TVNZ bid loss a victory for pointy-heads
The appointment of TV3 as the exclusive free-to-air broadcaster of all major rugby matches for the next three years
provides “a clear indication of the sort of priorities we will see under the charter” says Acting National Party
Broadcasting Spokesperson Murray McCully.
“As well as requiring TVNZ programming to ‘contribute to a sense of citizenship and national identity’ the charter
specifically directs that TVNZ should ‘reflect the role that sporting and other leisure interests play in New Zealand
life’.
“The fact that TV3 has successfully concluded a three-year arrangement with Sky to broadcast rugby tests, Super 12, and
NPC rugby suggests that TVNZ is unaware of the huge importance of these events to the vast majority of New Zealanders.
Just how hard did TVNZ try to win free-to-air rights to these important events?
“Clearly, TVNZ sees the charter as requiring coverage of the sort of pointy-headed high-brow cultural events favoured by
certain key members of the current Government rather than the mainstream sporting interests of the majority of New
Zealanders,” said Mr McCully.