TVNZ shamefully bans Slingshot advertising

Media Release

5 August, 2014

TVNZ shamefully bans Slingshot advertising

TVNZ has joined SKY TV in banning Slingshot’s latest TV ads, which briefly feature the ISP’s Global Mode service.

Global Mode allows Kiwis to access Netflix, Hulu, and other streaming video services, and choose to pay for content rather than to pirate shows, which many Kiwis are resorting to today.

Slingshot GM Taryn Hamilton says TVNZ informed the ISP today that it wouldn’t run the ads.

“This is anti-competitive, undue censorship, and an example of old-school thinking,” he says.

“SKY and TVNZ need to wake up and smell the internet. People are accessing content from around the globe – Global Mode or not.

“Having a company like Sky try to stop the message that Kiwis don’t have to tolerate such poor and expensive content options is one thing. But a state owned broadcaster doing the same is absolutely outrageous.

“We don’t think the NZ public will tolerate this. We are calling on the Broadcasting Minister to interject and direct the TVNZ board and management to pull their heads in.

“The management of TVNZ and Sky would be better served pushing back on their suppliers and demanding that they can have a better, more affordable catalogue of content so that Kiwis don’t continue to get a raw deal.”

Concerned Kiwis can email Broadcasting Minister Craig Foss at c.foss@ministers.govt.nz

TVNZ CEO Kevin Kenrick’s email address is kevin.kenrick@tvnz.co.nz

ENDS

© Scoop Media