Coalition for Better Broadcasting Endorses Face TV Mostly

Coalition for Better Broadcasting Endorses Face TV Mostly.

The Coalition for Better Broadcasting is pleased to see the transition of Triangle TV to Face TV. “Triangle currently provides a very important source of public service TV to all Aucklanders but found itself in an impossible position due to lack of support from NZ on Air and Kordia which could be described as negligent,” says Myles Thomas of the CBB. “This government and its agencies have left public television to die while commercial operator SKY TV have recognised that public service television has value and a strong audience. The closure of TVNZ 6 & 7 showed how many people would rally for the cause and figures that came to light later showed that a third of all Kiwis were watching the channels.

“Triangle’s change to become Face TV means the channel will survive but it also means that Aucklanders without SKY are losing something very special – a regional TV channel. It is surprising that a city the size of Auckland will no longer have it’s own TV channel while smaller regions have one or two, and around the world regional TV is expanding as digital advances allow for greater niche TV. The CBB applauds Jim Blackman for keeping the hope alive and looks forward to the day his channel is free-to-air again.

“Also we have heard an accusation that the non-commercial frequency set aside for public service programming which Triangle could expect to use was sold by Kordia to a commercial operator broadcasting propaganda from a foreign government. This requires further investigation and could be yet another scandal to embroil this anti-television government.”

Although some commentators have said NZ is too small for publicly funded public service television, the CBB would like to point them towards Ireland, Finland and Norway – population just over 4 million with healthy and popular public service television channels, much like NZ used to have. In the future NZ could have successful public service TV, like our successful public service radio station RNZ, if the government and its agencies recognise their responsibility to maintain a balance of programming on NZ TV.

ENDS

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