$5m funding to bring more New Zealand stories to our screens

20 August, 2013

$5m funding to bring more New Zealand stories to our screens

NZ On Air has shown its ongoing commitment to telling New Zealand’s stories on screen with more than $3.6 million in funding confirmed for a number of documentaries and factual programmes on mainstream TV and nearly $1.5 million for a variety of regional TV news programmes.

“Funding documentary and factual series not only lets New Zealanders see themselves as they are, but forms an important cultural record for years to come,” said Jane Wrightson Chief Executive of NZ On Air.

New Zealanders' interest in how the justice system works will be fed with two new series. A six part series screening on TV One, titled The Innocent features the true stories of New Zealanders wrongly imprisoned and then exonerated. A three-part Platinum fund series, Anatomy of Justice for screening on Prime, travels through time to compare how sentencing of murderers has changed through our criminal justice history.

The perennial Country Calendar will continue to tell the stories of New Zealanders farming the land and sea, while audience favourite Nigel Latta returns to TV One with an informative new series aimed at demystifying science – Nigel Latta Blows Stuff Up.

The armchair adventurers among us will enjoy the return of the team behind First Crossings who have been supported to make a new series Intrepid New Zealand. In Radio Radio Jeremy Wells will front a one-off documentary charting the story of pioneering Auckland student radio station bFM. We have also supported Through The Lens for Māori Television. Marking the broadcaster's first decade on air, this hour-long documentary reviews a period of unprecedented political, social and economic change for Mäori, from a Mäori perspective.

In this funding round NZ On Air also invested $1.485 million for regional television news series so local stories are brought to local audiences.

“NZ On Air is intent on extending the range of documentary stories available to New Zealand audiences. The investments also help support a vibrant production sector, which is constantly creating ideas for great television,” said Ms Wrightson.

Funding Details

Intrepid New Zealand, 8 x 60, Eyeworks New Zealand, TV One: $1,045,895
Nigel Latta Blows Stuff Up, 8 x 30, Razor Films Ltd, TV One: $722,930
The Innocent, 6 x 60, Screentime New Zealand, TV One: $654,269
Anatomy of Justice, 3 x 60, Gibson Group, Prime: $478,500
Country Calendar, 30 x 30, TVNZ, TV One: $425,036
Radio, Radio,1 x 60, Perendale Productions, Prime: $149,857
Through The Lens, 1 x 60, Maori Television, Maori Television: $122,082

Regional Television Programmes
Tonight At Seven,Triangle Television, Auckland: $75,000 (up to 30 Nov, 2013)
CTV News, Canterbury Television Limited, Canterbury: $240,000
39 Dunedin News, Channel 9 Dunedin TV, Dunedin: $175,000
South Today, Cue TV, Invercargill: $175,000
Central News, TV Central, Waikato: $175,000
City News, TV Rotorua, Rotorua: $115,000
Channel North News, Channel North, Whangarei: $90,000
Chatroom, Television Hawkes Bay Ltd, Napier: $90,000
Mainland Local News, Mainlaind Television Limited, Nelson: $85,000
Te Hiku News, Te Hiku Media, Kaitaia: $40,000

ENDS

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