Physical Address
Radio Agency
49 Brown St, Ponsonby
Auckland 1021
New Zealand
Postal Address
Radio Agency
PO Box 47 868
Ponsonby, Auckland
New Zealand
Creative Director
Anthony Hurst
Phone: (09) 360 0501
Mobile: 021 678 799
News Archive 2010
Fight for top radio spot
November 2010
Newstalk ZB and rival station The Rock are fighting for top spot as New Zealand's favourite station in the latest radio ratings survey.
But the survey, conducted by Research International every six months, shows a drop in overall listeners nationally at nearly every station surveyed.
Stations such as Newstalk ZB, Radio Sport, ZM, Classic Hits and Radio Hauraki - all owned by The Radio Network - have lost cumulative listeners nationally, for all people aged 10 and above.
MediaWorks has also lost listeners across all stations - except for a slight rise at RadioLive with an additional 3700 listeners and 14,400 extra listeners at Mai FM.
Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/
One out of the box
November 2010
The exterior of Arcam's office, on an industrial park near Cambridge, isn't particularly striking; it's what goes on inside that makes it special. In that way, the British hi-fi maker is just like the equipment it produces: for years, it has been known for making hi-fi separates, usually in brushed aluminium, which command a premium price for their remarkable sound, if not their looks.
But now Charlie Brennan, Arcam's managing director, who led a management buyout five years ago from the founders of the 38-year-old company, thinks that is about to change. The key is the company's latest product, which began shipping this month. The "rCube" is a black iPod boombox - though that word doesn't do it justice; the sound quality is truly astonishing, and What Hi-Fi? magazine will next week crown it the best in class, outdoing pricier products and better-known names such as America's Bose.
"Before, I've told friends about things we're doing and they've been 'yeah, yeah'. This is the first time they've been saying to me 'I want to get one.' That hasn't happened to us before," says the Dubliner.
Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/
Qatar deal adds to Phitek's Mideast sales
By Owen Hembry | October 2010
Auckland headphone company Phitek Systems has landed a deal with Qatar Airways as sales rise in the Middle East.
Phitek, which also has offices in China, Japan and the United States, has won a contract to supply Qatar Airways' first- and business-class cabins with the company's active noise cancellation headphones.
Director of sales for airlines Paul Simmonds said the company was getting increased sales in the Middle East as a result of support by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
The company had benefited from New Zealand's raised profile during a recent trade mission to the region, Simmonds said.
Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz
JB Hi-Fi reports loss in NZ
October 2010
Australian electronics retailer JB Hi-Fi Ltd has reported a loss in its New Zealand business but is continuing to expand here in the belief that scale will deliver profits.
The company said when reporting annual earnings in Australia that it expected to be profitable in New Zealand during the 2011 financial year.
The company today reported a 26 per cent increase in full-year profit across its group, and said it expected to grow sales by 17 per cent in the current year.
It reported a $NZ4.4 million loss before interest and tax in its New Zealand business.
The company has 10 JB HiFi stores in New Zealand and closed five and rebranded one Hill and Stewart store during the year.
Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz
Greg Johnson - The Way I Feel
Ocotober 2010
Follow URL for a video of Greg Johnson's The Way I Feel
Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz
Sony woos Walkman buyers - with karaoke
October 2010
TOKYO - Sony is zeroing in on sound quality and karaoke-like lyric displays to woo Japan, its stronghold in digital music players, amid a battering elsewhere from U.S. rival Apple Inc.'s iPod.
Hisatsugu Nakamuta, the Sony Corp. general manager overseeing marketing, said Wednesday that the Japanese electronics and entertainment company is hoping to grab as much as half of Japan's annual 6.5 million unit portable audio-player market with its new Walkman models.
He pointed to an internal survey that found 32.4 percent of Japanese teens say they chose the Walkman over other products because it displays synchronised lyrics as the song is played, much like a karaoke machine.
Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz
Watchdog says apology for Devlin's on-air tirade sufficient
By Vaimoana Tapaleao - Jun 8, 2010
The Broadcasting Standards Authority has chosen not to uphold a complaint about a tirade of swear words on RadioLive.
The BSA had sent out a list of the 30 worst words a survey had shown the public did not want to hear on radio and television.
Radio presenter Martin Devlin read out the list, with a buzzer masking the words. However, the buzzer was sometimes mis-timed.
Listeners heard a selection of the words including a***hole, motherf*****r, wanker and Jesus f*****g Christ.
The expletive-laden broadcast happened during an interview on the Devlin on Sport show on March 28.
The person being interviewed said the word "bulls***".
Devlin responded that the word he had just said was among those on the BSA list, released that day.
Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz
Jesus Jones tune massacre
By Megan Jones - Apr 4, 2010
From a relatively cheap-looking ad, the Rugby World Cup has gleaned a phenomenal amount of publicity - and heated, mostly hostile, comment.
