Gerry Brownlee MP National Party Maori Affairs Spokesman

16 November 2005

Release the real MTS ratings figures

National Party Maori Affairs spokesman Gerry Brownlee says the Government is doing the Maori Television Service a disservice by refusing to release the real commercial audience ratings figures.

"Until the Government releases the real figures that are used by other broadcasters, questions will remain over the success, or otherwise, of this taxpayer-funded broadcaster.

"Given the problems we've been seeing at TVNZ, the Government should be working to ensure that MTS is transparent as possible," says Mr Brownlee.

He is responding to the release today of the annual report for Maori broadcasting funding agency Te Mangai Paho (TMP). It says TMP bought $44 million worth of programming off MTS in the year to June.

"We have never been allowed to see the official comparative ratings figures, so we don't know whether the taxpayer is getting value for money out of its $44 million contribution to MTS through TMP," says Mr Brownlee.

"Labour must authorise the release of the real ratings figures."

ENDS

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