S.I. private TV work ‘well on the way’

Press, 22 September 1983, Page 2

S.I. private TV work ‘well on the way’

Preparation of a warrant application for Southern Television, Ltd, was now “well on the way,” said a spokesman for the company, Mr R. A. Barker, in Christchurch yesterday. Southern Television hopes to set up a regional television station in Canterbury, with the aim of serving the province, and of extending its service south to Otago and Southland.

Representatives of the company met the Minister of Broadcasting, Dr Shearer, late last week, and had “very useful” discussions with him, Mr Barker said.

The company had given the Minister its views on the competing proposals for the introduction of private television, and felt that its position was well appreciated by the Minister, Mr Barker said.

“We still favour a private third channel, in line with

the recommendations of the Communications Advisory Council, and we always have done,” Mr Barker said. “However, we can also see that a plan for the use of TV2 time by regional stations could also be made to work, and we are keeping our options open.”

Southern television did not believe that any scheme for private use of only part of TV2’s transmission time could be viable, or an efficient use of resources, Mr Barker said. It felt that the vital factor in /favour of a third channel was that such an arrangement would give viewers an additional service, and provide additional opportunities and employment in the industry and in allied industries, Mr Barker said.

It had been argued that a third channel would not be able to give coverage of the

whole country from, its inception, he said, but this had also been true of the existing channels, which had taken many years to achieve their present degree of coverage. “It is quite unreasonable to expect a new service to spring up overnight, with complete and nationwide coverage,” he said. Southern Television, like the North Island companies seeking private television warrants, now had to wait for the Government to make up its mind on the form which private television in New Zealand would be allowed to take, Mr Barker said.

It was now many years since the issue of private television first arose in New Zealand, and in this time there had been numerous reports, investigations, and bids from hopeful companies.

As time passed without a Government decision on the issue, expense and frustration continued, he said. Once a decision was made, and the rules made clear, Southern Television would be able to complete the specifics in its application, and complete its market and technical research, Mr Barker said. Southern Television was conscious that unlike the two Auckland organisations, City Television and Northern Television, it had no studios built, and no equipment installed, Mr Barker said.

Inevitably this meant that the South Island had much more work to do than the North before transmissions could start, and this made it all the more important, from Southern’s point of view, that the Government decision was not unduly delayed.