TV headquarters in Christchurch ?

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33155, 20 February 1973, Page 12

TV headquarters in Christchurch ?

The Mayor of Christchurch (Mr Pickering) will lead a deputation to Wellington tomorrow to try to persuade the Minister of Broadcasting (Mr Douglas) that one of the proposed two public television corporations should have its headquarters in Christchurch. The deputation has good reasons for believing that Christchurch is a suitable home for one of the corporations; and if its arguments fail, Mr Pickering will press Mr Douglas to prefer Christchurch as the headquarters for a radio corporation. Yet almost every argument that the deputation is likely to offer in favour of Christchurch will probably be matched by the claims of other cities —particularly Auckland. Technical considerations, the supply of creative talent, commercial support, news sources, accommodation, general convenience, and the over-all economics of running a television channel will have to be weighed. Indeed, if efficient use of resources were the sole test, there is little doubt that all three broadcasting organisations should be together in one city.

In the end, the question may be reduced to whether the Government wants one of the corporations to be based in the South Island. Christchurch has much to offer as a television centre and. once established, a corporation would soon attract any additional talent it needed. A national television network, based outside the largest centres of population it has to serve, would probably face higher costs in some of its work; it would almost certainly enjoy economies in others. The Christchurch deputation’s strongest argument is surely that of regional development. If the Government genuinely believes in this it will find it much easier to prefer Christchurch for one of the corporations. When Wellington has been rejected as the base for all three, the Christchurch claim makes good sense.