Attended the launch tonight of TVNZ’s Heartland, its new entirely NZ content channel. Delivered on the Sky platform. Hmmm. TVNZ chief executive Rick Ellis and Sky CEO John Fellett gave polite speeches about the mutual benefits etc but no doubt who is smiling the widest.
You have to acknowledge that it’s tough times and this bit of revenue from Sky may help keep TVNZ stay in the black and perhaps deliver a little more dividend to Dr Coleman. But there is still something fundamentally flawed with our state broadcaster providing a channel to the same compeptitor which TVNZ chairman Sir John Anderson complains about having an increasing dominance. More eyeballs on Heartland/Sky are fewer eyeballs on 1,2, 6 +7.
And this continues to erode Freeview which TVNZ wanted as a digital platform to compete with Sky. Last month’s Budget confirms no funding beyond next year for Freeview, or for channels 6 + 7. It all feels like the same sort of “whoa” moment that happened in the early 90s when TVNZ’s board, supported by Maurice Williamson as Minister - sold its 37 percent stake in Sky. A fundamentally short-sighted decision, driven by another set of short-term needs by a previous National government which had no strategic plan for TVNZ beyond selling it.
The launch of Heartland – which I pick will prove popular for Sky – took place the same days as we marked 50 years since television started in NZ.
I tuned into a bit of TVNZ’s 2-hour programme tonight, which turned out to be a celebrity quiz show. If you want a gruntier doco on 50 years of television – 30 of which was entirely TVNZ and its predecssors – you shall have to wait . And which channel is doing that doco? Sky-owned Prime!
Joe poor can’t watch
Well…you guys chose the rules …1989 Broadcasting act and of course the revamped TVNZ charter…the govt is working with what it’s got and so is TVNZ…even when I was very young I wondered why shows like Playschool were on tv they never taught me anything except for when I entered Primary school that I was late! same with Bumble actually…I still think the theme tune is the worst song ever to be produced in NZ’s history
It will be interesting to see if this new TV channel is worth Sky’s money actually…
I don’t have Sky – I refuse to give money to Murdoch. How is it anything other than a cartel when Sky have a virtual monopoly?
(I do have Freeview so can watch TVNZ6 and TVNZ7 etc)
I only get to watch the news really and that is hard to hear over the noise of the spaceship or hotair balloon or what ever is the cardboard box or kids chairs lined up at that particular time.
Too busy to watch much TV. If I had the money I would pay for broadband before I get sky.
Think I may have to get freeview though eventually as this is going to be the norm eventually?
It does seem strange though that the state broadcaster is in this state. It doesn’t seem good.
9/10 or more of what is on TV is trash. Even the best news programmes have dubious journalism and editing. I’ll stick to Red Alert, thanks, at least its interactive and actually stimulating
I do want freeview.
You learnt nothing from big ted, little ted, manu, gemima and humpty dumpty?
Can’t say I did much but still remembering watching it. It was on twice a day from memory.
Yes red alert is more stimulating.
I’ve opted out of the idiot box for some years now, with the occasional exception of TVNZ 6 & 7. I’m just glad that junk food economics hasn’t invaded those two channels yet, like much of the modern media industry (locally and globally).
I’ve opted out of the idiot box for several years now, with the occasional exception of TVNZ 6 & 7 on demand. Thankfully those channels haven’t yet been invaded by the junk food economics that has dominated modern media (locally and globally).
The sooner TV1 and 2 are sold the better.
“How is it anything other than a cartel when Sky have a virtual monopoly?”
New definition of monopoly there?
Yet again you Labour MPs talk about more funding for this or that – this time more money for TVNZ. It was this sort of mentality from Labour that has put NZ in its current deficit position. Here isa note for the future – there is no such thing as free money – it comes from hard working taxpayers and it needs to be spent carefully and with prudence. TVNZ needs to be able to compete in the reality of the modern world.
Labour paid off MOST of the country’s debt, then National started borring again.
