Radio shockjocks diss NBN during paid ads

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news NBN Co has shifted some of its radio advertising away from 2GB after the station’s well-known conservative shockjock Ray Hadley and another presenter standing in for his colleague Alan Jones criticised the project on air, directly before reading paid advertising for NBN Co which factually explained details of the rollout.

The ads had been read by 24 different presenters over six different major AM radio stations in metropolitan cities around the nation last week from Monday to Friday, as well as several slots on FM radio. Without taking an overt political view on the rollout, they aim to inform Australians about the rollout, following the three-year deployment plan revealed by NBN Co and the Federal Government last week. The script for the ads, according to NBN Co, reads as follows:

“The National Broadband Network has begun rolling out to homes and businesses throughout Australia. It’s upgrading national infrastructure and when complete, will enable access to every household and business, from the cities to the bush. NBN Co is the company building the NBN. At the height of the rollout, NBN Co expects to provide work for more than 15 thousand Australians. NBN Co is also a wholesaler. This means you’ll never buy a service from NBN Co. When available, you’ll sign up for your telephone and internet services through existing providers. NBN Co expects this to generate some healthy competition which is always good for consumers.”

However, in his readings of the ads, Ray Hadley (pictured, right) added his own criticism into the script. It appears this criticism was first reported by the Sydney Morning Herald.

“As you would know, I’ve been a vocal critic of the NBN and the cost to the Australian taxpayer. NBN Co has asked me to read a commercial, not about how wonderful it is, which I wouldn’t do, but rather some confusion about how it’s going to work,” he said last week on the 26th of March, before broadly following NBN Co’s script.

And in another reading: “Like it or not, the NBN’s going to be part of our lives down the track, and my main concern with the NBN is the cost to the Australian taxpayer. I’ve argued with the Minister about it uphill and down-dale. But they want some information in the marketplace, which I’m happy to provide, and they’re paying for me to provide it.”

Standing in for fellow shockjock Alan Jones, 2GB announcer Andrew Moore said: “This is a paid announcement on behalf of NBN Co. It in no way reflects my views, and I am most definite that it in no way reflects the views of Alan.”

An NBN Co spokesperson said this afternoon that our of the 24 presenters, Hadley and Moore were the only ones that presented any difficulties. “We removed the ads from those slots because 2GB could not guarantee that they would be read without being subject to editorialising or misinformation,” they said. “As recompense, 2GB has given us make goods, with live reads and pre-records in other slots.” This week, NBN Co began further radio advertising on FM stations, with pre-recorded ads in metro stations and also regional readings planned.

2GB owner the Macquarie Radio Network told the SMH that NBN Co had been warned the announcers might editorialise, as they did not have to stick literally to a script.

2GB commentators such as Jones and Hadley have long been some of the fiercest critics of the NBN project over the past several years, with Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull appearing regularly on slots on the station to comment on the project and the presenters often strongly agreeing with his criticism.

Amongst Australia’s media, News Ltd publications such as The Australian and the Daily Telegraph have also taken strong editorial lines against the NBN over the past several years. However, this hasn’t always been to their benefit. In late December the Australian Press Council expressed concern about the Daily Telegraph’s coverage of the NBN, backing a local critic’s complaint that three articles in a short period of time had contained “inaccurate or misleading assertions” about the NBN.

In addition, several weeks ago The Australian published a correction regarding an inaccurate article which had falsely stated that a school in South Australia would be forced to pay $200,000 to connect to the NBN infrastructure.

opinion/analysis
How hard would it have been for 2GB’s commentators to simply read out NBN Co’s factual script on air, without adding any opinionated political comment of their own? Not hard at all. Media outlets such as Delimiter and others often run sponsored articles containing information by an advertiser. As long as they are clearly marked as an advertisement, there’s no problem with this kind of behaviour, and nobody would assume those articles are part of our normal editorial processes or represent our own views.

NBN Co wasn’t asking Hadley, Jones or Moore to compromise their integrity. All it was asking the announcers to do was their jobs — read out a factual announcement on air as they would for any other company. Yet 2GB’s announcers just couldn’t resist the opportunity to use their platforms to sabotage the activities of a company which they irrationally hate and, frankly, fundamentally don’t understand.

