"Under the Charter we will be driven by content considerations, where creative and cultural objectives are as highly valued as commercial ones." Ian Fraser - CEO TVNZ
A new era in New Zealand broadcasting has been ushered in this week as TVNZ begins to give effect to its Charter."Under the Charter we will be driven by content considerations, where creative and cultural objectives are as highly valued as commercial ones." Ian Fraser - CEO TVNZ
A new era in New Zealand broadcasting has been ushered in this week as TVNZ begins to give effect to its Charter.For the past 14 years, TVNZ has operated as a State Owned Enterprise with a purely commercial focus. The TVNZ Bill, which was passed into law yesterday, splits the existing TVNZ Group into a television company (TVNZ) and a new transmission company (Transmission Holdings Limited) from 1st July 2003. The legislation requires TVNZ to balance its commercial performance with a set of public broadcasting objectives, set out in the Charter.
Chief Executive Ian Fraser says that this is an exhilarating moment for TVNZ. "It's an opportunity for us to prove that we can reflect New Zealand to New Zealanders even better than we've been doing - that we can offer a richer and more diverse view of our world and grow the business at the same time."
"The Charter reinforces the fact that TVNZ is 'The New Zealander'. We are the only television company owned by New Zealanders and so we are uniquely placed to provide the programmes, the information and entertainment that promote a deeper, shared sense of what it means to be a New Zealander.
"We're not starting from the ground up. We're taking an established vehicle and infusing it with fresh ideas and energy. What will become apparent over time is that this really is new generation New Zealand television that we are introducing, within the framework of the TVNZ Charter.
Mr Fraser says that TVNZ is, in some respects, a singular sort of public broadcaster. On the one hand, TVNZ's new mandate is to give effect to the Charter. But it is also charged to maintain commercial performance. This means that TVNZ cannot operate as a "pure" public broadcaster, fully funded from the public purse, but will need to continue to demonstrate a strong ratings performance over its whole schedule.
"What will change is the balance," Mr Fraser said. "Under the Charter we will be driven by content considerations, where creative and cultural objectives are as highly valued as commercial ones. This does not mean 'worthy but dull'. Nor does it mean we are becoming elitist. We are constructing a home place for more New Zealanders, not an ivory tower for a few of them.
"But the Charter encourages us to invest in talent and imagination, to take creative risks and to provide a more diverse menu, particularly in prime time when most people are watching television. We believe we can do all of that without taking the sort of doctrinaire approach that could weaken a sound business.
"It's worth making the point that the Charter is not a licence to bore our viewers. If we do our job well (and we will!), we expect that our viewers will have difficulty identifying what is, or is not, a Charter programme. Put simply, the Charter becomes the blueprint from which all programming decisions are made from now on.
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The TVNZ Charter was formally implemented on 1 March 2003. The Charter shall apply to all those parts of TVNZ's operations that contribute to its broadcast content. It shall be predominantly fulfilled through free-to-air broadcasting.
TVNZ shall:
feature programming across all genres that informs, entertains and educates New Zealand audiences;
strive always to set and maintain the highest standards of programme quality and editorial integrity;
provide shared experiences that contribute to a sense of citizenship and national identity
ensure in its programmes and programme planning the participation of Maori and the presence of a significant Maori voice;
feature programming that serves the varied interests and informational needs and age groups within New Zealand society, including tastes and interests not generally catered for by other national television broadcasters
maintain a balance between programmes of general appeal and programmes of interest to smaller audiences
seek to extend the range of ideas and experiences available to New Zealanders
play a leading role in New Zealand television by setting standards of programme quality and encouraging creative risk-taking and experiment
play a leading role in New Zealand television by complying with free-to-air codes of broadcasting practise, in particular any code with provisions on violence;
support and promote the talents and creative resources of New Zealanders and of the independent New Zealand film and television industry
In fulfilment of these objectives, TVNZ will:
- provide independent, comprehensive, impartial, and in-depth coverage and analysis of news and current affairs in New Zealand and throughout the world and of the activities of public and private institutions;
- feature programming that contributes towards intellectual, scientific and cultural development, promotes informed and many-sided debate and stimulates critical thought, thereby enhancing opportunities for citizens to participate in community, national and international life;
- in its programming enable all New Zealanders to have access to material that promotes Maori language and culture;
- feature programmes that reflect the regions to the nation as a whole;
- promote understanding of the diversity of cultures making up the New Zealand population;
feature New Zealand films, drama, comedy and documentary programmes;
- feature programmes about New Zealand's history and heritage, and natural environment;
feature programmes that serve the interests and informational needs of Maori audiences, including programmes promoting the Maori language and programmes addressing Maori history, culture and current issues;
- include in programming intended for a mass audience material that deals with minority interests;
- feature New Zealand and international programmes that provide for the informational, entertainment and educational needs of children and young people and allow for the participation of children and young people;
- maintain and observe a code of ethics that addresses the level and nature of advertising to which children are exposed;
- feature programmes that encourage and support the arts, including programmes featuring New Zealand and international artists and arts companies;
- reflect the role that sporting and other leisure interests play in New Zealand life and culture and;
- and feature programming of an educational nature that support learning and the personal development of New Zealanders.