Nelson Bay TV, Express Report and reaction

The debate over Express Report continues in Nelson. Television One's 60 minutes 0900 phone in generated over 12,000 calls of which 80% per opposed to the screening of Express Report. The poll however had no scientific basis and its result is totally meaningless.

Brigitte Sistig from Nelson has mounted a letter writing blitz and designed a T-shirt with a slogan and cartoon to try to convince the station it should screen the show. However to date Bay TV has continually stated that they will not screen the show.

Nelson Bay TV and the debate in the Nelson Newspaper

The debate in the Nelson newspaper continues with the following letters to the editor appearing in the Nelson Mail.

The following letter appeared supporting the Express Report

"Sir,

Re the article, "Rejection of show angers gay community", (Nelson Mail, February 6), I am quite surprised and outraged that the Nelson regional communnity television channel, Bays Television, has decided not to air Express Report. In the wake of the Dunedin furore this action seems to be quite a bold and upsetting move indeed.

Bays Television does in fact have a 'wide TV audience' which includes a very vibrant and dynamic gay and lesbian community, a community which would benefit from such a news programme as Express Report.

I do hope that the Nelson community will make their opinions and views about Express Report known to Bob Hansel, co-owner of Bays Television, through letters, faxes, and phone calls directly to the studio. From what I understand from other parts of the country that saw the show, Express Report is a high standard programme definitely worthy of air-time in this region.

It is, in fact, quite narrow-minded to believe an audience does not exist for Express Report. And for Bays Television to dismiss this audience is for Bays Television to let down the entire Nelson community.

(Signed) Jenna Heller
Nelson, February 7."

and the following letter appeared opposing Express Report

Sir,

The law requires us to treat members of the homosexual community like the rest of us.

In fact, the lifestyle they choose is fundamentally different from the norm.

Having been raised in their young days largely at the expense of their parents, many of whom make the huge sacrifices of money and time needed to raise a family, they would normally be expected to repay that debt by raising a family of their own. Not so.

The sacrifices, family responsibilities, even foodbanks are for someone else. It is to be hoped that the TV coverage of the gay life makes adequate mention of this aspect and describes the other ways, if any, that gays are compensating the community for opting out of their family responsibilities.

(Signed) R.D. McIver (Mr)
Stoke, 16 Feb. 1996.

An open letter to Horizon Pacific Television

The refusal of Nelson Bay TV to screen Express Report has also prompted the Henry James, Secretary of the Nelson Spectrum gay group to write an the following open letter to Horizon Pacific Television.

To the Manager, Horizon Pacific.

The decision of Bays TV not to broadcast Express Report, has caused widespread criticism and on the half-hour gay programme Gaytime FM for Sunday February 11, opprotunity was given for listeners to phone in and express their concerns. Over a dozen calls were received, all from the Nelson/Richmond area, with only one caller identifying as lesbian/gay.

The comments that were received ranged from extreme disappointment to outrage, with most feeling that this was a decision based on bigotry and prejudice. It seems painfully clear that the management of Bays TV did not lear the lesson of Southern Television and that it made its decision on some restricted criteria. In his original statement to Spectrum, Bays TV manager, Mr R. Hansel stated that his decision was because his target audience was "the family" and that therefore Express Report was an inappropriate programme. This despite the fact that Report goes to air at 10pm.

It is clear that Mr. hansel has taken the view that thhis programme will be of interest to only the les/bi/gay section of our community and that firstly, they will be only a small part of the audience and that other vieweres will litereally turn off. Mr Hansel needs to venture into the late 20th century and realise that our communities are made up of a lot of minority groups, and that interest in those groups is not confined to their members.

One would have hoped with the present social conditions prevailing that by now people holding responsible jobs in mainstream media would recognise this diversity and cater for their needs, a process which by its nature would also educate other members of our community.

Like most of the callers from the phone-in I find censorship forced on a viewing public resulting from som arbitary decision quite repugnant.

It is hoped that the publicity resulting form this decision, will cause Mr Hansel like his Southern counterpart, to reverse it.

Yours sincerely, Henry James, Secretary, Spectrum.

Hero Safe Sex billboard vandalised and reinstated

The HERO safe sex billboard was vandalised last week by one church and reinstated accross the road by another church.

On Sunday night the billboard, with the rear view of a naked man with the message "no if's no butts, use condoms every time", was painted over and then the offending picture torn off when the paint failed to cover the man's buttocks by members of the Pacific Island congregation from St John's methodist church. The council then ordered that the billboard removed and it was pulled down on Monday.

On Tuesday night the Rev Paulo Ieriko met with the HERO organisers and agreed that compensation would be paid.

On Wednesday the Rev Jim White, of the the All Saints Anglican Church in Ponsonby Rd, offered to put up the billboard in the grounds of the church. On Thursday the billboard was installed with the words emBarrassment, homOphobia, inTolerance, bigoTry, ignOrance and discriMination patched over the damaged image of the man. The word BOTTOM was spelt down using the above words.

Mr White said that the billboard was "still on about safe sex but it now confronts other, deeper issues in our society."

By the end of the week All Saints Church had received a number of calls generally supporting the decision to take the poster. The most difficult calls had come from Christians who quoted from the Scriptures to back their opposition to the church's support of a safe sex advertisment aimed at the gay community.