Let me make this clear: NBN Co can not even pay 2GB’s conservative shockjocks to tell the truth on air — these commentators will go to any length to avoid it. As media professionals, 2GB’s announcers are completely out of line and should be cautioned by their station management and by the Australian Communications and Media Authority if possible. Not only have they damaged their own credibility in this case; they’ve also damaged their own organisation’s commercial interests.

I guess that NBN Co probably should have expected this, and commercial radio is no stranger to unethical broadcasts (Kyle and Jackie O’s ongoing sagas being a good example). However, that doesn’t mean Australia’s population should put up with this kind of ludicrous behaviour.

Image credit: Website of Ray Hadley

77 COMMENTS

  1. “NBN Co can not even pay 2GB’s conservative shockjocks to tell the truth on air…”

    Gold Renai!

  2. these fraudsters should be removed from air by ACMA but for whatever reason they havent been – surely the outright lies they’ve been telling about the NBN, Cabon Tax & breaches the stations radio broadcast license?

  3. Just as a side issue comparison, I wonder how say for example, Toyota would have reacted had these “professionals (ahem)” upon advertising Toyota’s, suggested they wouldn’t be seen dead in a Corolla.

    I’m guessing 2GB and these “professionals” would be in court quicker than you can say, “I fink I’ve had me hed in too many scrums”…!

  4. The real frustrating this with this is that those of us who support the NBN are having trouble engaging with NBNCo on any meaningful level, yet the numbskulls are happy to pay known opponents to the project to do a live read.

    Go figure.

    • I’ve personally found engaging with NBN Co pretty good, as long as it’s on technical matters and not politically sensitive issues.

  5. I’m honestly not surpised at all.

    I remember being brought up by my parents and grandparents being told that “With age comes wisdom”.
    If this is the case, how the hell Alan Jones was missed by this is impressive. This guy has no idea about technology, nor a willingness to understand. If he did, why wouldnt he speak with an NBN Engineer, or at least a Telecommunications Engineer rather than the Minister for Communications?

    Conroy is a reasonable man, dont get me wrong – but he doesnt tell everyone he has a firm understanding of something that isnt what he went to university for; thats like hiring a plumber to fix your lighting which for some reason these Shock Jocks seem to think they can do… which is punch outside their weight.

    I am a firm believer that this country has had a conservative opinion for far too long. Its like the minute someone announces a major project, they all either want a Cost-Benefit Analysis or they want to not do it because its too expensive. How the hell this country moves forward is anyones guess, especially when you have conservative idiots like these men telling everyone else that because something’s too expensive that it shouldnt be done at all, even if its firmly KNOWN that it will benefit the greater population.

    Its people like this that must make us look like blithering idiots to the rest of the world.

    • How the hell this country moves forward is anyones guess…./ Someone somewhere once said “stuff happens not because of us but despite us”. Possible large paraphrase there.

      • +1 Apollo and David Robinson.

        Looking at those who in all likelihood will soon govern us, the movers and shakers in radio and print media, as well as the endless queue of everyday Aussie NBN critics, at each and every blog, I am coming to the conclusion that (most) Australians are too stupid to deserve an NBN.

        • “I am coming to the conclusion that (most) Australians are too stupid to deserve an NBN”

          This is probably and unfortunately true. The problem is Australia don’t want to be leaders, we seem to be quite happy to just follow what everyone else is doing. That would explain Turnbulls obsession with saying “No other country is doing what we’re doing”. Here is the NBN project and we have a chance to do something right for once, set a good example, lead the world in the process but all of the sudden we don’t want to get our hands dirty because it might be too hard… and after all it’s more important to please the bogans that think the monarchy and following the USA into every scrap they start is a good idea.

      • There is a saying in science circles
        “Progress is made on funeral at a time”.

        Unfortunately, natural attrition takes its time.

  6. I disagree with the reputation damage point. These guys are known and loved as goose-stepping bigots; balanced fact-reading is bad for that kind of reputation. The unfortunate truth is that Kyles shenanigans resulted in increased ratings for Austereo, and well the advertisers know it.

  7. Excellent piece. These shock jocks are little more than coalition propaganda spokesmen. Absolutely pathetic that reading out a simple advertisement, without sabotaging it in the process is too much to ask from a commercial radio presenter.

    The ACCC should be all over this. At the very least I hope Media Watch give them a major arse-whooping!

