Subject: PR Retention TVNZ 7

Grey Power Supports Public Call For Retention of TVNZ 7

Grey Power calls for the retention of the free to air TVNZ 7 channel currently under threat of closure by the Government.

“ TVNZ’s public broadcasting element is in a terrible state’ said Mr Roy Reid, President of Grey Power New Zealand, “ and keeping TVNZ 7 on air is critical to providing at least some reasonable quality public programming in contrast to the excessive commercialization of the flagship TV One.”

The focus on revenue earning and providing commercial dividends to the Government has lead to a significant dumbing down of programme material and the airing of a large number reality cooking based, and other cheap to produce programmes on the TVNZ channels.

“The appearance of American infomercials on morning TV is about as low as you can go”, said Mr. Reid, “ and the public broadcasting policy needs a massive revamp with a view to significant improvement in the quality and range of this key community information and entertainment State service.”

“A quality public broadcasting service is very important to older people as the cost of Sky TV is now over a thousand dollars a year, well out of reach of many.”

Loneliness and isolation is a major social problem facing older New Zealanders, and TV is particularly important in many of the senior community’s lives, a large number of whom are infirm and living on their own

It is ironic that Maori TV is widely recognized as being New Zealand’s quality TV channel. The Government provides significant funding support for Maori television, and comparable support for TVNZ 7 would see at least some quality TV being provided to the wider New Zealand community as well.

A very recent NZ Herald poll revealed that 72% of respondents wished TVNZ 7 to be retained. The Prime Minister should give the New Zealand public an assurance that TVNZ 7 will not be shut down.

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