Reality Check Radio

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Reality Check Radio (RCR) is a New Zealand internet radio station owned by right wing activist group Voices for Freedom (VFF). Notable hosts have included former ACT Party leader Rodney Hide, former TVNZ broadcaster Peter Williams and anti-vaccine influencer Chantelle Baker.[1][2] The station has promoted anti-woke, anti-transgender content, COVID-19 vaccine hesistancy, and climate change denial.[2][3] In April 2024, the station went off air due to financial problems, leading to a fundraising campaign led by host Williams.[4]

Content and programming

Notable RCR hosts include former ACT Party leader Rodney Hide, former TVNZ broadcaster Peter Williams, anti-vaccine influencer Chantelle Baker, former Radio New Zealand broadcaster Paul Brennan, VFF activist and local councillor Jaspreet Boparai, former Federated Farmers president Don Nicolson, alternative music content creator Tobias Tahi, knitter Maree Buschke and former Green Party candidate Natalie Cutler-Welsh,[1][2] Notable guests on RCR have included New Zealand First leader Winston Peters, ACT Party leader David Seymour,[5] anti-vaccination activist Dr Matt Shelton,[2] National Party ministers Mark Mitchell and Erica Stanford.[3] Reality Check Radio has promoted anti-woke, anti-transgender content, COVID-19 vaccine hesistancy, and climate change denial.[2]

History

In March 2023, Voices for Freedom launched an online radio station called Reality Check Radio.[1][2] The group's three leaders Deeks, Bland and Libby Jonson each own a 33.33% stake in the company, which was registered as NZ Media Ventures Limited.[6][2]

According to The Spinoff journalist Duncan Greive, Paul Brennan had previously helped establish Sean Plunket's online radio station The Platform while Rodney Hide had served as a guest on The Platform but had parted company after Plunket and Platform co-founder Wayne Wright Jr. shifted the station's focus away from covering COVID-19 vaccination issues.[1] Acoording to Stuff journalist Charlie Mitchell, Reality Check Radio's launch in March 2023 was greeted by animosity from some elements of the "truth and freedom movement." Counterspin Media's founder Kelvyn Alp posted on Telegram "big money behind the push to be mediocre without a real challenge to the establishment." Anti-vaccination activists Liz Gunn and Sue Grey criticised RCR for not covering their court case.[2]

In late February 2024, Reality Check Radio hosted Austrian

Brenton Tarrant, who perpetrated the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings. During the interview, Sellner condemned Islam, assylum seekers and burqas. The RCR host described Sellner as a patriot who wanted to "preserve culture." Following the interview, advocacy group Fight Against Conspiracy Theories (FACT) spokesperson Stephen Judd criticised RCR for platforming extremist views and called on politicians to boycott the station. ACT leader David Seymour disagreed with FACT, saying that he talked to a "wide variety of media outlets, even niche ones like Stuff. Having a range of voices in the media can only be a good thing." He also called FACT a "left-wing lobby group."[3]

In esrly April 2024, The New Zealand Herald reported that Reality Check Radio had gone off air due to financial problems. Hosts Peter Williams and Rodney Hide fronted a 14 minute public relations video calling for donations to the support RCR's operations.[4][7] According to BusinessDesk, RCR had struggled to secure enough donations from listeners, with only one percent of listeners donating.[8] Rival The Platform co-founder Plunket questioned whether the donation was a marketing ploy and derided RCR as "rabbit hole radio," promoting Williams to accuse Plunket of jealousy motivated by competition. On 14 April, Voices for Freedom co-founder Alia Brand denied that the RCR donation drive was a publicity stunt during an interview with TVNZ's Q+A current affairs show.[7]

Notes and references

  1. ^ a b c d Greive, Duncan (7 March 2023). "There's now Voices for Freedom online radio for people who find The Platform too woke". The Spinoff. Archived from the original on 7 March 2023. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Mitchell, Charlie (31 March 2023). "' RIP woke media': An examination of Voices for Freedom's web radio channel". Stuff. Archived from the original on 24 January 2024. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  3. ^ a b c McConnell, Glenn (27 February 2024). "The fringe radio station that chats with ministers and conspiracy theorists alike". Studd. Archived from the original on 26 February 2024. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  4. ^ a b Currie, Shayne (9 April 2024). "Fringe station Reality Check Radio off air – Peter Williams PR video calls for donations". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 10 April 2024. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  5. ^ Mitchell, Charlie (13 May 2023). "David Seymour's interview on Voice for Freedom radio station is fascinating". Stuff. Archived from the original on 20 August 2023. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  6. New Zealand Companies Office
    . Retrieved 20 March 2023.
  7. ^ a b "Fringe radio station says donation drive not a stunt". 1 News. TVNZ. 14 April 2024. Archived from the original on 14 April 2024. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
  8. ^ "Reality Check Radio gets a reality check". BusinessDesk. 9 April 2024. Archived from the original on 9 April 2024. Retrieved 11 April 2024.

External links

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