Charter Funding Blows Out 'Willy Nilly'

ACT New Zealand Finance Spokesman Rodney Hide today said that TVNZ's annual report released yesterday showed taxpayers just what the Government had bought with $12 million of Charter Funding.

"Not much is the answer - despite the lofty promises of Broadcasting Minister Steve Maharey," Mr Hide said.

"The Minister waxed lyrical in Parliament that, `The Charter has been developed in the context of cultural recovery. It is informed by our confidence in our cultural distinction'. He told the news media that, `the extra money was intended specifically for new programmes and initiatives that were needed to meet the charter obligations'.

"And what have we got? Well, $2,250,000 has gone to `Mercy Peak'. That's great drama. But `Mercy Peak' is a pre-Charter Show. So too is the only Maori programme to receive Charter funding, `Matuku'.

"'BBC World' received $709,050 of Charter funding. This from a government that wants to run a mile from anything British and seeking `cultural distinction'.

"'Willy Nilly' received $850,228, `Big Night In', $681,021 and `Spin Doctors' $525,227. Both `Willy Nilly' and `Spin Doctors' are pre-Charter, so we can't blame the Charter for them.

"The only sports coverage to receive Charter Funding were hockey and basketball totalling $463,400.

"There is neither rhyme nor reason to this funding. Despite all the hype, it looks like just an extra $12 million funding to TVNZ.

"But at least we know what $12 million of Maharey's `cultural recovery' has bought us - `BBC World', `Willy Nilly' and `Big Night In'.

"We can also see that TVNZ spent $5,514 of Charter Funding on Prime Minister Helen Clark's media adviser Dr Brian Edwards' show `Edwards at Large'. That's despite TVNZ's Tony Holden writing to NZ on Air seeking funding for `Edwards at Large' on 3 April declaring, `TVNZ will not be applying Charter Funding to the project in view of Dr Edwards' well-known association with the Prime Minister'. So much for that assurance," Mr Hide said.

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