Posts by Myles Thomas
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Hard News: Moving on, in reply to Russell Brown,
The advantage of turning TVNZ back into a public service broadcaster is that TVOne and 2 already have an audience. Building audiences takes a long, long time and TVOne is still to some degree the natural audience for public service tv. TVNZ 7 was closed because of the lack of audience which turned out to be miscalculated. That TVNZ incorrectly reported to the Minister a crucial 'appreciation' figure didn't help. Ooops don't get me started, but the TVNZ 7 experience shows how hard and expensive and vulnerable a new channel is.
Making part of TVNZ non-commercial (TVOne or a new digital channel) would be a culture clash but that could be resolved with changes to the Board and Senior Management. Clear away some of the marketers running the show down there and bring producers back to decision making roles. The staff at TVNZ as you note, are mostly keen as mustard to make public service telly. The inevitable tension between commercial and non-commercial imperatives just needs close management by bosses who are clear that their new mandate is to serve the audience first and foremost.
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Hard News: Moving on, in reply to Damian Christie,
There is a sustainable way of funding public service broadcasting and media - a levy on commercial broadcasters and ISP revenue. It costs the government nothing, isn't prey to changes in government broadcasting policy, can be administered by a fully independent agency (NZOA seems the obvious option but it could be even more independant of government if preferred), and would provide perhaps $60m from just a 1% levy.
The levy idea is not new. Different types of levies work well in France, Spain, Ireland, Estonia and Australia. In the UK Channel 4 was established with a levy on the ITV network.
The big stumbling block is the ISPs and broadcasters. My rationale for charging them a levy is that broadcasting and online media plays a special cultural role in society. Sure, it’s a commodity but it’s much more than that. New Zealand's culture(s) and our national pride is strongly affected by our media. The radio spectrum is a public space, as is the online world, just like a street or park. The media who have been given the right or sold the frequency to make money within that space have an obligation to the rest of the users - ie. the New Zealand public.
They’ll ask “why should the mainstream audiences pay for these high-brow public service media which they won’t use?”
As mentioned upthread, public service media isn’t just worthy documentaries and current affairs for old people. The BBC demonstrates how gameshows, reality TV and entertainment can fit within a public broadcasting schedule. Does anyone remember 'Eat Carpet' on SBS?
Our perception of public service is based on the NZ reality where droves of commercial media are already catering to the 18-45 reality TV, light entertainment and easy-news markets – it’s sensible for RNZ (and TVNZ 7 when it existed) to fill the genre gaps.
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Hard News: Moving on, in reply to Craig Ranapia,
In this case the monkey is part of the problem (though don’t worry, the organ grinder gets it from me also).
What I was getting at is that NZOA missed an opportunity to support existing platforms when they had the chance. Stratos/Triangle submitted several applications for funding, one at least I know of from a highly respected mainstream producer, but were repeatedly knocked back because they could not guarantee viewers. I totally understand the rationale to get better ‘bang for buck’ but in the process they lost depth.
If NZOA had read the situation, seen that TVNZ was becoming fully-commercialised, TV3 was under enormous financial pressure, and informative programmes would one-by-one disappear from the schedules, they might have thought “we need to fund programmes for this fledgling channel (Stratos) so that when shit get’s really tight, we can see more of New Zealand on air”. They missed that chance because of a policy decision, not a statutory requirement.
In fact the Act repeatedly emphasises diversity of programming (even singling out documentaries to receive funding) and mentions size of audience only as a matter to be taken into account, not a core function or aim. And when I look at the act again (blinking in astonishment) section 36 (1) (e) says funds can be made available for ‘broadcasting’ separate from production of programmes. I’m no lawyer but perhaps NZOA does have the power to fund the establishment of a new channel if they see fit. (How much were TVNZ wanting to keep 7 alive? $16m?)
I’m not saying NZOA should go out and buy transmission equipment. But they could fund more, better budgeted programmes for the regional channels and any other channels willing to screen funny little shows like Media7 and Back Benches. Of course there’s then the issue of funding shows that only some of NZ can watch. It’s certainly complex but they really missed their chance with Stratos.
The other point I would make about NZOA is that when Cabinet was deciding how to spend the newly released Charter Funds, the possibility of using it to continue TVNZ 7 was mooted. I’ve been told that NZOA pitched strongly to take it for their Platinum Fund and that was the end of that.
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Hard News: Moving on, in reply to Damian Christie,
yep, there's plenty of ways to make it happen. It all comes back to the Minister of Broadcasting. And whoever the future Minister of Broadcasting is. Now is definitely a good time to be raising this issue within Labour.
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Hard News: Moving on, in reply to Damian Christie,
True. But if NZ on Air really want to find more of this type of programme, perhaps they need to invest in an outlet also.
It's a shame NZOA missed the chance to foster existing outlets such as Stratos/Triangle. And they continue to give a pittance to regional broadcasters. When you look at the standards on these channels, yes it's poor and very off-putting but with a little professional development these channels could take off, or could have.
It's also a shame the Cabinet in 2011 were convinced to sink the Charter money into NZOA's Platinum Fund instead of TVNZ 7. The Platinum Fund is funding what NZOA should be funding from the main pot. With the Platinum Fund taking care of the high-brow niche that main pot is being used increasingly to fund commercial telly.
Meanwhile the channels are disappearing and NZOA wring their hands saying "there's nothing we can do". Not true. If NZOA genuinely want to see the parts of NZ that don't rate on air they need to re-evaluate their funding policies and swiftly.
Of course hindsight is a great thing but it's pretty clear where everything is headed. Expect children's TV (which doesn't rate) to be the next to go.
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It just shows why TVNZ 7 was so important. I wonder which show had the most viewers, Media 7 or Media 3?
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Funding and where to screen it? Couldn't NZ on Air fund an online version?
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Could it be that Jones is the more right-wing of the three hence he is the preference for the National Party and for Guyon and Duncan (Guncan anybody?)
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Up Front: The Missing Stair and the…, in reply to Danielle,
I know what you mean. Though I live and work and breathe the rarified air of Grey Lynn we often meet munters. I recognise them because have a touch of the munter to me.
You have to be true to your view. Firmly, politely and, if possible, humourously let them know they're absolutely wrong.
We had a family reunion of my wife's brothers recently and the first thing they talked about was the Pakeha Party and "why shouldn't we have a....blah blah"
I replied by saying they were a bunch of hillbillies and sang the duelling banjos. They stopped that shit and I got down to telling them about my new job at Maori TV. It helped that I didn't care what they thought and had no anger or failed expectations.
These people thought they could get away with their stupidity because they are isolated from any other view. That changed quickly enough when they realised it wasn't cool.
Assertiveness and confidence in your beliefs are critical. You have the right to your opinion and every reasonable person will respect you for stating your views, though they may disagree.
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You're right, Campbell is on fire with this. Tonight's show starts with a replay of the PM's petulant response to fob off Amanda Wright - but look at Paddy Gower giggling away in the background. Does he look to you to be in awe of the PM? Am I just reading into this my own apprehensions about this reporter.