TV producers want fee-rise

Press, 28 August 1979, Page 21

TV producers want fee-rise

PA Wellington Television producers want increases in television licence fees contained with the consumer price index. A week-end meeting described as the biggest gathering of television producers held in New Zealand, called on the Broadcasting Corporation to ask the Government for an immediate increase in licence fees “commensurate with cost increases in the last four years and tied to the consumer price index.” In that way broadcasting’s problems would be fully resolved, said a statement issued after the meeting. It said the meeting was called in response to growing concern among television production staff about the effects Of the present restructuring on television standards and the quality of programmes available to the public. Particular fear was expressed that “top-heavy management, illogical and potentially inefficient reor-

ganisation and lack of money” would lead to a decline in the number and quality Of New Zealand programmes. It said it was illogical, impractical and wasteful to present the network news from Auckland, when the bulk of the nation’s news originated in Wellington, where the most suitable facilities were already situated. The meeting also heard that in an attempt to restrain costs, the corporation seemed intent on downgrading the status of producers in the current affairs, information, and sports areas by replacing them with less-qualified journalists.

The statement said that the position of controller Of news, current affairs and sport left an “unhealthy concentration of enormous power in the hands of one person and offered unique opportunities for the abuse of power and the exercise of political influence on news dissemination and analysis.”