum and in public - also promote the same crap.
Media have a responsibility to report balanced and objective news, not the rubbish that gets televised, written in Pacific papers or on news blogs, and passed off by many of our journalists as unbiased and objective, when it is just unsubstantiated opinion, hearsay and gossip.
What special expertise, background, knowledge in broadcasting & media does Will have that would make our flagship Pacific programme Tagata Pasifika, give him airtime many times to comment about PMN? Just that he shouts loudly and sh**stirs long enough? Yes, and because it makes for a exaggerated story. Where was the balanced commentary from legitimate leaders and members of the Pacific community who value the network and believe in the good work it's doing? It is sad to see our main Pacific TV programme resort to theatrical and negative stories to knock Pacific people and organizations doing good work, under the guise of "hard news". The same can be said of a well-known Pacific female TV journalist that has recently got herself into very hot water because she sensationalized stories about gangs and guns. Perhaps they'd all be better to stick to lifestyle and entertainment stories.
Who appointed Will the resident commentator on PMN anyway? How can he validly criticize from the outside when he has no knowledge or experience whatsoever in running any significant Pan Pacific (let alone broadcasting) organization. Everyone knows he is a disaffected ex-staffer who has a personal axe to grind with NPRT/PMN.
And what group does he represent exactly? The "Tongan" community…. hmm… I wonder?? Is that the same community, of a few, as the community that Melino Maka is a spokesperson for? The Tongan Advisory Council - does it really exist? Who is on it? Is it even a constituted organisation? As for piTV? That online Kiwi TV channel was an admirable attempt to get Pacific TV started… but Will's over-promotion of it is laughable - definitely a case of overselling and under delivering… All bluster and no substance.
So, in the interests of balanced disclosure, let's clear up some of the unfortunate lies that Will has spread in pursuit of his own agenda and look at some real facts. All PMN staff / ex-staff who were there when Will Ilolahia was employed as Tongan Producer and Sales Rep know the truth:
1. Will says he had the most popular Tongan programme and that the programme got worse when he left… Actually, he resigned as producer of the NiuFM Tongan show because his erratic, unstable behaviour was badly affecting the Tongan show and the Tongan team complained to management. Key members of the Tongan community (including Mr Maka – kind of ironic that they now gang up together against NPRT?) and many Tongan listeners also complained to the station about Will. Will was not performing as a producer, so he removed himself from the role.
2. As a sales person he also underperformed – not achieving his budgets, and the sales team had to suffer from similar shocking behaviour – his non-performance & misconduct became the subject of disciplinary action, and the truth is, if he hadn't resigned - he would have been asked to leave – and he knew that.
3. It's amazing in more recent times that he puts himself out there as the savior of the network and continues to promote grand myths about how he is changing the situation at the network – taking credit for what? He is having no visible impact at all. He claims the NPRT Board has listened to him and the "Tongans" (which ones?) when they protested and 'forced' the Board to come to a meeting and make some changes….. hmm…. Maybe Will can tell us exactly what has changed at the network? The Truth is nothing. All that happened is he & other Tongan agitators, have got the political run around by the NPRT board: Consider this, he attended an NPRT Fono in Nov 08 – he & other Tongans asked for a meeting and got the commitment from the Board to having one, but they didn't meet with the Board until March 09 and (despite the big press release from Will skiting how successful they were in getting their demands heard) they were actually just were fobbed off by the Trustees & management who made vague promises to come back to them in June. Well, did anything actually change?? No - because the Trust has no intention of delivering anything extra to the Tongans - especially not another night - way too political. There are only 24 hrs in a day, and how will they convince the other 8 Pacific communities that this is fair?
There are many other untruths that Will has made over the years about the network, but instead of wasting time reliving those, our communities and especially NiuFM listeners should be seriously concerned about the REAL ISSUES…… the truth and facts that all of us staff at the network have been aware of for some time now.
The real problem at the Pacific Media Network is the NPRT Board of Trustees….
Anyone who is seriously interested in the long term viability of our Pacific Media Network should be looking to the major problems and incredible goings-on at the governance level: investigating the actions of the NPRT Board. People should be asking questions like:
Why has the Minister for Broadcasting, Jonathan Coleman, had independent reviewers in the network over the last couple of months conducting a full review of the NPRT board and the radio services?? Why has the NPRT Board not told our communities about that? Suddenly silent when the heat is on them? And we are interested that Audit NZ have been in to audit early this year...we don't usually see them until September....
And what does this mean for the Pacific Media Network's future?
To answer this people need to look more closely at the actions of the Board over the last 18 months.
At best this Board can be described as incompetent, and at its worst the Board members behave unethically and lack integrity. It is a Board that is more interested in protecting political positions and personal agendas of individual trustees, especially in Wellington (with government officials) and out in our Pacific communities, then producing good programming and services for the listeners.
