NZ Music Month: Why these are the country's best songs
There are many claims to Now is the Hour. On one hand, it is – unlike pavlova, Phar Lap and Split Enz – undeniably Australian. The listed composer of a tune called the Swiss Cradle Song, Clement Scott, is a pseudonym for Albert Saunders, who worked for
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Techday NZ
2 days ago
- Techday NZ
Trade Me seeks gaming chief to shape E Blacks' global success
Trade Me Jobs and the New Zealand Esports Federation are seeking a Chief Gaming Officer to help determine the future direction of the E Blacks, New Zealand's national esports team. The Chief Gaming Officer role, now open for applications, will involve playtesting competitive gaming titles and providing critical insights to inform which games the E Blacks will compete in internationally. This appointment is described as central to shaping the team's competitive focus and the wider esports landscape in New Zealand. According to data from the Interactive Games & Entertainment Association in 2023, 79% of New Zealanders play video games, with 88% of adults aged 18-44 engaging in gaming activities. The press release also states that the global video games industry now exceeds the size of both the film and music industries combined, reflecting the substantial economic and cultural impact of gaming. Esports achieved official sports recognition in New Zealand in 2020, and the country's competitive gaming scene has grown significantly since then. More than 160 secondary school teams are currently competing in weekly competitions, indicating a strong pipeline of interest and talent at the grassroots level. The Chief Gaming Officer position is described as an opportunity for a gamer to progress from community or casual gaming to a prominent and influential role, responsible for influencing national team selection and strategy. The successful candidate will work closely with the E Blacks, testing and pushing the limits of competitive games under consideration for international play, and delivering feedback that will help determine the team's focus for the upcoming season. "The Chief Gaming Officer is a chance to help shape the path of competitive gaming in Aotearoa. We're looking for someone with the skills and smarts to test the best, push boundaries, and help us decide which games our E Blacks will take to the world," says Jonathan Jansen, CEO of the NZ Esports Federation. Nicole Williams, Head of Trade Me Jobs, offered further perspective on the role's significance within the wider context of career opportunities in gaming. "We created these dream jobs to show that meaningful work can come in all shapes and sizes. For so many Kiwi, gaming is more than a pastime - it's a skillset, a passion, and in this case, a genuine career opportunity. We're excited to help turn that into something real." This initiative is the final stage of Trade Me Jobs' "dream job" campaign, following previous partnerships with AJ Hackett and Highlands Motorsport Park. The campaign has focused on showcasing diverse and unconventional career paths across New Zealand. The official job description calls for candidates who are passionate and highly skilled gamers, able to test and evaluate new competitive titles, and contribute honest and strategic feedback to help determine which games the E Blacks should pursue in international competitions. The position is based in Auckland and is described as an opportunity to influence not only the composition of the national team but also the broader competitive structure of New Zealand's esports scene. In addition to influencing game selection for the E Blacks, the Chief Gaming Officer will report on the playability and spectator appeal of titles under consideration, with the objective of ensuring that the New Zealand team competes with games that are both challenging for players and engaging for audiences. The growth of esports in New Zealand reflects international trends, with major games now drawing player bases larger than the populations of many countries. The organisational partnership between Trade Me Jobs and the New Zealand Esports Federation is aimed at translating the widespread popularity of gaming into a structured, competitive environment that can represent New Zealand on the world stage. The Chief Gaming Officer position is open for applications now, with the selection expected to play a pivotal role in upcoming international seasons. Follow us on: Share on:
The Spinoff
2 days ago
- The Spinoff
RNZ at a crossroads after scathing independent review
