The Minister of Broadcasting Marian Hobbs has no grasp of her portfolio, ACT MP Penny Webster said today.

"Ms Hobbs' announcement that she will split BCL from TVNZ is totally at odds with the Prime Minister's statement that the matter is still wide open.

"Ms Hobbs has no control over her portfolio: she is allowing fringe groups and the Prime Minister to run Broadcasting for her.

"Delaying discussion until mid-June will do nothing for low morale at TVNZ.

"ACT supports any move that would make TVNZ and any of its branches easier to sell.

"It is obvious that the Prime Minister is the de-facto Minister of Broadcasting, and that Marian Hobbs has no understanding of the issues involved," Penny Webster said.

Ends

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>