Katherine Rich National Broadcasting Spokesperson

31 October 2001

TVNZ forced to cadge a ride with Sky

Television New Zealand's TV1 and TV2 being broadcast on Sky from December was inevitable given the deteriorated financial state of the company, during Marian Hobbs' reign as Broadcasting Minister, National's Broadcasting spokesperson Katherine Rich said today.

"Marian Hobbs and TVNZ can try to put a positive spin on the channels going onto Sky but the reality is that TVNZ's poor financial state and prognosis made it clear the company had no other option.

"This was inevitable for TVNZ after it lost its battle to get support for its own strategy.

"While Marian Hobbs deludes herself that TVNZ's digital strategy remained intact despite the breakdown of the Telstra Saturn deal, what was presented today is a pale shadow of TVNZ's earlier plans.

"Sky has won the digital battle. TVNZ meanwhile is entering a new era where it is no longer a broadcaster but just another content provider on the digital platform and just another option on Sky's remote," Katherine Rich.

Ends

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>