World Cup chief executive Martin Snedden claims he has enjoyed his week in the firing line: "There's no such thing as bad publicity".
But clearly his choice - Right Here, Right Now, a 1991 hit for English band Jesus Jones - has struck a sour note with many Kiwis.
Not only is it from the other side of the world, but it was inspired by the fall of the Berlin Wall 20 years ago ("Right here, right now/ Watching the world wake up from history"). Rather than being right here, or right now, it was somewhere else, last century.
Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz
Local radio innovation at Kiwi Fm
Mar 9, 2010
Have you guys seen what's happening over at KiwiFM? It's quite intriguing. Local radio DJ (and host of Wammo) Glenn Williams has been doing some experimenting over the last 6 months.
An experiment which I've kind of been part of, during my book promotion Glenn invited me in to do an interview. On the spot he asked if I'd like to come in next week... and we haven't really stopped.
What Glenn has been doing is streaming his radio show live over at uStream - that's right, you can watch it online wherever you are but you can also chat to other viewers from the website or even chat to Glenn (presuming he's not wrapped up on air).
Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz
Loud ads a TV turn-off
By Heather McCracken - Feb 28, 2010
It's a perennial complaint that has many of us regularly reaching for the remote.
And the notion that TV adverts are louder than programmes has finally been backed by British authorities, who ordered one broadcaster to turn the volume down.
The decision has renewed calls for tighter controls on noisy ads in New Zealand, but Kiwi broadcasters deny there's a decibel difference.
The British Advertising Standards Authority upheld complaints that ads screened during a rerun of a Sherlock Holmes mystery were much louder than the programme.
The broadcaster - ITV - reportedly said the problem was caused by a change in production techniques since the show was made in the 1980s.
Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz
Flashy HDMI cables - are we getting strung along?
By Pat Pilcher
HD TV has to be one of the coolest technological improvements since the advent of pineapple lumps. High definition video is crisp, sharp and so detailed it can border on appearing three-dimensional. With HD, watching the telly is almost akin to being at the cinema. Unfortunately, HD video has a dark side.
If like many, you've just purchased a shiny new piece of consumer electronic goodness, chances are that you've also gone into fiscal-induced shock trauma after finding out how much of your hard earned cash you're probably going to have to fork out to get a "premium" HDMI cable so you can hook it up to your LCD or plasma TV.
Whilst many gadget buyers not in the know have felt the pain but chosen to buy a "premium" the HDMI cable anyway, many are appalled that the HDMI scam has continued for so long.
Don't get me wrong, connecting any one of the growing number of AV appliances available with HDMI is a complete no brainer.
Previous generations of AV gear used SCART, component, composite or S-Video connections.
These were analogue, which meant that a percentage of the signal was lost or distorted before it got to your TV, resulting in less detailed video being displayed. HDMI which stands for "High Definition Multimedia Interface," not only delivers video signals as a digital stream, giving you sharp and crispy video, it can also deliver digital audio and allow for two way communication between HDMI connected appliances (so for instance, your Sony TV remote will also work with your Sony DVD player), greatly reducing cable clutter and simplifying your AV stack in the process.
Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz
Wake up and hear the music
By Mike Rose
Hybrid cars, while still in a very small minority, are no longer a novelty. Hybrid technology in marine diesel engines is also now a reality with several manufacturers offering a version as part of their range.
But a wakeboard boat? A boat where the power-to-weight ratio is everything? Where the idea of lugging around a bank of heavy batteries seems, at least at first glance, to be ludicrous?
Well, that, you see, is the trouble with first glances. They often seem so obvious that there is no need for a second glance, or a well-considered third. And in the case of the 23e that would be a mistake.
Because the fact is that wakeboarders are constantly trying to get weight into their boats, especially at the rear. At first glance, this could be because they are almost invariably young, annoying and stupid. On the other hand, it could be because they like to have a heavy transom. Because this buries the stern of the boat and produces a dirty great wake.
Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz
2010 – The year of flashy 3D tellies?
By Pat Pilcher
It may have taken decades for HD television to finally take hold, but after what seems like the blink of an eye, 3D is about to move from the realm of novelty into the mainstream as US pay TV provider, Direct TV, kicks off a dedicated 3D HDTV channel for 2010.
Broadcast 3D TV mightn't be anything new (TV's inventor John Logie Baird demonstrated 3D TV as far back as 1922), but overcoming the many hurdles to widespread adoption has held 3D TV back for decades.
Most of these obstacles now however appear to have been overcome, and prototype 3D televisions have been making numerous appearances at trade shows throughout 2009.
So is 2010 the year that 3D finally reaches critical mass? Many argue that 3D cinematic blockbusters like Avatar have legitimised 3D on the big screen, driving consumer expectations that they'll be able to get the same 3D experience in their home.
The single biggest driver of 3D however is expected to be consumer electronics manufacturers.Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz
Home Theatre 101: Components
By Pat Pilcher
Having already covered the specs that separate average home theatre amps from AV greats and home theatre speaker configurations, this instalment looks at all the other bits you'll need to deliver music and movies to round off a quality home cinema set-up.
