Marian Hobbs' answers in parliament today show that she doesn't understand the real impact of TVNZ dumping 60 Minutes
and severing its news coverage agreement with American news giant CBS, National's Broadcasting spokesperson Katherine
Rich said today
"When the contract ends at the end of this year, TVNZ's relationship with CBS will largely cease to exist and this means
no news feeds from one of America's major news organisations to our nation's broadcaster.
"CBS provided extensive live coverage and reports to New Zealand of the US catastrophe this week. If that was next year
when we won't have CBS feeds through TVNZ, New Zealand television viewers wouldn't be able to see those live CBS
pictures and reports on their national broadcaster.
"Marian Hobbs mistakenly thinks it's business as usual but her advisers have not kept her informed. She is incorrect if
she thinks it's the loss of one TV programme. It's the potential loss of the whole news association with CBS.
"Dumping 60 Minutes is just the latest casualty as TVNZ's deteriorating financial position has forced the company to
embark on a savage cost cutting exercise as it struggles to prepare for Marian Hobbs' Charter with no new funding,"
Katherine Rich said.
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