06 September 2008
Details fuzzy for new TV channel
28 February 2008
By Sally Conor & Katie Small
Despite the gloss of a corporate launch, organisers of TVNZ 7 seemed unsure how much of the new digital channel’s content will be fresh, how much will be local and even how secure the channel’s future is.
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The Government has pledged $80 million over five years for the launch and development of TVNZ 7.
But at Thursday’s media launch TVNZ general manager of digital services, Eric Kearley, was reluctant to speculate on the future of the state-owned broadcaster’s digital network should National be elected this year.
When contacted by Te Waha Nui, National’s broadcasting spokesperson, Dr Jonathan Coleman, was also unable to say if further funding would be allocated under a National government because the party’s broadcasting policy had not been finalised.
At Thursday’s presentation, Kearley was enthusiastic about the new channel, saying the introductory DVD gives him goose bumps “no matter how many times I see it”.
“We’re inviting New Zealanders to tell their stories and we’re giving them a voice.”
Kearley says the channel aims to reach the “hearts and minds” of New Zealanders and is not necessarily concerned with viewing figures.
The channel is broadcast on the Freeview platform which reached 80,000 households in New Zealand at the end of last year, five per cent of the total market.
Professional installation of Freeview costs $500 to $600, according to local companies.
One of the stated objectives of the new channel is to encourage households to switch from analogue to digital television services and it is hoped two brand new Kiwi programmes will help viewers to make the change.
Self-confessed “mediaphile” Russell Brown will host Media 7, a show discussing media coverage of current events. Brown says the show has editorial independence and “where necessary we will be critical of TVNZ itself”.
Former radio host Wallace Chapman will host a weekly political review show called Back Benches, which aims to make politics accessible through a balance of serious commentary and light humour.
But the new channel’s programmer, Julie Jensen, was vague about the overall quantity of unique local content that will be broadcast on TVNZ 7.
Analysis of the schedule for the new channel showed that the bulk of the programming is made up of reruns of TV1 and TV2 programmes, previously screened broadcasts and international shows.
