Fair Go
Encyclopedia
Fair Go is a New Zealand
consumer affairs
television program
now co-hosted by Gordon Harcourt and Alison Mau
. First aired in 1977, it is one of New Zealand's longest-running and highest-rated programmes, frequently placed high in the New Zealand TV Guide list of most viewed programs.
Fair Go features a mixture of investigative journalism
and consumer affairs stories, based on the motto: "If you've been ripped off, short-changed or given the runaround and nobody wants to know...we do!"
Fair Go also holds the annual Fair Go Ad Awards, in which the best and worst advertisements on New Zealand television are announced, and a competition to find the best 30-second video by New Zealand students is held.
The other novel factor in the show was the high personality profile of its presenters and reporters. Other more recent high-profile presenters include Kevin Milne, Kerre Woodham, Carol Hirschfeld, Rosalie Nelson, Liane Clarke, Greg Boyed and Simon Mercep.
When Fair Go began it was shown in two 10-12 week seasons each year. But with the popularity of the show, and the huge number of complaints sent into the programme, it was decided in 1993 to produce one long season which would run for almost for the entire year.
As the show matured, the complaints it dealt with involved higher stakes. Fair Go's biggest cash settlement was for over $350,000. There have been several other settlements involving six figure sums. However, the show will go into battle for as little as one cent (and has), if the issue behind the dispute is an interesting one. Fair Go has always considered entertainment and humour as suitable partners for its more investigative work.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
consumer affairs
Consumer protection
Consumer protection laws designed to ensure fair trade competition and the free flow of truthful information in the marketplace. The laws are designed to prevent businesses that engage in fraud or specified unfair practices from gaining an advantage over competitors and may provide additional...
television program
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
now co-hosted by Gordon Harcourt and Alison Mau
Alison Mau
Alison "Ali" Mau is an Australian-born New Zealand television journalist and presenter. she is employed at Television New Zealand as permanent backup host for the Breakfast programme and co-host of TVNZ show Fair Go.-Career:Mau's first reporting job was for the Warracknabeal Herald in northern...
. First aired in 1977, it is one of New Zealand's longest-running and highest-rated programmes, frequently placed high in the New Zealand TV Guide list of most viewed programs.
Fair Go features a mixture of investigative journalism
Investigative journalism
Investigative journalism is a form of journalism in which reporters deeply investigate a single topic of interest, often involving crime, political corruption, or corporate wrongdoing. An investigative journalist may spend months or years researching and preparing a report. Investigative journalism...
and consumer affairs stories, based on the motto: "If you've been ripped off, short-changed or given the runaround and nobody wants to know...we do!"
Fair Go also holds the annual Fair Go Ad Awards, in which the best and worst advertisements on New Zealand television are announced, and a competition to find the best 30-second video by New Zealand students is held.
Current Reporters
- Ruwani Perera
- Phil Vine
- Hannah Wallis
- Mary-Jane Aggett (Temporary reporter/fill-in)
Previous presenters
- Brian EdwardsBrian EdwardsBrian or Bryan Edwards may refer to:*Brian Edwards , American soccer player*Brian Edwards , New Zealand media personality*Bryan Edwards , English politician...
- Kevin MilneKevin MilneKevin John Milne ONZM is a New Zealand television presenter, best known for hosting the show Fair Go from 1983-2010. He lives in Wellington....
- presenter 1983-2010 - Philip Alpers
- Greg Boyed - Left to present One News' Tonight programme and fill-in presenter
- Simon Mercep - Left to report on _Sunday_, now hosts Radio NZ weekday breakfast news and current events show, _Morning Report_.
- Pete Cronshaw - Left to report on 20/20 and Sunday
- Sandra Kailahi - Has since worked on TVNZ7 News
- Kerre Woodham
- Judith Fyfe
- Hugo Manson
- Carol HirschfeldCarol HirschfeldCarol Hirschfeld is a New Zealand broadcaster. She is best known for her role as a TV3 Newsreader alongside John Campbell from 1998 until 2005.-Career:Hirschfeld started her career after going to journalism school in Auckland...
- Rosalie Nelson
- Liane Clarke
- Leigh Hart - Now has his own TV show Moon TVMoon TVMoon TV is a New Zealand television comedy show. It is produced by Leigh Hart . In 2006 the show received NZD$176,324 in funding from New Zealand On Air for six half-hour episodes, to screen on TV2....
- Corinne Ambler - Now reporting on Close UpClose UpClose Up is a half-hour long New Zealand current affairs programme produced by Television New Zealand. The programme airs at 7.00pm weeknights on TV ONE and is presented by Mark Sainsbury with Paul Henry as the back up supporting host.The show remains the country's most watched night news and...
- Graeme Muir - now producing TVNZ's Business and Breakfast programmes
- Libby Middlebrook
- Jacquie Hudson
- Natalie Crook
- Tanya Spinka - returned to legal career
- Erica Wood
- Eleisha McNeill
History
Fair Go began in 1977, the creation of presenter Brian Edwards and producer Peter Morritt. At the time it was seen as breaking new ground. It would not simply deal with consumer issues, it would investigate complaints from viewers and if those complaints were justified, it would name names. The biggest fear at the time was that the programme would attract huge lawsuits. Lawyers were hired to check every word on the script and the fears turned out to be groundless.The other novel factor in the show was the high personality profile of its presenters and reporters. Other more recent high-profile presenters include Kevin Milne, Kerre Woodham, Carol Hirschfeld, Rosalie Nelson, Liane Clarke, Greg Boyed and Simon Mercep.
When Fair Go began it was shown in two 10-12 week seasons each year. But with the popularity of the show, and the huge number of complaints sent into the programme, it was decided in 1993 to produce one long season which would run for almost for the entire year.
As the show matured, the complaints it dealt with involved higher stakes. Fair Go's biggest cash settlement was for over $350,000. There have been several other settlements involving six figure sums. However, the show will go into battle for as little as one cent (and has), if the issue behind the dispute is an interesting one. Fair Go has always considered entertainment and humour as suitable partners for its more investigative work.