TV coverage added to airshow loss

Press, 10 July 1987, Page 7

TV coverage added to airshow loss

Television New Zealand’s refusal to cover the Christchurch Airport jubilee airshow for nothing was one last-min-ute extra expense organisers faced. The organising committee had to pay $30,000 to ensure television coverage to keep faith with its' sponsor, P.D.L., said Cr Morgan Fahey. A verbal agreement with Christchurch television staff was withdrawn by TVNZ headquarters in Wellington. Attempts to sign a contract earlier were frustrated by TVNZ. Another unexpected cost was $20,000 for insurance that the city treasury insisted the organisers take out for the airshow. The treasury, on advice from London, asked for the extra accident or injury insurance, which Cr Fahey believed was unnecessary.

Advice to the organising committee was that Accident Compensation provi-

sions covered the organisers for any injury to people at the airshow and the required personal insurance taken out by competitors in the jubilee air race covered them.

“The treasury got opposing advice — advice I believe was wrong. When they insisted we have the extra insurance it was too late to argue,” Cr Fahey said.

Other things that “went bad” for the organisers included the withdrawal of the original sponsor, American Express, in mid-1986. The committee was able to substitute P.D.L/s $lOO,OOO late last year after the Mayor of Christchurch, Sir Hamish Hay, approached Sir Robertson Stewart, of P.D.L.

However, Cr Fahey said, “we had hoped to have more sponsorship.” Several items were charged against the

airshow that the jubilee committee believed were being met by the council

as the airport authority. These included such things as typing at $25,000, and site preparation, at $20,000. The misunderstanding about who paid these bills was the result of a lack of communication between the commercial manager and the treasury, Cr Fahey said.

Other problems are: Markat Promotions, the firm hired to sell sites at the airshow and produce programmes, is disputing a claim for money from the airport authority. The authority was not happy with the programmes the firm produced and had them redone. Collins Communications, the firm hired to do publicity for the airshow, is also disputing a bill with the authority. Payment is also in dispute for repairs to the propeller to the Tiger Moth aircraft prize for the air race.

The airshow accounts allow $lO,OOO for these “contingent liabilities.”