TVNZ 7 programmes may have chance on other channels
Programmes airing on soon-to-be-axed public broadcasting channel TVNZ 7 will have the chance to be picked up by other broadcasters, NZ on Air says.
Programmes airing on soon-to-be-axed public broadcasting channel TVNZ 7 will have the chance to be picked up by other broadcasters, NZ on Air says.
The Government announced last week that funding for the channel would not be extended beyond next year, and TVNZ chief executive Rick Ellis said it would stop broadcasting in June next year.
The station, which costs about $15 million per year to run, plays mostly local content, including Media 7 and Back Benches.
Appearing before a parliamentary commerce committee today, NZ on Air chief executive Jane Wrightson said there was still a chance those programmes would continue.
"It's a shame that the station is to cease now, possibly some of those programmes will cease as well, but maybe not all of them," Ms Wrightson said.
"The mechanism and the model that we run off is to say 'in this environment who wants to broadcast this, what do we need to do to make it happen'. If nobody wants to broadcast it then, you're right, there's a problem.
"They've got as much chance as any other special interest programme."
Labour MP Clare Curran said although the programmes might not have received high ratings they provided a service to New Zealand and their loss would be felt.
Ms Wrightson said the channel's demise would not dramatically affect the amount of local content on New Zealand television.
"It will affect a small number of production companies who are making programming specifically for 7, and it's quite a small number," she said.
"The content of 7, because it was a special interest channel, was on high rotate repeat and the channel, quite properly, took advantage of existing content to give those programmes an extra outing."
NZPA
Thu, 14 Apr 2011
Thu, 14 Apr 2011
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TVNZ 7 programmes may have chance on other channels
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