Hallelujah

Media release - Commerce Committee

Select Committee Presents Report On Television New Zealand Bill

23 April 2002

Committee Chairperson David Cunliffe said “The Commerce Committee has completed its deliberations on the Television New Zealand Bill and presented a report to the House.”

Mr Cunliffe added “The committee was unable to reach agreement on whether the bill should be passed but recommended a number of amendments as summarised below.’

In summary the committee recommend a number of changes to the bill including:

- an amendment so that the Charter must be reviewed at least once every five years

- an amendment to the Charter so that TVNZ will feature programming that contributes to spiritual and ethical development

- an amendment to the Charter to specify that TVNZ is to serve children’s interests better by adding education to the provision for children’s programming and to show both New Zealand and international programmes

- an amendment to the Charter “preamble’ to state that Charter objectives are considered when programming for children

- an amendment to the Charter that specifically notes the obligation of TVNZ to comply with free-to-air codes of broadcasting practice, in particular any code with provisions on violence

- an amendment so that qualitative and quantitative performance measures are required to measure the implementation of the Charter as a whole

- an amendment to remove the right for shareholding Ministers to issue directions to the TVNZG subsidiaries

- an amendment to clause 34 to require a statement of costs to accompany directions given to TVNZG or the TVNZG subsidiaries under section 41G of the Public Finance Act 1989

- a number of minor or technical amendments.

A copy of the report will be replaced on the Office of the Clerk website. www.parliament.govt.nz.

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