Even if it's crap NZ music, Jane?

Well, um... Zed, Tadpole, Feelers, etc, etc.

Yeah, channel z wellington in 1996 was AWESOME. It was the alt/grunge station, they played pumpkins, STP, chili peppers, garbage, portishead etc, and good NZ music like shihad, headless chickens and supergroove, none of this zed and rubicon bollocks.

Those were the days, now all I have left is the rock.

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Channel Z over the years has become pretty lame - no offence but in the past 18 or som months all they have ever played are teen pop/rock and an increasing amount of Rap, and im not particuarly a fan of modern NZ music most of it is pretty lame by international standards, i mean take a look back 30 or so years, timberjacks cover of "Come To The Sabbat" rox, where as todays groups like zed and rubicon are pretty dull. as far as bomber goes - hes funny, but i can remeber back in 98 with sunday night talk people used to ring up Z and make prank calls such classic (yes i can remember em) where the dude who spoke with the fake indian accent wanting to know where the curry shop was (it still cracks me up) but when bomber moved on in - the prank called ended and sunday night talk became lame.

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of course - i always listened to soundgarden way back in the mid 90's (still enjoy some of it today) and Nirvana are a major influence now its all changed for the worse, i wont be surprised if Z becomes Another ZM - stoopid and lame playing dumass Teeny-bop "skank rock" eg. S CLUB 7, DESTINYS CHILD, PINK, BACKSTREET BOYS, N SYNC, BRITTANY. and again like i mentioned in an earlier post sunday night talk before Bomber was very funny with all the prank calls (yes i admit to makin a few but i was either drunk or stoned at the time so i guess i had an excuse)

(i meant to say i liked it way MORE before the chch station was closed...i miss them, they were lovely)

please move on to morefm bomber. that is if you want people to listen to Z after dark...

I would'nt actually imagine that 'bomber' would be high in the ranks of Z, but that he would still carry weight b/cause of his concepts ratings-- this can be demonstrated in the fact that he was openly pushing for the sunday talk show to be comercial free. To feel that he could push for such a thing demonstrates that he beleives he weilds some power at Z.

I appreciate what bomber is attempting to do, its very important that people have someone to conect with--especially on a youth station, and at times I have been lead to tears hearing some people who call for help on the sunday show.

I dont however appreciate the fact that bomber appears to use this 'in touch with the yoof' to increase his popularity and that of his show--but this to be expected in todays radio environment. Especially on the New channel Z.

Z is comercial, that is fine, but it still only touchs lighly around areas that it stands up claiming to wade chest deep through.

All to often does Bomber spend time on my boyfriend/girlfriend got with some quy, what should I do? and passes heavy problems over to 'the experts' which is important, but remember for each person who can actually find the courage to ring up a radio station to talk about their problems, there are perhaps another 100 who are too shit scared to do so, or ask anyone for help. I'm sure you love em all, but your callers and listners are not pawns. At least thats what you preach.

The concept of 'bomber' could be used very effectivly here, instead as he has always done, bomber says stuff but never seems to actually do any of it.

Passion is important, but so is actions, especially to an audience that looks up to you.

It would be interesting If bomber, instead of pushing for 'comercial free shows' which is just a gimmick anyway, pushed to spend the thin advertising revinue on more transmitters in the small towns around New Zealand, where youth are crying out to be told what their music and their voice should sound like. (Interestingly those stings used to be announced by a kiwi attempting an american accent, go figgure)

Bomber, no offence, keep up what your doing, just after 4 years of dong it and finding a formula that the kids dig, could you try a little bit harder. Your audience isnt as stupid as you sometimes treat them. Set-ups, swearing and screaming I hate the governmnet/life/parents although as sincere as you maybe, just isnt enough. What else to you do at Z all day?

Do pin this up on the notice board too please.

just reading your thoughts on talkback and I'd like to offer an alternative point of view to your 'you do nothing' statement. We do an incredible amount of work informing young people about their rights and organisations that try to do something in the world. Youth Law, Amnesty International, Rainbow Youth, Green Party, Green Peace, Sexual Health, Youthline, we work with all these groups, including youth councils in Wellington, Auckland and Christchurch, some of these organisations now get most of their referrals through our show - I don't know what other action you would have me try short of running for Parliamnet myself. Look, we don't do everything perfectly, but to criticise me for not doing things just doesn't add up. As for the 'boyfriend/girlfriend' stuff, I hate to point it out but teenagers are very much looking for answers to their romantic lifes, it isn't very impartant to me or you, but its bloody important to them. As for the commercial free talkback, that isn't just a gimmick, it's something I've been trying to get Channel Z to do for fucking years, its about respecting our listeners enough to not try and get a buck out of it. We've been doing this show in one form or another for over 4 years now, I realize a lot of people haven't been totally happy with the changes, but that's not my fault - the show continues to rate insanely well, so I'm thinking we can't be as bad as most of you have painted out. We're also very involved with the GE Free issue, again I find your comment that its all talk with no action hard to swallow. Ask any of the social groups who come on the show for free and ask them if its just all talk - they get the ability to talk to 30 000 youth each week on talkback and offer services effecting youth directly. Thats because from day one we wanted talkback to be a place where we could give people information on issues that effected them. We're passionate about it because we really like what we do - I'm sorry if others don't like what we do, you can always play a CD.

