Children’s TV to be based in Chch

Press, 21 August 1979, Page 6

Children’s TV to be based in Chch

Kim Gabara, a Christchurch television producer, has been named the head of children’s programmes for the . restructured Television New Zealand, which will begin transmission on February 16. ' He will start in the job next month and will continue to be based in Christchurch. That will make him the first head of department in broadcasting outside Wellington or Auckland. The children’s programmes department is new, and has been created for the restructured Television New Zealand and its two complementary channels. New Zealand’s broadcasting system has not had a children’s department for about 10 years. Having the head of children’s programmes based at Christchurch means that a lot more children’s programmes will be made in Christchurch and at Dunedin. But it does not necessarily mean that all children’s programmes will be made in the South Island. “I think the best idea is to have these programmes come from the producers who want to make them,” Mr Gabara said yesterday. He intends to travel to all the main centres to discuss producers plans for children’s programmes in 1980, and to encourage them with their various projects. Television staff at Dunedin have beetj: working almost full-time producing children’s programmes. Several have been made in Christchurch, many of them by Mr Gabara. “I have always been at work when children’s programmes have been on and I haven’t had much chance to see them, but I am going to make it my business to watch them now,” he said. He was unable to say what changes he was likely to make in the programmes screened until he had met other new department heads.

Sofne existing programmes Would continue, ■ but others might- have to go. “What I want tn see -is a nice balance between locallymade. programmes and American and English programmes,” Mr Gabara said. “1 want to make as many local programmes as we can afford, showing New Zealand influences, attitudes and environment. But there is nothing wrong with having foreign programmes as well, as long as we are not saturated with them.” Mr Gabara would like to see children’s programmes screened on one channel all afternoon, and adult programmes on the other. Then, about 5 to 6.30 p.m. children’s programmes could be screened on both channels, so the children could have a choice. In this way the escapisttype programmes such as “Gilligan’s Island,” “Mr Ed" and “I Dream of Jeannie” would be able to be seen in the context of other, perhaps more realistic, children’s programmes that would give younger viewers a better perspective. “Of course all this depends on the budget for the children’s department, and the sort of programmes we will be able to afford to produce locally,” he said. Mr Gabara said he was delighted that his new appointment meant he could stay in Christchurch. “It will mean more travelling for me, I guess, but it will be worth it. It suits me; I like living here. I live in a small country community and my children (aged seven and five) go to a country school and I am glad that does not have to change.” He started making programmes for children about 10 years ago when he produced “Toybox,” a half-hour programme set in a fantasy toyshop which showed how

; to make simple toys. After a i series of “Toybox” he went on to produce “Here It Is,” ia. children’s magazine programme similar to “Spot On.” I Twa. series of “Here It Is" were followed by two series of “Scribbles,” a half-hour programme run by Cathy Harrop and produced by Mr I Gabara. After that, he moved on to “C Gull,” a 13-part series set ; on a fishing boat. It was , semi-dramatic and informa- : tional* representing a move into television drama for i children. This was followed by “Woolly Hills,” a 26-episode semi-informational drama set in a high-country but actually filmed on the Cashmere Hills. It led to “Woolly Manor,’’ a 13-episode drama, : set inside the Sign of the Takahe, and “Woolly Tales,” which used the two puppet , characters that were popular in some episodes of the “Woolly Hills” drama. Mr Gabara has also produced two Telethons, “Town and Around," “Yours for the Asking,” and “Bumper to Bumper,” as well as many sports programmes. Readers of “The Press" will be familiar with some of Mr Gabara’s cartoons, such as “Jim Shooz,” the bumbling sportsman, and Officer Mot, as well as the many humourous cartoons he has drawn to illustrate stories on the backgrounder page and items In the “Reporter’s Diary,” Beginning next week, a series of his drawings will appear on the Young Readers’ page for colouring in.