TVNZ Restructuring is Only the Beginning

Tuesday, October 2 2001 Penny Webster Press Releases -- Broadcasting

TVNZ's major restructuring announced today is further worrying evidence of the disastrous impact this Government's meddling is starting to have on the state broadcaster, ACT Broadcasting Spokesman Penny Webster said today.

"This reorganisation looks like a sensible approach by TVNZ to the difficulties it is having coping with falling advertising revenue and with expectations of what will be required under the Government's charter.

"But everybody needs to be concerned by the statement from the Chief Executive that despite identifying $15 million of new revenue and cost saving initiatives ' this is not enough to ensure continued financial health of the television business.

"Surely a time of depressed advertising revenues is the very time a television operator needs to be making programmes more attractive to advertisers.

"Instead, our state broadcaster, through the looming charter, will be strait-jacketed by a Government fixated on turning TVNZ into a paradise for the politically correct and hell for the advertisers.

"If this level of reorganisation is already needed, then what will happen once the charter bites? Will taxpayers about to be bitten by a Government bail out of Air New Zealand have to come to the party again?

"The Government needs to take receive the clear signals TVNZ is giving it and reconsider the charter ' otherwise the trouble is just beginning," Penny Webster said.

For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at act@parliament.govt.nz.

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