21 April 2002

Green MP Sue Kedgley today encouraged parents to turn off their TV's during international TV turn-off week (starting tomorrow) to protest the pitiful amount of programming designed to meet the needs of Kiwi children.

"It is a shameful indictment of free to air television, and in particular public service television, that only two per cent of total programmes scheduled on main free to air networks are aimed at children.

"It is also appalling that just eight per cent of locally produced programmes are for children," she said.

"What is the point of having public service television if it fails to meet the needs of our most vulnerable citizens - our children?"

Ms Kedgley said the highest priority of the new TVNZ charter should be to encourage high quality programmes for children but she was deeply concerned that the charter will do little to improve the situation for children.

"TVNZ Chair Ross Armstrong confirmed during select committee hearings that TVNZ's charter implementation plans are focussed on TV One. This is of no use to our children as there are no children's programmes on this channel," she said.

Ms Kedgley said TV Two targets the 18 - 40 year old audience and has very few programmes for children.

"I am concerned about the amount of time children are spending watching television on the whole, especially when so little of what is available is designed for children and even less represents reality for children in New Zealand."

"I have real concerns about the amount of violence on our television sets every day and I urge parents to turn off their sets this week and spend some quality time with their children," she said.

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