“Labour paid off MOST of the country’s debt, then National started borring again”
No Labour reduced Gross Govt debt from about 35$ to 17% with it anticipated to increase to 27%
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9FQCR4G2.htm
After wasting 15 minutes on TVNZ 50 years celebration and increasing my frustration with the shallowness of the news, Close up, Sundat etc. With Sky we have History, Nat Geo , Animal Planet, ch 97 and if requiring some light entertainment there always is Parliament. This Parliament may get better as we now have a speaker who does want to improve on what went before.
Sounds great, if they make Sky free I’m there!
Nothing’s free Spud.
Dr Smith…brilliant speaker…reminds me of a headmaster who has to keep a class under control for the day
Brendon, why do you always seem to find in necessary to kick TVNZ in the guts instead of their political masters? I’m reluctant to go there, but the fact is that you guys had 9 years to do something about the Sky TV virtual monopoly and to de-couple content from platform and to force unbundling of the SKY packages, but chose to do nothing. I seem to recall Jim Anderton having a policy to force major sports events onto free-to-air, but you guys shut him up. As for the 50 years thing, I understand it attracted a huge audience. I guess your ‘high-brow’ mates would have preferred a gentle wander down memory lane, sans adverts, but that’s not how television works in the competitive environment, that you guys set up by way.
No spud – you are wrong (again) – Labour did not pay off debt and they are very careful on their spin in this respect. Labour got NZ into a positon of $0 net debt – ie the debt levels equalled the asset levels. There is a significant difference. Ie if my house was my only asset and I had equal equity and debt on the house then I would have a nil debt position.
Maybe David can fully exlain the ammount of debt actually paid off and confirm my understanding of this (apologies if I am wrong)
What Cullen and Clark did leave was increasing liabilities such as WFF, Kiwi Rail, Kiwisaver which politically were unsustainable to remove.
Cullen knew Labour were going to lose the election so gleefully spent up everything to make life as difficult as possible for the incoming National Government – Nice touch – real class. Out of spite he made sure this would happen.
Monty from my investigations Debt was 35% in 1999 of GDP with GDP being about $104b thus debt was $37b in 2008 debt 17% on GDP of $180b so debt of $31b So there was little $ debt paid off, but the govt debt levels were maintained. I had to work these nos out by finding govt debt and GDP $ multiply the 2. I am sure I will be pointed in the right direction as to the recorded nos.
The nil net debt also takes into account NZSuperFund.
@Monty – Thanks for the explanation on $0 net debt.
I’m sure Labour fought to the bitter end to win the last election.
Jennifer, at least Labour attempted to encourage TVNZ to think of more than returns with the Charter and its funding.
I do acknowledge that this Government’s abandonmnent of TVNZ being any more than a cash cow is driving programme outcomes; hence TVNZ does the quiz show format to celebrate half a century of our history and somehow misses the opportunity to also do the documentary. So you will need to tune to Sky Prime to watch that, funded by us as taxpayers via NZ on Air, mostly using TVNZ archival material!
As it stands, or falls, TVNZ is doomed. The govt has ensured its demise by its actions. Namely, gifting Murdoch’s SKY, TV6 and 7, Radio NZ and concert, and lastly, our screen heritage in the form of TVNZ Heartland. This is consequence of all previous govts. underfunding our state broadcaster. Ian Johstone, respected elderly broadcaster, foresaw our current predicament over 20 years ago at the removal of the licence fee. The nightmare is now upon us. The only glimmer of hope is Maori TV, which will also be slowly stangled if it becomes too popular. Kia Kaha Kiwi’s. We deserve better than we are getting from NAT/LAB.
As it stand TVNZ is a mix of info-naitment and reality shows, it s crap, the news and current affairs is rubbish. AS is Sky and TV3.
TVNZ is not doomed some imagination is required and some thought given to the core activities of a state funded broadcaster.
State funding should be funneled into an independent news and current affairs channel, this something SKY cant’t do.
It is a key part of our democracy to have an independent active and intelligent state broadcaster leading the debate on the politics and issues of this country.
Beyond this I see the future in local community TV. The new high speed digital platform shod provide the means for this
Otherwise we end up with a democracy for sale…like Italy.
Your fairly naive if you can’t see that.