From the Archives: Five Decades (1970s) - Brian Edwards

Television (Excerpts) – 2010

Marking New Zealand television’s 50th birthday, this TVNZ Heartland series looked back at the medium's history, decade by decade. Each episode featured an interview with a prominent TV figure from the era. In this excerpt from the 1970s survey, host Andrew Shaw interviews broadcaster Brian Edwards, who reflects on changes in TV political interviewing from veneration to confrontation, and the impact of Muldoon; his key role in brokering a Post Office dispute, live on screen; and the birth of consumer affairs show Fair Go, and why it has lasted so long.

They expected to be treated with great respect [as they were in The House] and not be put on the spot in any way.
– Brian Edwards on TV-naive politicians in the early 1970s