The Mike Hosking Breakfast Newstalk ZB

World leaders and surviving veterans of the Normandy landings gathered on both sides of the Channel on the 80th anniversary of D-Day. 

In France, Joe Biden, Emmanuel Macron and Princess Anne have been taking part in commemorations. 

And in the UK, King Charles, Rishi Sunak and Prince William have been paying tribute to those who fought to "replace tyranny with freedom", in a service at the key departure point of Portsmouth. 

Biden delivered a speech at the commemorations linking the allied efforts on D-Day with the challenges posed by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.  

US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that he then said in a separate interview that Vladimir Putin is “not a decent man” and is struggling to keep his country together while continuing the assault. 

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At the end of each week, Mike Hosking takes you through the big-ticket items and lets you know what he makes of it all. 

 

Elections: 8/10 

Democracy in action is always good, especially in a world where democracy doesn’t reach all corners and not everyone gets a say. 

 

The Crusaders: 3/10 

A year to forget and a dynasty undone. Plenty of work-ons as they say, but that old hackneyed "sack the coach" thing reminds us how trigger happy and superficial we can be. 

 

The Trump fundraising record: 6/10 

Does that mean crime pays? 

 

Labour asking for your tax cut: 2/10 

Surely in Opposition when you are not actually doing anything, you can keep the stupidity down to a minimum. 

 

The Māori wards submissions: 3/10 

Yet more angsting around race. We already have the best system and it's called democracy, and anyone can run, and everyone gets a free and fair go. Try it. It works. 

 

The hunger striker: 0/10 

He had three demands and not one was met, nor were they ever going to be, obviously. Which simply reminds us that the self-absorbed know no bounds. 

 

The Radio Awards: 8/10 

ZB station of the year, Niva newsreader of the year, the people who produce this were producers of the year, and so it went. It turns out in a media landscape littered recently with casualties there are still quite a few who have it together, deliver the goods, make the profits and revel in a future that’s pretty bright. 

 

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Lack of access to specialist healthcare is having a significant effect on patients and health professionals. 

An Otago University report has found that between 2018 and 2022 the risk of being declined following a GP referral increased by 5.2% per year. 

Co-author Professor Robin Gauld told Mike Hosking that it's more than 17,000 extra people being denied over that time. 

He says there are longstanding issues with workforce, availability of staff such as theatre technicians, and funding. 

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It's important I think to end the week with the good news. 

The good news from an industry, you might have read, that has been creating a bit of bad news lately. 

The media has troubles, newsrooms are being closed, programmes are being cancelled, people are being laid off, losses are mounting, hands are out for help and pleas are being made for you to see what some do on the local landscape as being important. So yes, it has been a bad year. 

But against that backdrop the radio industry got together last night to hand out a few gongs and remind us all that there are no shortage of success stories. 

This is the best station in the country. Not just that but we were awarded the title for the 4th year in a row. 

This show has the best producers in the game. 

This show has the best newsreader in the game. 

This station has the best sport bloke on the weekends. 

The eclectic guy at night from Bluff won for about the 8th year in a row and the news team were recognised for their Cyclone Gabrielle coverage. 

More broadly, this company picked up an outsized number of awards given the competition. That is a bit not to be forgotten. 

Radio in New Zealand is still, as far as I know, the most competitive market per head of population in the world. We have a pile of radio stations all chasing the audience and all chasing the dollar. 

What radio is, is an example of how a market evolves. While some in the media grapple with change, radio did a lot of its changing a couple of decades back with deregulation and the arrival of FM. 

We worked out what the audiences wanted and gave it to them. 

It's ever evolving of course. But in a media landscape of so much upheaval there are plenty still doing fine thank you, and that needs to be better told. 

Part of the problem with the media, in an irony of ironies, is their predilection for the negative. There are more media stories of success than there are of woe. 

This show, on this station, in this company, is killing it. That’s not skiting, it's balancing the ledger a bit. 

So you're listening to the best in the business. But you knew that. 

A few judges just backed you up with silverware last night.   
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A Kiwi wine company has a unique approach to blending their new vintage. 

Invivo is currently in New York where they, along with their partner Sarah Jessica Parker, will be blending their new vintage in the middle of Citi Field. 

The field is the home stadium for the New York Mets, who have given them exclusive use of the empty stadium. 

Co-founder Tim Lightbourne told Mike Hosking that they wanted to open their brand up to a wider audience instead of being enclosed in a room somewhere at a winery. 

He said that in a market like America, you have to do things really different, and you can’t just sit at home with your fingers crossed. 

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On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Friday 7th of June, we looked at the billions allocated to fixing potholes and the move to sort out the ridiculous amount of traffic management in this country. 

Forgive us for indulging ourselves as we give you a highlights package of the big night at the Radio and Podcast Awards for Newstalk ZB. 

Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson cover the week, the Radio Awards, and a particular green suit. 

Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. 

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