  8. What these fools on the radio dont see is the tens of thousands of normal every day Australians employed around the country to plan and build the NBN (directly or indirectly).

  9. The politics of this doesn’t matter.

    It’s pretty simple. They were paid to read an ad and they deliberately failed to do so. NBNco should sue them for breach of contract.

  10. We all agree that its wrong if buying advertising in the media also buys positive comments about the product. If the report above is fair all the radio station’s commentators appear to have done is said they disassociated themselves from the content of the adverts they were then going to read. That they haven’t been bought. How dare the NBN and its supporters think that buying an advert also buys the suppression of negative comments about the product.

    • If NBNCo are paying for an advertisement to be read from a script then that’s what they should get.
      If the Announcer wants to make negative comments then by all means, just not during a paid advertisement, and it’s not only the fact they distanced themselves, some even attacked NBNco.
      There are some lines that are crossed at the risk of your own job and could get you sued.

      • Yep that’s it.
        It’s one thing for them to say that they don’t endorse what they are about to read, it’s another thing to go off script while they are reading it.
        If this was any other advertiser, heads would be rolling.

    • Gordon, If you personally paid 2GB for an ad to promote your business, I bet you wouldn’t expect or accept the people you are paying to give you are serve, would you?

      Please put your obvious NBN disliking aside and see this for what it is.

  11. Oh, and for the record, NBNCo’s advert is NOT factual. Putting the competition out of business by spending $11B of taxpayers money buying Telstra’s copper and ripping it out does not enhance competition that helps consumers, it eliminates it., It creates a wholesale monopoly. And when that monopoly is sold off it will be even worse. If NBNCo wasn’t a government enterprise competition rules would prevent it doing what its doing. The NBN the way it is being done repeats all the worst mistakes of the Telstra debacle.

    • “Putting the competition out of business by spending $11B of taxpayers money buying Telstra’s copper and ripping it out ”

      Telstra are putting themselves out of business by accepting $11 billion for their redundant copper???

      “does not enhance competition that helps consumers”

      It actually does…

      “It creates a wholesale monopoly”

      That’s exactly what we need.

      “And when that monopoly is sold off it will be even worse.”

      I agree. NBNco should not be sold.

      “The NBN the way it is being done repeats all the worst mistakes of the Telstra debacle.”

      False. The way it is being done solves many problems including the Telstra debacle in one go. You should be happy about this if you really consider the selling of Telstra before it was split a mistake.

      • “The NBN the way it is being done repeats all the worst mistakes of the Telstra debacle.”

        Well Gordon you’ve got me there. How did you expect this to happen? Please tell me another way to achieve the following…

        * Fix the private monopoly
        * Develop an equal and fair marketplace
        * Develop ubiquitous access for all.
        * Support national requirements for the next 50 years.

        Telstra, like everyone else, were given every opportunity to bid but they essentially turned up their nose at it. What would you propose happens at that point? I am interested since you say it repeats the worst mistakes of the past… what would you have done differently? I am not sure you realise that we here now, not by choice, but by — necessity –. The best minds in the country were consulted, current infrastructure strategy was developed and now we have the NBN rolling out. So I am truly interested in where the worst mistakes have happened because I am failing to see them.

    • Wow Gordon, you believe the hype don’t you? Replacing a privately owned monopoly with a publicly owned one is vastly different.

      Private companies are motivated by money. They are driven to please the shareholder so anything that does not return a good profit they could not care less. This has pretty much defined Telstra’s well documented corporate history over the last 10 years. One of greed, monopolizing and unfair market practices.

      Public owned monopolies are not. They haven no need to turn a good profit. Have every interest in developing a equal playing field for the common good and provide equal services to all. In fact the government is the *only* person who could or would do this. No private business would do the regional areas as there is no profit.

      So the NBN is attempting to correct the mistakes of the past. The technologies used are designed for our future needs, not necessarily what we need right now although some would argue that point. As for being sold down the track, who knows. That’s 10 years away at least if at all. The difference this time around is it is a wholesale only entity. There is no retail part of NBNCo and I suspect there never will be.

      As for the ACCC competition rules, in creating NBNCo they are taking over the wholesale market. This is why it is being built and by its very nature will conflict with those rules. When the greater good means we get equal and fair access to one of the most critical services for the future growth in this country then I think most of us would understand?

