TVNZ bid loss a victory for pointy-heads

The appointment of TV3 as the exclusive free-to-air broadcaster of all major rugby matches for the next three years provides “a clear indication of the sort of priorities we will see under the charter” says Acting National Party Broadcasting Spokesperson Murray McCully.

“As well as requiring TVNZ programming to ‘contribute to a sense of citizenship and national identity’ the charter specifically directs that TVNZ should ‘reflect the role that sporting and other leisure interests play in New Zealand life’.

“The fact that TV3 has successfully concluded a three-year arrangement with Sky to broadcast rugby tests, Super 12, and NPC rugby suggests that TVNZ is unaware of the huge importance of these events to the vast majority of New Zealanders. Just how hard did TVNZ try to win free-to-air rights to these important events?

“Clearly, TVNZ sees the charter as requiring coverage of the sort of pointy-headed high-brow cultural events favoured by certain key members of the current Government rather than the mainstream sporting interests of the majority of New Zealanders,” said Mr McCully.

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