Fair Go

Fair Go
Created by	Brian Edwards
Presented by	Pippa Wetzell Hadyn Jones
Country of origin	New Zealand
Production
Camera setup	Multi-camera
Running time	30 minutes (with advertisements)
Release
Original network	TVNZ 1
Picture format	PAL 4:3 (1977-2009) 16:9 (2010-present)
Original release	7 April 1977 – present
External links
Website

Fair Go is a New Zealand consumer affairs television programme hosted by Pippa Wetzell and Hadyn Jones. 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.

Current reporters for the show, along with the two hosts, are Hannah Wallis, Garth Bray, Anna Burns-Francis, Melissa Davies and Matt Chisholm.

Fill-in reporters are Pete Cronshaw and Mary-Jane Aggett.

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 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.

Previous presenters and reporters

Awards

In 1997, Fair Go was awarded a Bravo award by the New Zealand Skeptics for "poking a little of their irrepressible fun at alleged psychics providing lucky lotto numbers."^[1]

References