Last week's review has exposed RNZ National's weaknesses – and left its leadership facing pressure to deliver a turnaround, writes Catherine McGregor in today's extract from The Bulletin. A blistering review RNZ National's failings were laid bare last week in a withering review by former news boss Richard Sutherland. Commissioned by RNZ chief executive Paul Thompson, the report painted a picture of a broadcaster that has lost its way – culturally, strategically, and on air. Sutherland described a widespread belief among staff that live radio was a 'sunset activity' rather than a growth opportunity, and said the quality of broadcast talent was variable: 'some people shouldn't be on air' at all. His interviews with more than 50 staff revealed blame-shifting, low ambition and confusion about who the audience is. The consequences are showing in the ratings: RNZ National has shed nearly a quarter of its listeners since 2019, dropping from over 616,000 to fewer than 470,000. If that trend continues, the audience could fall below 340,000 by 2030 – a disaster for a public broadcaster whose flagship radio division was once regarded as untouchable. Kerton's cutting critique For radio veteran Bill Kerton, none of this was revelatory. Writing in The Spinoff, he dismisses the review as too little, far too late. What angers him most is that Thompson even needed to outsource such advice, having told Sutherland he sought 'independent, frank guidance' for a station-wide reset. 'I had to re-read that note,' Kerton writes. 'Where was RNZ's chief strategy officer? Busy doing what?' He lambasts RNZ as bloated and directionless, and suggests the $30,000 review raised such obvious issues they could have been summarised by Thompson's 'office cleaner' in a few sentences. The fixes are achievable, he says – sharper programming and stronger talent, including a marquee hire – but he doubts RNZ's bureaucracy has the speed or will to deliver. A more sympathetic view Anna Rawhiti-Connell, by contrast, is a fan of Sutherland's frankness. In The Spinoff this morning she highlights his 'bold' proposal to target listeners aged 50 to 69, a move that cuts against the grain of public media's 'all things to all people' ethos and the wider industry's obsession with chasing younger audiences. Anna acknowledges the risks of defining the core audience as older and potentially shrinking, but also appreciates the clear-eyed approach. Focusing on a single age bracket is 'a blunt instrument, and there will be criticism that it lacks nuance,' she notes. But, 'the first step in being audience-first … is to define that audience. Sutherland has done that. I'm not sure much more nuance is required at this point.' A political target As Kerton notes, the report could easily become a political football: 'A $30,000 report into a massively over-resourced government asset…is exactly what New Zealanders are utterly sick of reading about.' Newsroom's Mark Jennings says RNZ has few friends in the coalition: Act questions its very existence, while Winston Peters still harbours grudges over a 'perceived lack of reporting on his party's successes'. Already on the outs with many in government, RNZ is now an even more attractive target for 'flailing' Paul Goldsmith. The media minister's 'one achievement seems to have been getting walked over by Google and Facebook', writes Jennings, proving himself no more effective than his hapless predecessor Melissa Lee, who lasted only six months in the job. 'If the same rules applied, [Goldsmith] should also be handing the portfolio over to the next hopeful.' Who could be RNZ National's saviour? Attention now turns to talent – or the lack thereof. Both Sutherland and media commentators say RNZ desperately needs a 'get' to reinvigorate its lineup. But as the Herald's Shayne Currie notes (paywalled), many of the top names are locked down: Mike Hosking, Heather du Plessis-Allan and Ryan Bridge are welded to Newstalk ZB, while Jack Tame is tied to both TVNZ and ZB. Hiring Paddy Gower, Rebecca Wright, Tova O'Brien or Duncan Garner could be a slightly easier ask. 'But the search for outside talent also highlights RNZ's failure to develop more of its own presenters into top performers,' writes Jennings. Emile Donovan and Alexa Cook are rising stars, says Currie, though perhaps not yet ready to anchor flagship programmes. For now, RNZ's challenge is finding the right hire at the right time – a decision that will determine whether the station can turn its slide around.
NZ Herald
3 days ago
- NZ Herald
Stanley Chen tricks foodies with McDonald's at Brisbane expo
A content creator has secretly served McDonald's burgers to oblivious attendees at a major Australian food convention to prove a point. Stanley Chen, who has almost 400,000 subscribers on YouTube, set up a stall at the Good Food and Wine Show, which is held annually in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and