  12. A national fibre optic network is akin to a national road network or the existing copper network. Only one network is required. Competing parallel networks are an illogical proposition. The national highway system exists courtesy of a government monopoly. We accept this monopoly because of the universally accepted benefits the road system provides. Problem with the NBN is that not everyone is blessed with the vision and foresight to grasp the enormous potential economic and social benefits this network will deliver.

    • Robert,
      Its great to hear somebody understand the NBN. I wish someone like you could explain this to the liberal parties village idiot, Mr Tony Abbott. But then again a village idiot does not understand leadership vision, potential and social benefits.

      Labor may not be doing a good job but at least they understand this concept. The liberal parties village idiot stoops to shock jocks and technically inaccurate statements and downright lies. (eg wireless is a suitable alternative)

  13. The $9 Billion NorthWest rail link only serves 300,000 people, and is likely to loose money for the foreseeable future. NBN is $36 billions (4 x the cost), but it will serve 8Million Australia households, and it is likely to make a return.

    Which one do you think the coalition prefers?

  14. They have said so many time that the NBN will be paid for by taxpayers that I think they actually believe it.

    The NBN will be paid for by those who use the service. Any money provided by the gov will be repaid, at a rate higher then the bond market (yes, at a profit) and our gov retains ownership.

  15. Just imagine if they could no longer broadcast to anyone! or it was severely restricted to a small group of people. This is what I have to deal with, living within a five minute drive of the Perth CBD, no phone line and barely any internet.

    I have no idea why people listen to these shock jocks, all they seem to do is talk trash, misinforming people, it’s only on the odd occasion that they get something right. If taxpayers don’t pay for core/vital infrastructure how does it get rolled out? that’s right it hasn’t happened because no privately owned company is willing to do it, the only time they are willing to do it is when the Government pays them stupid amounts of money to do it via the tendering system.

    Perhaps you should be focusing your efforts on ensuring that the NBN isn’t sold off like it’s planned to be, so in another 50-100 years our grandchildren aren’t having to spend billions all over again due to a private company putting profits first.

  16. I wrote on this very site almost two years ago in a pretty widely distributed piece that the NBN was going to be a financial albatross. When you look at their roll-out plan and everything else, that’s becoming more of a reality.

    Before everyone runs and jumps down my throat, let me say that I also was a supporter of a monopoly wholesale carrier. The country is too small to have adequate competition in such an expensive space.

    What I am against is the government waste. NBN Co has 27 full-time PR and Media staff. That is ridiculous. This is an organization that right now exists on the government tit – such extreme waste is silly. If it is such a good idea, why so much spin and PR? But I digress…

    That Gillard used the NBN as a bargaining chip with Windsor and Oakeshott to expedite their areas getting the NBN simply removed any preconceived notion that anyone should have had that the government was doing this for anything other than political gain.

    Then there’s the technology – despite Quigley announcing the speed increase on a platform with Gillard and Conroy DURING the election campaign, there really is no basis in fact for it delivering what he said it will. The technology they are using, if subscribed at the levels required at every exchange to break even wouldn’t allow that bandwidth. It’s not conjecture, it’s physics and math.

    Moving right along, go look at the deployment maps just recently released. What a dog’s breakfast. Take where I live for example. There’s NBN to the left of me, NBN to the right, but a NARROW strip of high middle income earners (and a primary school) aren’t in the three year plan. From a roll-out, network management perspective, it actually might be more difficult to do it this way, but of course, it’s just Joe Hockey’s and Gladys Berejiklian’s riding that votes 70% primary to the Liberals. Oh wait, politics again.

    The thing is, everyone loves free. When you’re not paying for it now and you’re getting something you perceive to be a benefit everyone thinks it’s a great idea. The benefit is being greatly exaggerated. Comparing the NBN to the road network or electricity grid is a bus stop short of “Stupidland”. The NBN is a bit like the M2 Upgrade – it’s necessary if you use the M2, but it doesn’t solve the problem of and you have to wonder if it is worth the cost and bother. In fact, the NorthWest Rail Link is what will ultimately solve that problem.

    Unfortunately, someone is going to have to pay that $36B invoice and Rudd spent the money the country had saved up during the Howard/Costello years which honestly, a considerable amount of the foundation was laid during Hawke and Keating’s time. It took 20 years to remove the debt and build the savings and Rudd/Gillard blew it in 12 months.

