The information projects a $2000-per-month payment and up to 2000 "points", set aside for him to spend at the casino's hospitality facilities. Hosking is said to have carried out regular work there. Herald on Sunday
There are great benefits attached to being Mike Hosking.
Because you are Mike Hosking, whatever you say or do is very interesting. Even though you're just another dull conservative news host on just another talkback radio station, people still find you interesting. Whatever you do or say, the media are very interested in it and they describe you as a 'celebrity'. When you get married a women's magazine pays you lots of money for the right to publish the wedding photos. Its money for old rope.
Even when you are being odiously nasty and reactionary , people are still interested. So when you claim that Hanover Finance's Mark Hotchin's has done 'nothing wrong' people remain interested Likewise when you attack the Maritime Union as being a 'greedy, lazy union' you still appear in the social pages of the NZ Herald. When you take the big stick to beneficiaries ('sitting around home collecting state money forever.') TVNZ wants you to front Close Up once a fortnight.
But there are disadvantages to being Mike Hosking because people are interested in things that Mike Hosking would prefer they were not interested in. So Mike Hosking initially has nothing to say about his cosy commercial relationship with casino company SkyCity Entertainment.
His radio producer says that 'he does not tend to talk about things like that'.
However this week Mike Hosking has described Herald on Sunday staffers as 'pond scum'.
But Mike Hosking has been talking about how great SkyCity Entertainment on his Twitter account and on his radio shows.
On March 16 praised one of SkyCity's restaurants; "Just been for the pre-Close Up dinner at Depot, Al's got some awesome new stuff on the menu he's a genius."
It's cash for comment but such is the parlous state of the New Zealand media even this is not enough to get you sacked these days. Rather 'accommodations' are agreed upon and excuses delivered.
There are more Journalists on the NZ blog roll than there are in the pay of media corporations these days. Mike Hoskings is NOT a journalist , he's an entertainer ( although personally I find him about as entertaining as lung cancer - listened once ...never again )same goes for john 'Earnest' Campbell , mark sainsbury , paul holmes/henry ( they DO share a brain and arsehole don't they ?)...
ReplyDeleteMore research and sharper comment is done by the likes of blogs like this than by a phalynx of researchers on big money and who don't have to work a second job.