I completely respect and admire the fact that you are willing to co-produce research and present the talk back show, that we all know rates very well. (of course theres always the lost _potential_ audience:-) ) I myself listen most nights, as I am only just 21, meaning I grew up with channel z from about the age of 15/16. Including your show for the last 2-3 years. I congratulate Z and yourself for some of the things channel Z attempts to do.

No other music station, let alone a rock radio station would attempt such a feat. It has always worked well for z, both in the wgtn diver/coleman version and the completely different but just as sobering auk bomber version.

This shows radio programmers that their audience especially a young audience is not nessicerially a group of lowest common denominators. But (and this is not a criticism of you) Channel Z does set itself up to be all these things, that it simply isn't. A fashion accesicery, along with a cell-phone, a lifehouse CD and a pair of dickies (although dickies are sooooo comfortable.)

That is sad. Channel Z never was any of these things it now claims to be, but in the old days it was on the same level as its listeners, it was honest non flashy, and would not admit to being anything it wasn't. When there was a movie premier, all the staff would show up if they wanted to--not in Z tee shirts, and the on air voice would be quite obviously recorded, even admitting that it was recorded. it was quirky and honest. The talent didn't pretend to be young, clever sophisticated or hip, they were just radio DJ's playing songs they liked because they were good, and because they knew they would be liked.

It is hard not to programme for the lowest common denominator, for the shock value, for the sensationalism. I know Ive done PD work, and producing/presenting and too have played southpark songs (cos the kids are digging it!) and carefully thought about saying fuck a few more times than necessary-- when the computer crashes or your chair breaks or you have forgotten what to say in a VB or you are shocked, those are all good fuck moments, but not, fuck I just said fuck, ooh fuck!-- for the sake of it.

Bomber, mate you know as well as I do, people see through it. Then on a Sunday night, you stop the DJ thing and be a totally different character. It's hard to grasp the whole 'we're channel Z, were your friend, we tell it like it is, we ARE YOUR VOICE' when Im sure part of the on air bomber (and this goes for John and Nate too) are acts.

Your right about the boyfriend/girlfriend thing, it is light entertainment for you or I and at an earlier age maybe I would have loved it and though it was the shit. But I do find the serious content allot lighter than it could be. Helping people deal with tradigdy, being a victim, bullying, or other huge youth issues beyond the greens and GE (full credit for doing it however)

I find theres a lack of encouraging all young people to debate beyond 'it sucks, you suck, I suck, mum sucks' That many young people have (myself included in past tense)

You are doing good work on a Sunday night bomber, I'm not keen on the weeknight thing but thats fine I have other options-- (as a foundation listener and supporter though it does make me feel a tad alienated)

I just want even more meat to your talk back youth info programme (and less music how long does it take to have a smoke and a coffee? :-) ) I am passionately interested in this side of the industry because of the work Z has done. It inspired me to enter the industry. I hope have TV programming of a similar vein coming out in the new year, (not on a Sunday night) as well as music programming.

I wish you all the best.

Channel Z, Be yourself.

Scott Gorrie

Yeah I know, the numbers are right as far as I know, but there is a lot of yapping about girls and boys that I doubt that all of those 30k are tuned in to hear. There is a lot of talk about a kiwi music quota but channel z doesn't even have a MUSIC quota, they spend all the time talking about driving fast because boys have small penises. I'm for MUSIC and I'm loyally listening for good MUSIC.

can people not reminisce, bomber? I think we all realise the constraints Channel Z is under, but I don't think you should be defending Z left, right and centre. This is some of your audience speaking (how large, I'm not sure, market research time), listen, comtemplate, improve if possible.

//I apologise that 'us' Auckland presenters are not as meanigful as the Wellington presenters, we will try harder. As for the Radio utopia that was Channel Z 'in da old days' - hey, it was brilliant, it was great, it was loosing money hand over fucking fist. I don't own the radio station

Anyone from Wellington remember Olivia and Johns Talkback Show on Sunday nights pre-Bomber days?? and Does anybody remember the prank callers?? if so does anybody remember the classic "Hello is this the curry shop?? my name is apu nahasapeemapetalon would you like to by a curry" in the patheticlly fake indian accent??? Well its time for a bit of self-guilt and It was I Lucifer-sam whom made those calls. I Was just simply bored and wanted something to do. 6 years later when i call talkback its always for serious discussion.