    Optus are already seeing the writing on the wall, they want the ACCC to have powers to control the cost increases the NBN Co can implement. Optus can see that if the NBN doesn’t get the subscription and take up levels that the only other lever it has is price and under the legislation, after the first few years, it is virtually unregulated in that regard.

    I’m looking forward to my government subsidised, faster internet connection until of course I want to browse overseas and then unless Conroy has started laying massive, cheap undersea cables to the US which none of us know about everything will slow down again. Bugger physics again.

    • @ Sean, I won’t bother going through step by step and answering your concerns, as it has all been done before and it’s obvious, you don’t and will never believe the NBN advantageous, so head + wall = no.

      But it seems all you really in essence are complaining about is ironically the “politics” and also $’s…which is most telling. Not one mention of perceived benefits?

      What I do ask is, WTF has your spiel got to do with the topic of 2GB radio announcers not being able to perform a simple task professionally?

    • @Sean
      It’s obvious that you have taken a position and are trying to make the facts fit that position.
      While very few of us understand that kind of logic, we do recognise it rather quickly…and I can sympathise that in this case it must be very difficult for you.
      All I can say is Good Luck to you sir.

    • I’ll try and take the first shots, at least before someone else does.

      “The country is too small to have adequate competition in such an expensive space”

      Totally agree mate, unforuntately – the conservative side of politics typically doesnt subscribe to the idea of socialised infrastructure; ie a National Health System (Not the joke of a whatever you want to call it we have here in QLD). Currently the NBN seems to be (even in their own party) something the coalition cant agree on; some want it and some dont. They’ve got their constituents blasting them for trying to harpoon the NBN.

      “…simply removed any preconceived notion that anyone should have had that the government was doing this for anything other than political gain”

      I think this is an honest misconception – one thats ingrained in our own australian political scene for some time now. They’re a MINORITY GOVERNMENT. In a minority government you have to bargain to get into power. Its not just a case of turn-up and see whats going to happen. Its a bargain, its an agreement. Those independants arent contracted to the government, they can leave whenever the feel like it. Both sides of politics bargained to get into power, its just the Coaltion wasnt as convincing. The political gain was country-wide governance, seems like a logical reason to be motivated to get into power to me…

      “…if subscribed at the levels required at every exchange to break even wouldn’t allow that bandwidth. It’s not conjecture, it’s physics and math”

      You’re assuming here without facts. Those exchanges will need to be upgraded, thats not a minor thing. I’ve worked on Mobile sites that have needed backhaul upgrades, this is no different. I can see what your getting at – certainly it needs to happen for the network to see gainful performance inclusions, but I can bet my bottom dollar that the engineers know this as well – they will have planned for it. Hell, theres an exchange near my place that doesnt achieve more than 8mbps, which is hard-capped because the backhaul’s never been upgraded. (I’m on a RIM)

      “Take where I live for example. There’s NBN to the left of me, NBN to the right, but a NARROW strip of high middle income earners (and a primary school) aren’t in the three year plan.”

      Heres one you can relate to – Lets assume you have ADSL in your area (most people do of some description). I’m on a RIM where I live. No more than High-Speed ADSL1 at 8mbps. Thats a physical cap, due to exchange speed limitations. We also get very poor TV signal from free-to-air, if at all. Lastly, our area has 60000 residents. only 12000 are covered by ADSL. Telstra is the ONLY vendor. Not very fair is it? I can see your point, but you’re targetting your problem at the people with the solution. Just because its not delivered THIS 3 years, doesnt mean it wont be done in the NEXT SIX. I’m not happy im not getting upgraded now, but its due to exchange limitations. Here they’d have to build two NEW exchanges and rebuild the old one to even MAKE capacity. Then theres removal of existing RIM infrastructure. So its not as easy as you might surmise – just like when Vodafone clients bark at the network and expect our upgrades to be done in the next 10 seconds – doesnt work that way. You cant fix years of problems within an unreasonable time-frame.

      “Comparing the NBN to the road network or electricity grid is a bus stop short of “Stupidland”.”

