Media Statement

Hon Peter Dunne

MP for Ohariu

Leader of UnitedFuture

Friday, 4 May 2012

Dunne: TVNZ ‘repeats’ channel the ultimate insult

TVNZ’s decision to replace TVNZ7 with a “repeats” channel of TV One programmes is the ultimate insult to the intelligence of New Zealand television viewers, UnitedFuture leader Peter Dunne said today.

“TV One represents the worst of television in this country. It is crass, superficial, lowest common denominator rubbish.

“It is too obsessed with its own self-imagined ‘stars’ and the culture surrounding them than to have any credible claim on being a legitimate national broadcaster.

“By contrast, TVNZ7 has always appealed to a higher standard – both in terms of quality and the range of programmes offered.

“To replace TVNZ7 with the rubbish of TV One is a disgusting insult to the hundreds of thousands of regular TVNZ7 viewers,” he said.

Mr Dunne called on TVNZ’s new chairman Wayne Walden to intervene immediately to reverse the decision

“If TVNZ can fund a repeats channel in place of TVNZ7, then at the very least it should be a repeats channel of quality programmes sourced from other channels, in fact very much as TVNZ7 is now,” he said.

Mr Dunne said Mr Walden has a strong reputation from his time as chair of Māori Television.

“I hope he will bring those same qualities to his new role at TVNZ and play an active part in restoring TVNZ as a quality public service broadcaster. Reversing this insulting decision would be a good start.”

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