Some examples to illustrate: It is common knowledge amongst PMN staff that:
1. The NPRT Chairman's company (NVG) owes PMN money for advertising services – a debt of some tens of thousands of dollars; and this debt has been outstanding since mid 2008. The Board has not taken any action despite this being raised by the previous CEO, and several times by the current management team. The Minister for Broadcasting is also aware of this.
2. Knowing this, you can understand why PMN staff found it a bit difficult to swallow Tino Pereira's public statements to them and the 'community' last year about the network being in financial strife, and having to restructure and make people redundant. Staff asked the Board at a meeting last year, and then again this year, whether they would take a cut in their board fees to help ease the supposedly critical financial situation and they said no.
3. The Board wrote off large debts owed by Radio 531pi Limited in 2008: interestingly enough, two of NPRT trustees were also directors of that company which was in liquidation at the time this decision was made.
4. Following the previous CEO's departure, the Trustees gave themselves executive roles and stepped in to run the operations – their lack of experience and knowledge about broadcasting operations, and the level of interference and meddling in the operations has caused great angst amongst the management team and staff generally; who feel their work has been badly compromised as a result. The quality of the news service has deteriorated significantly, sales continue to decline, and decisions about programming are questionable, and none of the AKL programming developments we were promised have been delviered on.
5. Several Board members got involved last year with staff that were taking grievances against the Board, and breached their Trustee duties/responsibilities by supporting the staff and talking with the lawyer representing those staff (completely improper, and against basic rules of good governance 101). The Board paid out significant trust monies late last year to ex-staff to settle grievances following the restructuring: despite getting very sound legal advice that the news staff concerned did not have a legitimate claim.
7. The board has allowed the contracting of a 531pi ex-staff member this year - someone that was previously sacked for serious misconduct concerning breaches of IT security / confidentiality which included asking another staff member to lie/cover up for him.
8. Another very serious incident took place at the network at the beginning of the year, and the 531pi staff member concerned who should have been fired for serious misconduct (for physically threatening another staff member) was allowed to stay.
9. And then only last month we see the drama over the suspension of the NiuFM Fiji Producer Bulou Amalaini for an interview she conducted on air. What HR advice did the management rely on to make that call – perhaps the advice of the NPRT Trustee (a lawyer who has no HR expertise) that is now the trust-appointed HR advisor to management? All staff there have contracts which clearly spell out what constitutes misconduct and the processes that should be followed, and all of us know there is a complaints policy/procedure in place. Suspending a staff member without investigation is in breach of NPRT's duties to act as a fair and reasonable employer. And any first year broadcaster knows the right place to complain about on-air programs is the BSA.
What is going on? Where is the outrage of our Pacific media about this now? What does PIMA have to say about this? (Nothing – not surprising. Because PIMA is just another Pacific organization that is not representative of the group it claims to speak on behalf of. It has become merely a voice for journalists to b**ch and argue and slag off each other –under the guise of discussing the merits or otherwise of news stories)
The astute and sensible people reading this will understand the current situation at PMN - and realise the Fiji news story issue, is not about bad journalism or breaching the BSA standards…… it's about a 531pi and NiuFM history that is playing out once again on the Board, and in the community and it's pervading the network operations. The facts are:
There is no leadership on the board.
The management team flounders and is subject to the whims and fancies of the Board.
Staff are generally untrusting, miserable and the culture in the organisation is tragic.
The NPRT trustees might think that they are doing well because they are keeping the vocal critics like Will quiet through token consultation meetings but our people are smarter than that. The reality is that the PMN is a time-bomb waiting to implode on itself. It's only a matter of time… we are just starting to see the cracks …
Our Pacific communities – all the PMN listeners and especially the national audience that relies on, and thrives on NiuFM – should be concerned about where this is all going to end up. We have seen what this new government thinks about public broadcasting (TVNZ charter decision). We have all seen the cuts the government is making across government spending to cope with the recession. Coleman is also Immigration Minister and had to deal with the Pacific Division scandals so he's not going to tolerate another Pacific led organisation causing the government grief & embarrassment.
What will happen to NiuFM and 531pi given this Board is incapable of delivering sound governance and Pacific leadership? We can only hope and pray that Coleman and the National government show some leadership and deal to the current Board, and find another way to ensure our network survives and thrives….and does what it is meant to: Celebrating the Pacific Spirit.
PS. we see the Board has finally advertised for a new CEO ………….. and wonder if, after reading this, anybody will be stupid enough to apply.
Oh maybe Will....... let's see you put your money where your mouth is..... I'm sure the Board would love to have you running PMN..
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