AIDS Combination Therapy campaign

The New Zealand AIDS Foundation and National People Living with AIDS Union have begun a campaign to have Pharmac decision not to pay for AIDS Combination therapy reversed.

Pharmac have in the past week identified a number of drugs which will have subsidies removed so that new drugs can be purchased. However there is no guarantee that combination therapy will be included or that any future changes in HIV and AIDS drugs will be necessarily funded by Pharmac.

Hepatitis Foundation questions free Hepatitis A vaccinations.

The Hepatitis Foundation is challenging a decision to provide 1000 free hepatitis A vaccinations to Auckland gay men. It says the $60,000 project is astonishing given that the needs of those carrying hepatitis B is more pressing.

Mr Sandor Milne, the foundation director, said a person infected with hepatitis A would be a social risk for only a few days or weeks but someone with hepatitis B might be infectious for 10 to 20 years.

He went on to say that we should "not forget that hepatitis B kills perhaps 100 to 150 carriers every year most of them men, most of them poor. In a perfect world, where money was no object, the attempts of Auckland health workers to control the transmisson of hepatitis A in gay sex venues might be applauded."

North Health responded by saying that the hepatitis A programme for gay men was a single project to meet an acute problem. The authority also bought routine vaccinations for hepatitis B and screening for pregnant women who were carrieris of the disease.

HERO Parade and party

Up to 200,000 people were estimated by police to have packed both sides of Posonby Rd for the annual HERO Parade on Saturday night. This number is number that of last years Parade in Queen St.

The parade of 42 floats and 1000 people took about two hours to proceed from one end of Ponsonby Rd to the other.

Mr Scott Johnson, HERO Project organiser, said "I would say it would be pretty hard to move it away from Ponsonby now."

The whole of Ponsonby Road was extremely festive with many people remaining in the area at one of the cafes and restaurants in the Street.

However most of the Parade participants went on to the annual HERO Party at the Expo centre, which had more than 4,000 people this year.

Gay TV and Radio

Television

Express Report every Monday 10pm on ATV, Capital City, Coast to Coast, Southern and CTV.

Four Weddings and A Funeral Sky TV Sunday February 25 10:15pm and Thursday 29th 6:30pm - Well just scraps in with a gay couple in the film.

Radio

Regular gay and lesbian shows

Auckland - G & T Show, 810AM Access Radio, Thursday 7 to 8am
Auckland - This Way Out, 810AM Access Radio, Saturday 11:40am
Auckland - In The Pink, 95BFM Student Radio, Sunday 8 to 9pm
Auckland - Girls Own Show, 95BFM Student Radio, Sunday 7 to 8pm
Hamilton - Different Strokes, 89FM Student Radio, Sunday 8pm
Wellington - Gay BC, 783AM Access Radio, Gay BC, Saturdays 11:15 - 12:15
Wellington - Reading Lesbian Writers, 783AM Access Radio,Saturdays, 1.15 - 1.30pm
Wellington - Lesbian Radio Programme, 783AM Access Radio,Sundays, 10 - 11 am
Wellington - Boy Trouble, 89FM Student Radio, Sunday 6-7pm
Nelson/Motueka - Gaytime FM, 90.4FM Fresh FM, Sunday 11am
Christchurch - Loud & Queer, RDU 98.3FM Student Radio,Wednesday 6pm to 7pm
Christchurch - Outwaves, 96.9FM Plains FM, Every 2nd Monday 8pm
Dunedin -Lesbian Show, 91FM Radio One, Tuesday 6pm
Dunedin -Tea with the Boys, 91FM Radio One, Thursday 6pm

None this week.

Events - Upcoming

Wellington Lesbian Matrimonial Property Act discussion - 3 March 1996
Auckland Community Church - 3 March 1996.
Christchurch BLG night at Orientation - 2 March 1996.
Hutt Lesbian Group - 1 March 1996
Auckland Community Church - 27 February 1996.
Auckland Community Church - 25 February 1996.
Wellington Lesbian Overland and Cafe Club - 25 February 1996
Wellington Lesbian DOODS Dance - 24 February 1996
Auckland Community Church - 23-25 February 1996.
Auckland 1996 Inaugural Pitch 'n' Putt Competition - 23 February 1996
Wellington Lesbian Mountain Bike Riders - 18 February 1996
Auckland Community Church - 18 February 1996.
Wellington Over 35's Dance for Lesbians - 17 February 1996
Auckland Community Church - 17 February 1996.
Auckland City Council Liason committee - 14 February 1996
Wellington Lesbian Overland and Cafe Club - 11 February 1996
Auckland Community Church - 11 February 1996.
Wellington National Library Exhibition - 31 January 1996 - 17 February 1996
Mapplethorpe Exhibition - Wellington December 9 1995 to February 18 1996
HERO - Auckland's Festival - 26 January to 17 February 1996
Wellington Eugenia showing till - 17 February 1996

What is happening on the Internet

The following site appeared in the mail box. I haven't checked it out but it looks interesting.

Copyright, Subscription and Contribution information

Overseas media who utilise any or all of the above material please credit QNA as your source. Thank you.