| A mixture between the Radio Times, the Economist and and the New York Times Magazine?
The Listener is a curious beast: it is an extensive tv and radio guide, observer of kiwi culture, political magazine and satirical commentator. It is published weekly on every monday and has a current circulation of 73.404 and estimated readership of 350.000. That's about a tenth of the current New Zealand population, but certainly a better educated one: the Listener is no TV Guide: this a magazine for people with an academic background, interested in current kiwi affairs, which happens to have television listings at the back. You won't find any gossip on dumb soaps or pictures of tasteless houses in here: more likely you'll be able to read a 3 page deconstruction of the national party's Maori politics.
The politic leaning of the Listener is happily left of centre, but its editorials are never brown nosed pro Labour but always ready to tell it like it is. The computer - section by Russel Brown is anti - Microsoft and pro Apple and Linux and always keeps tabs on the latest Slashdot gossip. Cooking and drinks are sumptious and well written, and there's a weekly short story featuring NZ's hottest new writers.
Founded in 1939, the Listener is today one of the few magazines worth reading in NZ, maybe apart from North & South.
Currenly under the editorial control of Pamela Stirling, it's a good read. | 
