Edge go Veg

New Zealand is currently in Survey 2 of the year, which is kind of Survey 1, given Survey 1 was cancelled, even though Survey 1 kind of went ahead. Yes it’s a touch confusing.

But nevertheless Survey is on, which means in a market as fragmented as New Zealand, stations are looking to create market noise.

And The Edge, whilst being criticised heavily at the moment over a Breakfast segment, will be likely to be pleased with being talked about so much mid-survey – particularly over something that went to air months ago.

It started from a regular-ish segment earlier this year on the ‘Jay-Jay, Mike and Dom Breakfast show’ where the hosts asked New Zealand Bachelor contestants to play a game called ‘What’s your Cucumber Number’.

The segment encourages contestants to put cucumbers in their mouths as far as they can, presumably to simulate something not generally discussed on Breakfast Radio.

There was a complaint made to the Broadcast Standards Authority, which was dismissed.

However it has made the news now, across the country, after a columnist on a website called Spinoff wrote about it, and published the audio.

The columnist has certainly lined up The Edge, and Jay-Jay, Mike and Dom and had a red hot crack – and makes some completely valid points.

However by giving the story so much publicity right in the middle of survey, she has probably done The Edge an unintended favour. With the story now being picked up by the NZ Herald and others, The Edge and Mediaworks are likely to be secretly high-fiving over the publicity.

You can hear the audio of the girls from The Bachelor and the Cucumber game below. 

What do you think? Too far? Or fair enough in the Breakfast battleground?