The Platform, Sean Plunket's thing

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gzt

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#3425197 15-Oct-2025 20:29

The Broadcasting Standards Authority has made a preliminary decision after receiving a complaint that Sean Plunket referred to Māori tikanga as 'mumbo jumbo' during his talkshow:

NZHerald: New Zealand’s broadcasting watchdog – set up to monitor the content of television and radio networks – is claiming jurisdiction over Sean Plunket’s online-only company The Platform and preparing to consider a complaint in which he described Māori tikanga as “mumbo jumbo”. In a confidential draft decision that could have

The Platform is broadcast live 24/7 on the Internet with support from major corporate advertisers. Winston Peters says 'soviet era stasi' and the Free Speech Union has chimed in.

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#3425201 15-Oct-2025 20:48

https://business.scoop.co.nz/2024/08/14/collaboration-between-radio-aotearoa-and-the-platform/

I find this interesting for two reasons:

1) If The Platform's content is simulcast over Radio Aotearoa, that would count as it being over terrestrial services, right? Therefore it would easily fall under the BSA's jurisdiction.

2) Also, how does the owner of Radio Aotearoa feel about Plunket's views on Maori tikanga being referred to by the latter as "mumbo jumbo" and being rebroadcast over his station?

I did search Radio Aotearoa's website to try and find a list of programmes to see if they still simulcast The Platform but couldn't find anything (and it was last updated last year).

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#3425217 15-Oct-2025 21:45

The owner of Radio Aotearoa - The entrepreneur George Ngatai and his wife are longtime Destiny Church members. Ngatai stood for the Destiny party Vision NZ in 2020. It doesn't surprise me that Ngatai is friendly with The Platform and Sean Plunket. That said, based on an interview I've seen with Ngatai and Plunkett, they have their differences and I doubt Ngatai would agree wholeheartedly with the broadcast comments.

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#3425278 16-Oct-2025 08:35

Publishing on the internet being equivalent to broadcasting (whether you agree with the concept or not) is a widely accepted interpretation around the world. The narrow technical definition of the emission of radio waves from an antenna to spread out into space follows from the more general definition of the word which dates back to the 1700s, long before the discovery of electromagnetic radiation. Podcasting is absolutely broadcasting in the original sense of wide dissemination, even if it is not broadcasting in the sense of a specific technology with which to do so.

I won't deny that I enjoy watching a hateful old troll find out that his strategy of hiding behind the teacher and sing-songing 'ner ner you can't catch me!' doesn't work. But even if I didn't, anyone with half a brain would realise that podcasting can be and is treated as broadcasting by regulatory authorities around the world, in the same way that they will (at least sometimes) go after newspapers in other countries that publish stories online that would be illegal in their own jurisdiction (such as naming someone subject to suppression).

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#3425533 16-Oct-2025 17:22

Businessperson Troy Bowker will fund Sean Plunket's legal costs against the Broadcasting Standards Authority.

Bowker made the news in 2021. While a Hurricanes board member during a linkedin discussion Bowker accused animation entrepreneur Ian Taylor of "sucking up to the left Māori loving agenda". Needless to say, the Hurricanes were not very happy about being associated with Bowker after that. Bowker resigned a short time later.

It's easy to see Plunket and Bowker have something in common.

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#3425589 16-Oct-2025 20:44

gzt: Businessperson Troy Bowker will fund Sean Plunket's legal costs against the Broadcasting Standards Authority.

The same guy who seemingly helped Jim Grenon with his attempt to takeover NZME.

Fortunately, that failed and Bowker left the board soon after. I suppose he needs to do something to fill his time in these days, I guess.

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#3425611 16-Oct-2025 23:48

In light of this development I have now refined my point of view since my previous post.

The Platform is unquestionably a broadcaster and his attempt to dox the complainant by publishing a letter which it clearly states "not for publication" is just too much.

There is nothing redeeming about The Platform and anyone who associates themselves with this is foolish.

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#3425663 17-Oct-2025 06:09

The Herald's Media Insider column has a piece on this this morning: https://archive.ph/fGiM6

By issuing its “not-for-publication” draft decision – how on Earth it thought it could get away with citing confidentiality to an outspoken commentator involving a matter of huge public interest and importance is baffling – the BSA has opened itself up here to a hornet’s nest with major questions over whether it has the resources to cope, let alone the legislative right.

The BSA now exposes itself to receiving and having to adjudicate complaints about content on Facebook (Meta), YouTube, as well as a range of other social media sites and online-only platforms that produce opinions from across the political spectrum.

The process is now ripe for hijacking by political operatives and others, threatening to swamp an organisation that simply would not have the resources to cope.

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#3425672 17-Oct-2025 08:14

A paragraph above implies opinion posts on Facebook will be censored. That is clearly not the case.

Steven Price's Media Law blog takes a professional look at the situation

- https://www.medialawjournal.co.nz/?p=790
- https://www.medialawjournal.co.nz/?p=782

Tldr; BSA has a logical responsibility under existing law related to professional live broadcasting.to a general audience.

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#3425704 17-Oct-2025 11:54

quickymart:

The BSA now exposes itself to receiving and having to adjudicate complaints about content on Facebook (Meta), YouTube, as well as a range of other social media sites and online-only platforms that produce opinions from across the political spectrum.

This is a red herring because Sean's claim is totally disingenuous, same as most moral calamity proclaimed by the far "conservative" right.

Though the obvious inference here is if The Platform is not a broadcaster, he is not a real journalist.

"Tabloid columnist" comes to mind here.

Its obvious having lost his financial patron he needs a new excuse to drum up some cash. His compatriots over at "Reality" Radio also did this recently.

Its unfortunate because if he was a real independent operator and not a platform for the far "conservative" right I would contribute some money too. But why would I do this to then effectively support the propaganda efforts of Tamaki and McCroskrie?

Its the usual sctick in this arena. Individuals, who having painted themselves into a corner where the usual routes of employment and business (gasp! they may have to deal with someone who is gay) would be a challenge for them, resort to increasingly desperate stunts to keep milking their gullible audience for an income.

Its purely a financial play and anyone with money should be hesitant about getting involved.

High profile people with access to funds are usually smart enough to keep a low profile on the most divisive and controversial issues. So generally the patrons behind these sorts of things are people who aren't well known. In many cases they would have gotten the money through mid-sized non-consumer facing businesses, or property.

However, as soon as they play their hand in public they suddenly have a tangible connection to the s* show. I suggest in most instances this is probably contrary to their interests.

Furthermore, any influence they buy is only good until the present melee dies down. A fringe operator isn't going to alter their stripes for anyone who isn't giving them an active money flow.

Ultimately its my call they are on a hiding to nothing and The Platform will receive an unfavourable verdict from the BSA. On top of this the publishing of the letter, including details of the complainant, will aggravate this.

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gzt

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#3427094 21-Oct-2025 22:00

Media and Communications Minister Paul Goldsmith indicates The Platform should be subject to broadcasting standards as other broadcast media are:

Stuff: Media and Communications Minister Paul Goldsmith said the likes of The Platform, Reality Check Radio, and Herald Now are currently not covered by the Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA), even though some competitors are. "It's not obvious to me why one group of people who are broadcasting in a very similar way should be subject to the BSA and another group shouldn't be," he said.

It's indictive Goldsmith is broadly aligned with some kind of consistent approach. The criteria will be the tricky bit imo.

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