No Asian television news link yet with N.Z.

Press, 18 February 1983, Page 14

No Asian television news link yet with N.Z.

New Zealand has'withdrawn from an .Asian television news 'exchange programme because the cost of it would have been too high. The Asian Broadcasting Union had intended'to begin a trial news exchange via Intelsat satellites between Japan, China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand in the, first week of March. Y

The Australian Broadcasting Commission has also withdrawn from the .scheme. The editor of. television news in Auckland, Mr Graeme Wilson, said this week, “The cost was too high for the additional service that would have been. provided.” - • The service would have cost $1 million a year, more than the two satellite services from London and New York that TVNZ at present used each day combined, he said.

“The Press” Tokyo correspondent. Bruce Roscoe, reports that under the plan, a participating country could daily send news packages to the State Japanese Broad-, casting Corporation, N.H.K., in Tokyo which would beam the news back to the other participating countries the same day. N.H.K. would not re-edit the news.

The Controller for international relations at N.H.K.), Mr Hiroshi Shonozaki; : says' that news exchange; would: have given New Zealand viewers a higher awareness of its Asian neighbours’ current events.

Mr Shonozaki said, “The whole scheme was conceived with the point in mind that; news exchange between developing and developed countries should be encouraged and fits in with the United Nations’ designation of this year as world communications year.

■ “It is a pity that NewZealand and Australia have withdrawn. They would have been the biggest supplier of news to the system and the biggest user of the news. It would have been good. for them and good for the rest of Asia.”

While the big Western networks did not ignore the Asian region, there was an inevitable time lag, sometimes up to three days, befo;e’ the news got to New Zealand. .Under the planned service news from the region would have , been sent via satellite the same day.

Mr Wilson said ■ that the packages TVNZ got at present from New York and London provided coverage of the Asian region from the American National Broadcasting Company correspondents and 8.8. C. men. It was felt that within television's limited news budget the new, very expensive service was not warranted.