10. Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN (National—Northcote) Link to this
to the Minister of Broadcasting
Does he have confidence in Television New Zealand Ltd (TVNZ); if so, why?
Hon STEVE MAHAREY (Minister of Broadcasting) Link to this
Yes, but I am watching with interest the changes being made by the new chair and the new chief executive that are designed to position TVNZ for the move into the new digital environment.
Dr Jonathan Coleman Link to this
Is the Minister satisfied that TVNZ will be able to launch its new, digital, 24-hour news channel by its target start date, despite the fact that TVNZ recently announced 160 redundancies and plans to slash its news budget by $10 million, and can he tell the House what that exact launch date will be?
Hon STEVE MAHAREY Link to this
Yes, I am confident that TVNZ is on target for its launch. It will be launching, first of all, its home channel—I have to get the exact date for the member, but I think it is around August—and I think the date for the news channel is around October. But I can get those exact dates for him.
Dave HereoraWhat is TVNZ doing to ensure that its business remains healthy, with the increased competition from new technologies?
Hon STEVE MAHAREY Link to this
As we speak, TVNZ is launching TVNZ ondemand, which enables New Zealanders to watch television online. It is part of its 5-year strategic plan, and will deliver both commercial and public returns. TVNZ ondemand will initially feature around 300 videos from about 100 shows appealing to a wide range of tastes. I am sure that the selection covers the tastes of members in the House, and that they will be eager to go off and watch the programmes. Included are programmes such as Fair Go,,,,, and .
Dr Jonathan Coleman Link to this
How many households will be receiving the new FreeView digital TV service when it launches in May, and if the Minister cannot give the House a number, how can he possibly justify the $104 million of public money he is spending on digital television?
Hon STEVE MAHAREY Link to this
I find the question extraordinary, because it indicates that perhaps the National Party does not want to see free-to-air television move from what is a redundant technology—analog—to a digital one. But, of course, if the member also followed through the logic of his question, he would know that the industry is the one to ask that question of. The FreeView platform, which runs it, and all of the free-to-air broadcasters have the obligation to provide a good-quality service technically, and to provide content that will attract people to see the service. On the kick-off date I doubt there will be very many people watching, but all of these services start that way, then hope to lift their audiences, and I imagine the same thing will happen here.
Dr Jonathan Coleman Link to this
When the Minister says it is a question for the industry, does that mean he is expecting the taxpayer to stump up the money for digital TV but he is interested only in taking the credit, and not in taking responsibility for ensuring that the $104 million being spent on digital TV actually delivers value for money?
Hon STEVE MAHAREY Link to this
This Government is very pleased to take credit for putting in an extraordinarily small amount of money—$25 million over 5 years. The member should go across the Tasman and have at look at what the Australians have paid, and have a look at what small countries like Finland have paid. The sum of $25 million is extraordinarily small to do what has to be done. The member’s questions are always prefaced by comments that imply that the National Party would like to see this country with some kind of dinosaur technology from the last century, rather than see it migrate into the digital age. If that is what the National Party wants, well, it goes with its dinosaur status as it is.
Dr Jonathan Coleman Link to this
Why is TVNZ engaging merchant bankers to purchase CanWest’s radio assets at the same time as TVNZ advertising revenues are in decline, Television One news viewing figures are dropping, the overall budget is being cut by $30 million, and 160 staff are being sacked; and is the Minister pleased with that?
Hon STEVE MAHAREY Link to this
TVNZ requested information for it to be able to evaluate whether it was a good idea to take up the option of CanWest’s sale offer. That was consistent with responsible business practice. I personally think that TVNZ came to the right decision when it decided not to go ahead with the offer.