Unchartered TV Waters

The imminent arrival of digital free to air TV in both satellite and terrestrial delivery forms over the next year or so means that it is probably time to take stock of what we have on offer to the viewing public at the moment.
Most people watch either analogue free to air showing a slightly ghosted version of TV 1, 2 and 3 or the clearer digital signal from SkyTV, provided the satellite isn’t having problems or severe weather gets in the signal’s way. Prime can also be picked up on UHF analogue after fiddling around with aerials but like the other free to airs, is also available on Sky’s pay package.
Next year’s arrival of alternative digital delivery of the free to airs will not only improve picture clarity but will offer a wider range of channels to everyone who buys a set top box. The point of this is that we are already in a multi channel world of TV viewing with Sky TV and this will extend to everyone next year.
What this means is that there is already a much wider range of TV watching on offer than just TVNZ’s programs, so it is sensible to look at the Charter and whether it is adding value and at what cost.
Quite a few viewers still seem to cluster around the three main free to air channels, but those less timid can experience way more than the supposedly intelligent watching promised from the Charter.
For example recently Maori TV screened a wonderful program on the annual journey North of an indigenous family whose nomadic lives are completely tied to the reindeer and the seasons in their harsh land. Most of this program was subtitled from whatever dialect they spoke to English, showing a broad canvas of interest from Maori TV that has definite appeal beyond just Maori themselves. Coast on Maori TV is an excellent music program and those who have let their prejudices get in the way of watching this channel are simply narrowing their experience.
If you are looking for something with a bit of bite for the business viewer go no further than Biz China on Sky 93 which shows CCTV9 with English versions of Chinese business programs. The intensity of Chinese business is almost scary at times, but this is the way of the future so have a look. American business channels have been exposed to us for a while and their culture of investment is well known and desperately needed here, but the Chinese have upped the ante.
What I am leading to is the much-vaunted charter. Ever see a short clear explanation of what it promised? Me, neither! Or how much it cost? Or did you see a sign like NZ on Air show, which tells you which programs are Charter programs? Do we even need it anymore when multi channelling on Sky is here and will be joined by multi channelling on digital free to air?
Apparently $50m has been given to TVNZ for the charter but also apparently only $25m has been used and that is hard to identify. We still don’t get to see free to air Aussie programs like SBS, currently run by former TV1 head Sean Brown, but hopefully that will show up next year in the free to air digital mix. Did the Charter bring us more local programs and where they high brow or what ever the Charter wanted? We just don’t know nor do we know where the money went.
TV companies pay around US$70,000 per hour fro license fees and it costs more for much of the local content, but this difference is funded by NZ on Air, so what about the Charter? Who administers it? Is it available to Canwest in the same way that NZ on Air is? Ask around in the industry and the one thing that becomes clear is that nothing is clear about the Charter.
The intentions are no doubt honourable, but is it doing what was wanted, and indeed what was wanted? We have enquiries and audit trails for all sorts of government expenditure and I’m sure that somewhere there is one for the Charter, but I’ve missed it and would like to know more. Is Charter money to be used for the new digital free to air channels? That may well be a very good investment. I’m fairly sure that I’m not the only person interested.
Wayne Brown