TV reorganisation plans announced

Press, 12 May 1979, Page 3

TV reorganisation plans announced

PA Wellington ; Plans for the reorganisa- 1 tion of television have been ; released by the chairman of the Broadcasting Corporation (Mr lan Cross). Beginning early next year, ( a production service will be etstablished, responsible for making all programmes for . both television stations, and ( a network service respon- > sible for programme planning and scheduling for IVI al *Mr Cross said the identities of the two channels would be retained after the reorganisation. Regionalisation would be strongly emphasised and both production and decision-making would be decentralised, he Sa **We do not expect all production departments to be in Auckland and Wellington, for example, and we are going to have regional managers with a strong sense of autonomous responsibility for television centres in the four main cities, Mr Cross Sa ‘“Eventually, through a combination of network and regional news and magazine programmes, we will effectively have five news and magazine outlets under separate editorial control. Mr Cross said that while organisational details were

yet to be finalised it was intended that the news department be set up in such a way that regional television editors would have full local authority. A new post of controller of news and current affairs in the production service was being established and advertised. This had an equivalent in Radio New Zealand and was being advertised first so that the new controller, when appointed, could assist in the planning of the department. Other top posts would be advertised within the corporation during the next few weeks, said Mr Cross. The reorganisation would not mean more staff or positions in television. “Most of the senior jobs are already in existence on both TVI and TV2, but in future, instead of two, they will be amalgamated at a similar salary,” said Mr Cross. Scheduling for both channels would be done in the network service to allow better planning and com-

plementary programming, the production service having influence on the shape of programmes through the placement of local productions.

Appointments of the present directors-general of TVI and TV2 to the new organisations have already been announced. Mr Allan Martin, of TV2, will be the new director-general of the production service while Mr Alan Morris, of TVI, will head the network service. Mr Cross said certain; minor amendments to the! Broadcasting Act would be necessary this year to give effect to the reorganisation. The Hamilton studios of TV2 eventually will be phased out under the channel merger. The station manager (Mr D. Hope-Evans) said the equipment at Hamilton would be removed and taken to Auckland, while Hamilton concentrated mainly on sales and news. Permanent staff employed in Hamilton would be offered jobs in other centres.