AV amps and speakers may deliver the ear candy, but a good HD capable TV is required for peeper-pleasing video. Choosing the right HD capable telly, however, can be bit of a process and further adding to confusion is the multitude of HDTV specifications and choices.
When shopping for a TV, look out for brightness levels and contrast ratio specifications as these tend to have a big impact on overall picture quality.
Brightness is measured in candelas (which most spec-sheets show as CD/M2). More candelas equal brighter images, more vivid colours. Contrast ratios measure the difference between the TVs deepest black and to the whitest whites. Higher contrast ratios will give you crisper looking pictures.
Equally important is the TV's screen resolution, which is the number of horizontal and vertical pixels the screen can display. The more pixels a TV can display, the more information you're able to see on-screen picture.
Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz
Eastern Hi Fi in receivership
Receivers have been called in to Eastern Hi Fi, with the company directors saying they saw no alternative.
"After all of the steps taken during the past year the company reduced its operating expenses in a satisfactory manner but it has not been able to rid itself of the leases of unused and slightly used premises which are now redundant in the company's hands and cause unprofitable trading," a statement from the directors today said.
"As the issue made by the company during 2009 was not filled, the funds then obtained to give time to turn around the business operation and quit the leases have now been used and so the directors have no ability to continue the company trading in such circumstances."
The directors asked ASB Bank, as the first charge holder over the assets of the group, to appoint receivers to each of the companies in the group. Michael Stiassny and Brendon Gibson of KordaMentha were appointed.
Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz
Yoke Har Lee: Kiwi Phitek Systems makes waves - quietly
Millions of air travellers already know the work of Phitek Systems - even if they don't recognise the name. The company's growth has been based largely on improving the quality of sound in aircraft entertainment systems.
Now Phitek is looking for its next wave of growth, by providing electro-acoustic solutions to mobile phone companies and the makers of portable music players.
Chief executive and founder Mark Donaldson says all the strategic planning carried out to develop Phitek's innovations into products and solutions is now coming to fruition.
Late last month Phitek signed a preferred partner agreement with Hosiden Corporation, a major Japan-based electronics manufacturer, enabling Hosiden to integrate Phitek's Active Noise Rejection (ANR) technology into its electronic devices.
Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz
Review: Sonos S5 ZonePlayer
By Pat Pilcher
Since it launched its first multi-zone network music system way back in 2004, Sonos has pretty much set the benchmark.
Able to be set up in mere minutes after undoing, the Sonos Multi-zone network music player system is also expandable to anything up to 32 unique music zones by adding additional ZonePlayers.
Able to stream music stored on a PC/Mac or network drive from over a wireless or wired network to Sonos ZonePlayers, the whole system can be controlled either via a Sonos wireless touch screen controller or an iPhone/iPod Touch using a free controller application.
Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz
Record companies hail radio royalty hike
By John Drinnan
Radio bosses are singing the blues after a 58 per cent rise in the royalties music stations pay record companies and performers.
The Copyright Tribunal has issued a decision that effectively sets the new performance royalties at 3 per cent.
In addition, the tribunal ordered that the royalty rate payable by talk radio stations increase from 0.25 per cent to 0.75 per cent from November 1, 2008, to June 30, 2014.
That is about 58 per cent more than the old deal and about half what the record industry wanted.
Faced with music piracy and tumbling CD sales, the industry is turning up the volume on licensing fees.
Its collections body, Phonographic Performances New Zealand - dominated by the big four multinational music companies - focused on radio early on.
Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz
Red reign will rise again
By Kerre Woodham
Hopefully, if you're one of the 2 per cent of the global population with a recessive gene on chromosome 16, you survived Hug A Ginga Day on Friday.
This was the publicity stunt organised by the Edge radio station that riled the father of two gorgeous red-headed boys to the extent that he appeared not just once, but twice, on Close Up.
Stephen Simpson was seriously angry, decrying the victimisation of redheads and deploring the Edge for singling out kids on the basis of their red hair.
So enraged was he by the perceived persecution that it seemed to have passed him by that the publicity gave oxygen to the radio station and shone the spotlight on the very kids he was trying to protect.
Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz
More than the Budget to smile about
By John Drinnan
The advertising market is on the mend. But New Zealand On Air may extend a deal giving TVNZ and MediaWorks a helping hand through the recession.
Television bosses heaved a sigh of relief last week when the Budget was released.
The Government maintained the allocation to New Zealand on Air which subsidises TV production to the tune of $74.7 million.
The $50,000 grants to multinational record companies to make albums is also safe.
Even some folk in the Wellington arts bureaucracy were surprised the Nats did not touch subsidies that are often used for commercial TV shows.
Maybe it will hit next year's Budget as the Government looks at ways to fund the switch-off of analogue television signals.
Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz
