NZ Local Programme Targets Met

NZ Local Programme Targets Met

New Zealand television channels have worked hard to reach their self-imposed targets for local programme content, according to NZ On Air’s latest annual Local Content Report.

The report, covering the 2005 year, shows that the overall results for all channels were very close to the targets and in three out of four cases were slightly exceeded.

However, at first glance the amount of local content appears to have dropped, but this is an illusion, said outgoing Chair of the Local Content Group, Rick Ellis.

“For the first time Prime’s local programmes have been included in the Local Content Report, which impacts on the overall content figures,” he said.

“Essentially there was more local television content in 2005 with the addition of Prime’s 603 hours,” said Mr Ellis. “So although there’s been a slight increase in overall local content hours there’s a reduction in the proportion of local content.”

Mr Ellis said the report showed that the main variations in 2005 programming include a greater number of documentaries (an increase of 122 hours across all channels), entertainment programming up by 162 hours across the channels, and news and current affairs up 395 hours.

“This latter figure is largely the result of including Prime in the study, which added 305 hours of news and current affairs to the 2005 total,” said Mr Ellis. “So in fact what we’re seeing is a substantial increase in prime-time local content.”

For 2005, the Television Local Content Group committed to the following local content baselines for transmission between the hours of 6am and midnight:
• TV One 55%
• TV2 23%
• TV3 20%
• Prime TV 5.5%

The results for all channels were:
• TV One screened 54% local content
• TV2 screened 23.1%
• TV3 screened 21%
• Prime TV screened 8.7%

Targets are self-imposed by The Television Local Content Group, which was formed in 2003 to establish and monitor appropriate targets for local content. The Group comprises TVNZ, TV3, Prime Television and representatives of SPADA (the Screen Production and Development Association) and NZ On Air. Part way through 2005 the Maori Television Service joined the group.

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