      I dont agree with this at ALL. This type of centralised infrastructure is almost an identical comparison. You dont sell off individual stretches of road. If you did the owners would charge tolls for use. Shit – wouldnt you? The income would be insane – at least until people caught wind and complained. This is exactly what the NBN aims to do – be the base line infrastructure only.

    • Sean, I would reply but there are so many factual inaccuracies I don’t even know where to start.

      “When you look at their roll-out plan and everything else, that’s becoming more of a reality.”

      The only reality is they are rolling out the network. When everyone joins it, as they as will, the next reality is the revenue. The wholesale network is not free and pretty much is a guaranteed revenue stream for the government and its not even from you and me. Its from the RSP’s(ISP’s) who are *already* signed up to use it. The revenue will only increase as more Australian are connected. So much for the albatross. Oh but don’t take my word for it, the financial markets agree with the governments revenue assessment so I am wondering where your facts come from?

      “NBN Co has 27 full-time PR and Media staff.”

      Because News Ltd have waged a fear campaign against the NBN from day one and they have thousands of staff. The NBN is an important public infrastructure project but its public opinion has been negative because “The Australian” to name one paper, ran 12 months of negative publicity, most of it insinuating alarmist propaganda and devoid of any real facts. So NBNCo has no choice but to fight back, to tell people the real story so people like yourself don’t continue to spout uninformed information about the NBN. But I digress…

      “It’s not conjecture, it’s physics and math…”

      Actually it is pure conjecture on your part. Go back and do the math, do the sums and come back with some facts. The network design for the NBN is sound, created by some of the smartest people in this country, vetted by their peers, by people who do this for a living so your barely tolerable insinuations only go to show your ignorance. Moving right along…

      Deployment maps … You do realise the NBN is being built by a government don’t you? So you were not expecting politic’s Hmmm. Seriously?

      “Comparing the NBN to the road network or electricity grid is a bus stop short of “Stupidland”.

      I think you just described your argument very well. M2 upgrade… laughing my ass off.

      “but it doesn’t solve the problem”

      Oh yes it does. On multiple levels. See my previous comments here. You sure you don’t work for 2GB?

      “Unfortunately, someone is going to have to pay that $36B invoice.”

      The RSP’s do. We pay them for our Internet service and they pay the government for the wholesale service. Sweet deal if you ask me :-) We not only get great Internet but its paid for!!!

      Oh Sean, the rest of your comment is not worth the effort. Its very much the same misinformation we see in the press repeated over and over. Suggest you go an read some facts and come back an educated man.

      • Hey Kevin,

        Mate, relax. Did I insult you? I don’t think I did, but if so, I’m sorry.

        Play the ball, not the man.

        You disagree, awesome that’s what debate is about. You think I’m wrong, pick me up on my points. But run around being an insulting jerkoff and you undermine your own valid points because you come off looking like a tool.

        That’s what those morning radio guys do.

        You don’t need to be rude and mean spirited to disagree.

        • I’ll agree that I could have posted a less emotive response but it was not without provocation. Your comment makes a great deal of assumptions, a number of them wrong, none of them give credit where its due, Rudd saved our proverbial bacon from a national depression using economic stimulation that cost a lot but the net effect was we didn’t have a depression. That’s probably a better use of taxpayer funds that most political policies we see today…. as for “stupidland” well, what kind of response did you expect when you trotted out that line?

    • “What I am against is the government waste. NBN Co has 27 full-time PR and Media staff.”

      Maybe they wouldn’t need so many PR staff if there wasn’t as much ignorance, misinformation and blatant political bias working against them.

    • “NBN Co has 27 full-time PR and Media staff”

      I deal with that unit at NBN Co almost every day and I can assure you it’s more like four.

  17. Just something I saw in the article:

    “An NBN Co spokesperson said this afternoon that our of the 24 presenters, Hadley and Moore were the only ones that presented any difficulties.”

    Shouldn’t that be out not our?

  18. Actually I support the stance of the announcers. They have been very vocal in their criticism (founded or unfounded makes no difference) and it would be very confusing if they read out the announcement as written..

    Renae – you say the ads are clearly defined on your site, this is a straw man – a “live read” on radio is a different animal altogether. By the announcers voice alone, I cannot tell the difference between a paid annnouncement and an editorial comment therefore the announcers are making it very clear that it is a paid advertisment .

