PESETA SAM LOTU-IIGA (National—Maungakiekie)
: I rise to support the Television New Zealand Amendment Bill. Unlike the previous speaker, I will be speaking to the bill and the specific clauses within it. As the Minister of Broadcasting has already noted earlier this evening, the bill amends the Television New Zealand Act 2003. It does three things. Firstly, it replaces the Television New Zealand (TVNZ) charter with more generic statutory requirements; secondly, it amends the prohibition on ministerial direction to TVNZ to cover the multiple platforms, including websites, that TVNZ currently operates on; and, thirdly, it enables the screening of pre-1989 TVNZ archived works, which previous speakers have referred to.
The Government aims to replace the TVNZ charter with a brief and less prescriptive statement of functions, which enables TVNZ to determine its own priorities against a general set of functions. The Minister has already noted that it specifies that TVNZ is to provide content for a range of media. It does so now, and it will continue to do so into the future. The other purpose of the bill is to allow for the rescreening of television programmes produced before the establishment of the Broadcasting Commission, or New Zealand On Air, in 1989. These works, which are held in the archive, are not currently able to be shown in their entirety because, with the passage of time, some rights-holders cannot be located or tracked down. It is in the public interest that these programmes be seen again, as part of New Zealand’s screen heritage.
Clause 6 repeals section 12 of the Act and substitutes new section 12, which states, in subsection (1): “The functions of TVNZ are to be a successful national television and digital media company providing a range of content and services on a choice of delivery platforms and”—I emphasise this—“maintaining its commercial performance.” In carrying out these functions, TVNZ of course must provide high-quality content that is relevant to, and enjoyed by, all New Zealanders. It should also encompass both New Zealand and international content, and reflect our unique Māori heritage and history. So TVNZ’s services must include the provision of channels that are free of charge and available to audiences across this nation.
In terms of archived works, the bill sets out a mechanism and the circumstances in which TVNZ may screen pre-1989 archived works without having to negotiate individually with those who were interested in these works. It provides for TVNZ to grant the Māori Television Service the right to screen such archived works, and for TVNZ to enter into negotiations with New Zealand On Air and screen archived works. Works screened under this section, of course, must be screened free of charge. If an archived work is screened in a way other than free of charge, TVNZ would be obliged to provide for the normal legal rights and privileges of the interested persons, which we referred to.
The bill provides for the establishment of a TVNZ Archived Works Fund for the purpose of making payment to those who register their interest in archived works that are to be later screened. As the Minister has already noted, this is about honouring our election promise to replace the current TVNZ charter with a less prescriptive list of functions and to leave TVNZ free to determine its own priorities within its desired goals and outcomes.
TVNZ and its predecessor effectively operated as a publicly owned broadcaster without a charter. It has largely fulfilled this public broadcasting function through access to New Zealand On Air funding, and Mr Burns has kindly reminded us of that. But the problem with the charter money was that often it ended up funding programmes
and services for which it was not intended. There is no doubt that it ended up subsidising other types of commercial operations.
The repeal of the charter frees TVNZ from an unworkable dual mandate, and leaves it to set high-level statutory functions in order for it to be a competitive multimedia company. With this new high-level function and its own strategic direction, it will retain its vital role as a willing broadcaster of local content, which is contrary to Mr Burns’ view, of course. This role is essential to the contestable funding model that, in order to succeed, needs broadcasters who are willing to commission and screen New Zealand content.
The previous speaker referred to the Platinum Television Fund. We as a Government have shown our support for the contestable model by making the funding formerly ring-fenced for TVNZ’s charter commitments available as a contestable fund, through New Zealand On Air of course. This amount is not insignificant, at $15.1 million per year. It is for projects to screen on any of New Zealand’s six free-to-air national broadcasters, with preference for prime-time viewing programmes.
I note, in case Mr Burns has forgotten, that successful applications in the first funding round included funding for historical documentaries to be screened on Television One and for
Q+A, which, no doubt, Mr Burns watches religiously every Sunday morning. Subsequently, funding has been approved for two dramas, a documentary, and a special-interest programme to be broadcast across a number of channels, including our very own Television One.
At this point I should note that the charter also contains clauses relating to Māori audiences and content. It states that TVNZ will, in its programming, enable all New Zealanders to have access to material that promotes Māori language and culture, and it should feature programmes that serve the interests and information needs of Māori audiences, including programmes promoting Māori language, history, culture, and current events. The bill expects TVNZ to provide content reflecting these unique Māori perspectives.
As the Minister has already pointed out, this bill is to be commended to the House, and I look forward to discussing its specific clauses at the Commerce Committee. Thank you.
