15 June, 2006
TVNZ welcomes Government commitment to Digital
TVNZ strongly welcomes the Government’s positive response to broadcaster proposals to introduce free-to-air digital
broadcasting, and believes the decision represents a significant milestone in the evolution of New Zealand broadcasting.
TVNZ Chief Executive Officer, Rick Ellis, said the announcement signalled a strong commitment by the Government to
building new national infrastructure, and to develop TVNZ and public broadcasting in the digital era.
The Government announcement, which includes an in principle agreement to provide funding to assist with the
establishment of digital infrastructure, follows proposals from the FreeView Group. The Group is a consortium of TVNZ,
CanWest, Radio New Zealand, Maori Television Service and the New Zealand Racing Board (TAB).
The FreeView Group will develop a shared digital platform to bring digital free-to-air television to New Zealand and to
promote the benefits to viewers of making the change to receiving free-to-air broadcasts by digital rather than the
existing ageing analogue system.
“This is the culmination of hard work over several years by many inside TVNZ and other broadcasters, and the level of
co-operation amongst free-to-air broadcasters has been unprecedented,” said Mr Ellis. “Broadcast Communications Limited
(BCL) will deliver state of the art transmission capability, and the concept has been finalised with a great deal of
constructive dialogue with the Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry for Culture and Heritage.”
TVNZ’s participation in FreeView will deliver digital-quality pictures and audio to the standard viewers enjoy from
DVDs. It will carry TV ONE and TV2, and enable TVNZ to provide new channels and services not currently available.
Households will not have to pay a subscription to receive the programmes from the free-to-air broadcasters, which will
be initially delivered Direct to Home (DTH) via satellite, and then through a national ground transmission network
called Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT). BCL will provide both these transmission systems to broadcasters.
Although there will be no subscription, viewers will need to purchase a small plug-in set-top box to enable their
television set to receive digital signals.
TVNZ’s CEO emphasised that although broadcasters would use FreeView to promote digital broadcasting, to provide viewer
advice and support, and to co-ordinate technical and industry matters, the broadcasters would compete for viewers just
as they do now.
“As New Zealand’s public television broadcaster TVNZ cannot ignore what other broadcasters and new technologies offer.
In fact, we need to lead the way in transitioning off the ageing analogue system and onto a digital system,” said Mr
Ellis.
Mr Ellis explained that FreeView would give TVNZ the opportunity to start new branded services that meet the
expectations New Zealanders rightly have of their public television broadcaster. He said TVNZ was already working on new
programming and channel options.
“This Government announcement is the crucial first step,” said Mr Ellis. “It ensures New Zealand will have a modern
free-to-air digital broadcasting platform.“
ENDS