Hon Jim Anderson

Member of Parliament for Wigram Progressive Leader

The government now reportedly has $8 million on the table to help TVNZ, Maori Television Service (MTS) and TV3 bid for the right to screen the Rugby World Cup, says MP for Wigram and Progressive leader Jim Anderton.

“Does it now accept the principal that all iconic sporting events should be free-to-air?”

Te Puni Kokiri (the Ministry for Maori Development) has funded the MTS bid by $3 million. The Government has allegedly freed up $5 million for a TVNZ and TV3 bid.

“$8 million would buy a lot of coverage for free-to-air sporting events.”

“We could buy the rights to screen the up-coming game between our national soccer team, the All-Whites who will play Bahrain to see if they qualify for the soccer World Cup next year in South Africa; as well as the rights for TVNZ to screen next year’s Commonwealth Games in Delhi.”

For the last forty yearsTVNZ has screened the Commonwealth Games.

“When TVNZ announced last month that it was seeking to offload its rights to broadcast the Commonwealth Games, the National Government refused to get involved, saying the arrangement was a commercial contract between TVNZ and Sky.”

“At the time Johnathan Coleman said the public could no longer expect major sporting events to be provided free on television.”

“What’s changed?” says Jim Anderton.

ENDS

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