    • All they had to say was, here is a paid advertisement on behalf of NBNCo and then read it.

      You do understand the concept of paying to have something advertised and receiving professional service? That’s all this is, take the NBN out of the equation.

      Again, I’d bet if it were you advertising your profession and this occurred you wouldn’t “support their stance”.

    • Unlike when they are being paid for by companies they are in bed with… couldn’t tell where the line between ad and personal endorsement lay with laws and Jones unless you were relatively intelligent, which eliminated their entire audience…

  19. NBN co were advised that the radio hosts in question would be allowed to comment as they saw fit before, during or after the paid advertisement.
    NBN co obviously accepted those terms of contract so the story and the majority of the posts here are redundant.
    It was a strategic ploy on NBNco’s behalf to garner some free extra publicity.
    Can’t believe you even bothered with this renai, great way to stir the fanboi’s in to action though.

    • Seriously, this has nothing to do with fanbois or politically motivated cynics.

      It has to do with a “fair go”.

      The sad part is, these radio announcers do not understand the ins and outs (enter AJ and the “lasers”) but yet have the audacity to push negative misinformed opinions (I didn’t say lies) down everyone’s throats!

  20. It’s official, Alan Jones really is that stupid that he doesn’t understand the benefits of this project, forget politics for a moment Alan, I know you’ll probably die or a heart attack before you get to enjoy the NBN, but if we don’t continue with this project Australia WILL be left in the dark, Fibre is the future, no other method currently or in the foreseeable future is an alternative, plain and simple, got it?

  21. Wow, what a hotbed of ALP supporters this place is. Perhaps you NBN boosters should look at how many 3G/WiFi iPads are selling right now, and other 3G tablets, and other 3G & 4G modems. I know you ALP types are always convinced that you know what’s best for everyone, but the public is speaking with its money. They won’t be tied to a land line connection. Telstra must be pissing itself at you idiots as it quietly pockets the $11 billion and sells its wireless broadband.

    Morons.

      • Indeed Kevin.

        We have two newcomers who criticise, because people like you and I have simply said, 2GB should just do their jobs (in this instance orating a paid advertisement) leave their opinions to themselves and we asked simply for a fair go.

        I even suggested leaving the NBN out of the equation and then asking if they thought it ‘fair” for other, if this were to occur.

        But apparently by doing so and supporting the NBN, according to one, we are ALP types (obviously they haven’t read the filter threads) and according to the other Conroy’s name is actually conboy.

        So, who’s on the political crusade here?

        Anyway, back to the topic.

    • Ok, firstly i would like to point out that whilst the ALP is building it, the national party was the first party to suggest something akin to the modern national broadband network albeit a more expensive version with less wireless. Nobody wants to be left behind with wireless :P

      Secondly, I believe you will find that the larger selling iPads and tablets are wifi only. The asus transformer prime is, and is one of the best android tablets around. Guess what most of my downloads to the TF201 is done over? adsl2+ via wifi. The wireless argument is old and doesn’t stack up to reality, as shown by the ABS. A massive influx of 3g devices did not change the fact that the percentage of data downloaded over wireless DROPPED. People are using 3g for convenience and a real internet connection for any heavy lifting. Otherwise known as anything that isn’t e-mail and light browsing.

      Finally, you are aware that there are coalition voters that support the NBN, yes? I’m not a single issue voter but the coalition despite being my party of choice has shown a massive lack of competence over the past decade and a half in telecommunications. In fact, if you read some of the older NBN posts on this website renai posted, you will find an interesting statistic. That being 42% of coalition voters in a poll support the nbn to the 43 opposed. Not exactly what I would call a mandate there.

      Please anti-NBN coalition voters, take that final point into account. Pro-NBN =/= ALP shill/voter/representative

    • Hey Maverick – tell me this:

      How is Wireless serviced?
      Whats that? Fibre. Yep thats right. So you’re telling me theres a fibre connection running to most Telecommunications assets? Yep thats right Maverick there is.

      How is Wireless propagated?
      Well thats a good question Maverick. See Wireless is propagated by a porportionate ratio between Signal Frequency and Distance travelled. As most people would be unaware, Wireless becomes stronger the closer you are to the site and weaker the further away you are. Not only this, Wireless Frequencies are quite often severely limited by things such as Steel-framed buildings or Air-conditioning.

