1993: Nightline, Deadline, Flatline

September 16, 2021

By AHNZ

Janet Wilson came home to New Zealand to join the new TV3 and soon became anchor of their evening news show, Nightline between 1993/4.

When Paul Holmes’ current affairs show (‘Holmes’ 1989-2004) ended with his defection to rival Prime tv Wilson was recruited to fill the gap at TVNZ. She produced Close Up (2004-12) from behind the camera.

Wilson forms a media power couple with husband Bill Ralston and has most recently worked as a very valuable PR Spin Doctor for National 5.0 and National while in Opposition. She wont be doing that again.

“Janet Wilson was a journalist for 30 years in radio, print and TV, before turning to the Dark Side of PR, She’s now seen the light and is returning to ply her old trade. Opinions entirely her own.”- footer for one of Wilson’s Stuff columns (2021)

“TV1 and newspapers have gone the same way too. What used to be Current Affairs are now thinly disguised rehashings from the internet, surrounded in clickbait. Infomercials, which used to be confined to early mornings, have expanded to take over TV in the guise of news shows. Breakfast (1997) with Mike Hosking, Susan Wood, Kate Hawkesby or Telstra Business (1997) with Michael Wilson were current affairs shows. Likewise, in the evening, there was Holmes (1989) and Campbell Live (2005) with John Campbell and Carol Hirschfeld.” – 1975: TV2, AHNZ

In 2021, after being cut loose by current leader Judith Collins, Wilson started attacking National which culminated in a personal attack on Collins. If she wanted to be vindictive she could have done way better than her spin on ‘The Spinoff’ so what the heck is going on?

So at that point, you go from being a core part of the team to being an interested observer. It’s not an exaggeration to say that you are a National type of person.

Well, I’ve worked with the party since about 2008 off and on. So I worked with Key. I did a lot of debate training with Key. I did a lot of media training with Key. Yeah, I’m an urban, liberal creature within the National Party.

Ref. ‘Paranoid storms’: Judith Collins’ former press secretary on National, leadership and oblivion, Spinoff (Sep 2021)

Wilson just burned herself as a media advisor and journalist for all time, her Deadline Ltd is now flatline. Nobody will ever trust her again in confidentiality nor husband Bill unless he divorces her. I can only guess that Wilson is ready to retire and be paid out for all the damage she refrains from doing, that she wasn’t being paid what she thought she was worth for this service so has given ‘them’ a little taste to bring the brokers to the table.

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Ref. Janet Wilson, Linked in

Image ref. Nightline, TV3 (1993); Sony Trinitron, Youtube

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