Studio 12 Going national on regional

Going national on regional

Studio 12, the only indepth New Zealand current affairs show, is to screen nationwide on regional channels around the country.

Currently screening on Auckland's Triangle Television, Studio 12 begins tonight on Invercargill's Mercury TV and is booked for primetime around New Zealand from Northland to Bluff.

Regional stations to screen the UNITEC production include: Family Television Network (Northland); Big TV (Hamilton); FTN Network (Waikato); Channel 61 (Taupo); Channel 51 (Hawkes Bay); Mainland Television (Nelson); Channel 9 (Dunedin); and Mercury TV (Invercargill).

The show was booked to screen in Wellington but local channel Wellington TV closed its doors last week.
Studio 12 gathers leading experts together for informed intellectual debate on the hard issues. The eight-part series includes themes with a strong New Zealand focus such as management of Maori assets, sustainable energy resources, and the economic future of the greater Auckland region. It is hosted by experienced broadcaster Rob Neale.

"There is no indepth, quality discussion in the media on these kinds of issues," says Studio 12 executive producer Christine Hanley. "As a society, if we're supposed to be making informed decisions we need access to this kind of information."

Hanley says the series is a fantastic project for the institute of technology's screen arts students, who researched, filmed, and edited the show.

After watching the Studio 12 programme on sustainable energy, Dai Bindoff from New Zealand only eco-city - Waitakere City Council - described the discussion as "at the cutting edge".

The eight episodes of Studio 12 are: Barbarians at the Cybergate - securing yourself online; Tangata Whenua Inc - managing Maori assets; A Tale of Four Cities - Auckland's economic future; Circus or Sanctuary? - the 21st century zoo; Running on Empty - sustainable energy solutions; Country Living Kiwi Style - housing issues for rural Maori; Not Just Another Foreign Aucklander - resettling refugee youth; The Problem With Men - the male health dilemma.

© Scoop Media