MEDIA RELEASE TUESDAY 7 SEPTEMBER 2004
Heather Carter
Older Peoples’ Vision Helped By Larger TV Type
''Health Cuts Hurt congratulates the Otago Daily Times in particular and the New Zealand Herald as well for the large
type and easy to read layout of their weekly and other TV guides,'' Heather Carter of Health Cuts Hurt said today. “Our
investigation found that of the newspapers in the four main centers the Dominion and Press weekly TV guides also
released on a Tuesday are much harder to read for many older people.”
“Our members report to us that older people – particularly those in rest homes and hospitals – often rely on the weekly
newspaper TV guide for choosing what TV programmes to watch. Many institutions will purchase a copy of the newspaper and
use the TV guide for the week,” said Heather Carter. “Obviously for many older people, TV is a key source of information
and entertainment.”
“The Dominion and Press use exactly the same layout and programme guide which places the same amount of information on
one page that the Otago Daily Times spreads over two (tabloid size pages),” said Heather Carter. “While we recognise the
commercial imperative of private newspapers having to advertise and the increased number of RTV channels available, it
is clear that older people in the lower North Island and the top half of the South Island would appreciate a more easy
to read format.”
“It can be quite frustrating for older readers as their sight gets weaker,” said Heather Carter. “Health Cuts Hurt
congratulates the ODT and the Herald for putting readability for older people first. “
ENDS