More to Spend on Broadcasting

19 May 2005

Media Release

More to Spend on Broadcasting

Funding announcements made in today’s Budget 2005 have been met with delight from broadcasting funding agency, NZ On Air.

“Just over $5 million will be added our television, radio and broadcast archiving budgets to enable us to maintain the services we currently fund, and in some cases to make some enhancements,” said NZ On Air Chief Executive Jo Tyndall.

The funding boost comes just two weeks after announcements of additional funding for New Zealand music promotion, non-commercial community radio and regional television, which were also confirmed today.

“It’s a very welcome relief, particularly in the television area, where pressure has been increasing on production budgets in recent years,” Ms Tyndall said.

“Again this year, our television local content survey has very clearly indicated where public funding is adding value, and this funding boost will help us to protect and support a variety of television genres, especially those more at-risk genres like drama, comedy and children’s programming,”

A portion of the funding increase announced last night for NZ On Air has also been earmarked for archiving, and to help Radio New Zealand cement and enhance recent programming initiatives.

“Ensuring archives of today’s broadcasts are kept for future generations is an important part of our work,” Ms Tyndall said.

“The archiving symposium we convened at the end of 2004 gave us a steer on the directions we should be looking at, and the extra funding will help us develop plans to move forward.

“And additional funding for Radio New Zealand will enable them to consolidate some of the programme enhancements they have made in the last few years, and look ahead with some certainty.

“They might even be in a position to give those Morning Report birds a pay rise… they seem to have been angling for one for a couple of weeks.”

Ends

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