      How much speed will we see with Wireless compared to Fibre?
      Well you see Maverick, this is also a given ratio dependant on the number of users that can access a site at once. You see, even with a 100MBps backhaul, and 1000 average users attached, you can expect the speed to fall as low as 100kBps. As population density increases, demand for Fixed-Line will increase. This is due to the inability to place more base-stations for Wireless transmissions using telecommunications standards. You cant have stations close together, otherwise you will end up with an unstable and severely impacted service.

      How fast is that?
      Well thats not very fast at all. In order to quickly download information from a website like facebook you would only perhaps need somewhere between 200kBps and 500kBps. With a website like Youtube.com, you can expect the service to be unusuable.

      So if wireless devices are decreasing and Fixed-line services are falling, why is the NBN needed?
      The NBN future-proofs people’s homes so that they recieve their own internet service. They will be able to download and service their wireless devices with WiFi , rather than sharing with people around the local area from one base station.

      Thanks for your insight Apollo.

      Not a problem Maverick.

    • Well this moron makes as much sense as that other well known maverick, someone called Palin I seem to recall, or was it the senile old guy she was running with?

  22. Alex whether you want to admit it or not, the radio presenters have as much factual information as the general public and more or less talk to their level.
    Seriously, go down the local pub and chat to the locals and see what you get.
    I find it extremely comical to watch you guys and girls get so up in arms about something way to trivial.
    It’s a shocking diversion from reporting on conboy and his visit to the broadbandcommision.org this week and their continuing efforts to construct a joint venture framework of filtering and government eavesdropping capabilities under a United Nations banner of acceptable conduct.
    If i go ogle ‘conroy macedonia broadband united nations’ NO Australian reporting what so ever.
    Perhaps you may now understand my mirth at this comments thread and the NBN fanbois in general.
    You all continually fail to look at the bigger picture and stay more than comforatble within this stupid little microcosm of ‘i am factually correct from this viewpoint’.
    Lol… i give up!

    • C0smilk,

      They have just as much info? Well in that case you and AJ enjoy your “lasers”

      Lol indeed.

    • Well put sir.

      It is rather humorous each time Renai decides to run one of these pot stirring articles watching the usual half dozen or so suspects bring up the same old tired arguments for and against the NBN. Great for the hit count I imagine.

      Regards,
      Douglas.

      • “watching the usual half dozen or so suspects bring up the same old tired arguments for and against the NBN.”

        And then there’s Douglas, he’s a special flower who finds the conversation just a bit daunting and confusing, wants to be part of it but also wants everyone else to know he’s above it all so he’ll comment with something that adds nothing to the debate at all…

  23. I do enjoy my friken lasers and my friken led’s and my friken internet.
    You obviously have a lot to learn about the older generation that did not grow up with this technology and their ability to comprehend it then think about accepting it.

    • Seems to me (and this is factual from my dealings, not meant to be disrespectful) that 90% of NBN hatred emanates from ultra conservative retirees. I.e. these radio announcers bread and butter.

    • Speak for yourself you presumptuous poster! I have a seniors card and am eagerly awaiting my NBN connection…

    • You just indicated that you yourself are from the “older generation” and certainly have obvious conservative leanings, according to you comments.

      But seriously this is getting off topic and into editorial banning territory. Please address the topic.

  24. Nope.. you are incorrect on all accounts.
    Yes, put your fishing rod away and keep your turd in your pocket.
    I had a feeling they were very bad contrived attempts at a personal attack but it is best to play along.

    • Firstly C0mik, if you are going to reply to me, align your friken lasers and your fricken LED’s and click on the reply button…FFS.

      Secondly, how can anyone be wrong with their experiences. My experience is that 90% of NBN hatred comes from ultra right retirees. There’s no nope involved.

      Now you just told me you are from the older generation and now you suggest you aren’t after all and then claim personal attack?

      Whatever…

      Apologies Renai I have over-fed the troll!

  25. I never told you anything dude, your presumptions are way off base which is your own doing… not mine.

  26. If they had integrity they would have rightfully refused to read the Ad. If the network had integrity they wouldn’t have accepted the Ad to be run at those time. There was a time when integrity meant something and such actions as the above would have resulted in advertising dollars being pulled as companies would not want their brand tarnished by such actions.

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