Katherine Rich
National Broadcasting Spokesperson

19 September 2000

TVNZ Charter states the obvious

"The TVNZ Draft Charter released today is so general and obvious that most people could have written it in an hour. Marian Hobbs took 10 months," National's Broadcasting Spokesperson Katherine Rich said today.

"I think viewers and people within the Broadcasting industry will be very disappointed with the Charter's long list of nebulous platitudes.

"It's a woolly collection of well intention truisms such as noting that TV should 'entertain, inform and educate'; it should 'maintain a balance'; it should 'seek to be innovative'. It's hard to argue with those sort of generalised sweet nothings, but it's even harder to use them as the basis for redesigning the future of broadcasting.

"There is very little in the Charter which was not already dealt with in TVNZ's Statement of Corporate Intent. Certainly there is nothing in this Charter which justifies the slashing of TVNZ's value as a result of any deal with Sky.

"Almost all major decisions on the future of public broadcasting have been put on hold awaiting the release of this Charter. It's hard to see how these Forrest Gump style pieces of wisdom will help make those decisions any clearer or easier.

"What should have been the most important document for public broadcasting in recent years has emerged into the light - where it's been revealed as about as relevant as an episode of Ricki Lake.

"A sad and pitiful effort, this Draft Charter will be of little practical use to anyone in broadcasting. Instead of outlining a path ahead, it's merely side-tracking from the real issues," Katherine Rich said.

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