1939: New Zealand Listener

June 30, 2020

By AHNZ

Today in history, 30 June, 1939: The first edition of the New Zealand Listener magazine was published. A major magazine in this country for just over 80 years, it expired in April 2020.

How did it become such a prominent publication?

First the Government took over the radio waves.

Then, it prohibited anyone from reporting on the schedule of their shows

Then, used this monopoly to sell their new magazine: The New Zealand Listener.

Later, 8 July 1960, The Listener published New Zealand’s first ever TV guide to regularly scheduled programmes. It only applied to Auckland as nobody else had TV and broadcasts were only 3 days a week (Our country was held behind in TV for years and years by Government intervention.)

“The new magazine had the sole right to publish radio programmes in advance, guaranteeing it commercial success. “- Christchurch, The Way Our Ancestors Knew It; Facebook

Monopoly. Only Government makes it possible and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!

The first editor of The Listener was Oliver Duff, father of the famous ethnologist and Canterbury Museum director Roger Duff and uncle of Alan Duff of Once Were Warriors fame.

Ironically, The Listener that was born and sustained by statists and statism met extinction in quite a similar way. The COVID-19 Hysteria/Crisis/Opportunity of 2020 created by the Government crippled advertising revenue and publications dependent upon it. Just as Government had created special conditions to create and raise up The Listener, it created special conditions that would be its doom.

The Listener’s last edition praised and put a friendly face on immigration. All it’s Government-friendly propaganda over the course of 81 years didn’t matter; It was done.

“Ardern said she was “gutted” to see Bauer media close its doors”

“Listener columnist and media commentator Bill Ralston was shocked by the news.”

“We understand the New Zealand Government’s decision to move to Covid-19 level 4, but it has put our business in an untenable position. Publishing in New Zealand is very dependent on advertising revenue and it is highly unlikely that demand will ever return to pre-crisis levels.”

Ref. Covid 19 coronavirus: Bauer Media closing – publisher of the Listener, Woman’s Day, North & South; NZ Herald

Another victim of the same media group to the COVID hoax was Kia Ora magazine.

Kia Ora magazine was just about to publish an issue remembering the history of 80 years of Air New Zealand but that next edition never came to be.

I wrote to the editor a few weeks ago asking if I could still read this unpublished article. No reply. I guess she doesn’t get paid to answer questions anymore.

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UPDATE Oct 2020: They came back but as Australians…”Iconic New Zealand magazine titles NZ Woman’s Weekly and theNZ Listener will resume publication immediately, with Bauer Media’s titles officially sold to an Australian investment company.”- RNZ

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