South Island group seeks TV warrant

Press, 2 July 1986, Page 8

South Island group seeks TV warrant

A South Island-based group, Civic Enterprises, Ltd, began presenting its case for a third television channel warrant to the Broadcasting Tribunal in Christchurch yesterday. The tribunal’s marathon hearing of warrant applications started in Auckland last August. Four companies seek warrants for all four regions. They are Impact Television, Ltd, Aotearoa Broadcasting System, Inc., ESTV, Ltd, and Tele-vid Region, Ltd (TV3). Southern Cross Television, Ltd, which seeks warrants for three regions, is associated with United Telecast Corporation, which wants. to broadcast in Waikato and Bay of Plenty. F

Those seeking warrants for news broadcasting are Regional Television Network News, Ltd, Independent Television News of New Zealand, ESTV, and Tele-vid News, Ltd. Civic Enterprises seeks the South Island warrant. Its counsel, Mr John Rutherford, highlighted the backing the company had from Australia’s South-East Telecasters, Ltd, which controls two regional stations in Australia. Mr Rutherford said that some applicants seeking to provide a national television news service were paying only lip service to their regional participation. - "This style of proposal

is that subsequent share transfers will simply produce a national monopolistic private television system. Civic Enterprises believes that what the Minister of Broadcasting is seeking is similar to what has happened in Australia. “Regional television stations in Australia have fulfilled their purpose admirably in general." Mr Rutherford recommended following the format of Australian regional television to achieve similar high profits for New Zealand regional television. "No warrant-holder will have any difficulty in obtaining capable production, technical or artistic staffX he said. "Civic is fortunate to

have its hand held by a very experienced Australian company. "Civic’s feet are rather more firmly on the ground in this respect than the theoretical exercises proposed by some other applicants.” Mr Rutherford called for the tribunal to define regional television warrants as the first step to -deciding which applicant should receive a warrant. “If Civic is correct in assuming that the Minister’s direction to the tribunal is based on ... reports that clearly indicate four independent warrants ... then Civic is certainly in with a good chance in the South bland.” The tribunal wquld also have to assess CUdc En-

terprises’ ability to do the job as the South Island regional warrant-holder, Mr Rutherford said. "Civic believes that its financial proposals are soundly based and will attract community support. We are more oriented towards the local South Island community than any other application.” Civic Enterprises supported the development of untapped regional advertisers by regional television stations, Mr Rutherford said. “Networking in other couptries is losing ground to independent regional stations collaborating in areas such as programme syndication. Civic has the best funding proposals for developing local programme and film produc-

tion. “Other applicants appear to be little interested in the South Island. They have only tacked it on as a necessary appendage to provide national coverage for their worshipped national advertisers." Civic Enterprises' directors were all experienced South Island-born and bred businessmen, Mr Rutherford said. “They have the ability to employ expertise in areas where they are personally deficient. There is no other case presented that deals exclusively with the South Island warrant "Civic particularly seeks the tribunal’s acceptance of the concept of public Interest being regional, rather than national in respect to regional warranto.”

The tribunal comprises Messrs Bruce Slane (chairman), Mervyn Aked, Robert Boyd-Bell, and Bill Kerekere, Professor Geoffrey Schmitt, and Ms Ann Wilson. The first witness to appear for Civic Enterprises was Graeme Purchas, a financial consultant, who backed up the application with financial details. He was cross-examined by other applicants attending the tribunal including TV3, Southern Cross Television, ESTV, and the Broadcasting Corporation of New Zealand. Six other Civic- Enterprises witnesses will appear during the next three days of the hearing in Christchurch between 10 a.m. and 5.15 p.m. at the Christchurch r Civic Offices. &