Has N.Z. the best TV?

Press, 1 September 1977, Page 15

Has N.Z. the best TV?

By

KEN COATES

In theory, New Zealand should be able to pick and choose the best of the world’s television programmes. There is a growing feeling that this is not being done, and the chairman of the BroadI casting Corporation (Mr lan Cross) has asked for an investigation. He has asked the two directors-general to look at the selection of overseas programmes, “and assure the corpora-

tion that the best is beinj bought, and that alterna tive sources of programmes of value and interest are not neglected.”

Mr Cross said there were Canadian pro grammes of high quality for example, but it might be that international dis tribution and marketin; arrangements were nr what they ought to be. “The fact that pr< grammes are there doe. not mean they are automatically available to New Zealand,” he said. “International distribution arrangements can be very confused and complex, and we must also make sure the cost is within our means.” Television One's controller of programmes (Des Monaghan) maintains that New Zealand is getting the best overseas programmes available. But he regrets that more good documentaries from other countries are not shown in New Zealand. Some, he says, are not available for copyright reasons, some overseas networks do not make them for sale and prints are not available, and other countries are just not interested in selling. Mr Monaghan says that because of international selling procedures, certain programmes are not available to New Zealand unless they have already been sold in Australia. Australia and New Zealand are linked within one selling zone. The basic fee New Zea-

land pays is $lOOO an hour, but certain programmes also require the payment of residual fees to persons involved in production. Sometimes residual fees total more than the basic price New Zealand is willing to pay, and in such circumstances, there is obviously no deal (sometimes, though, the 8.8. C. of which New Zealand is a good customer, reduces the basic price if the resiiual fees are high). One curious example of -he extent of residual fee payments is “The Generation Game.” For each show made a fee is paid to a man in Harlem who invented the conveyor-belt method of memorising prizes, used at the end of he show. Mr Monaghan says that great deal of American elevision is better than :he shows that are exported, but current affairs programmes and documentaries are nt recorded for sale.

“In a sense, New Zealanders are spoiled,” he said. “We reject a great many titles because of inferior quality and take only programmes which are good of their type, although you might not like the type.” Mr Monaghan says the popular programmes of some countries, such as Norway or Denmark, would just not be culturally suitable for New Zealand. But he shares . Mr Cross’s enthusiasm for

Canadian television, and says he plans to visit Canada soon to look into co-production possibilities and the availability of programmes.