AUCKLAND (Pacific Islands Media Association/Pacific Media Watch): Pasifika broadcasters and community leaders say Television New Zealand’s plans to outsource programmes Tagata Pasifika and Fresh should be delayed until March to allow more time for their communities to consider this process.
Two weeks ago the state broadcaster announced it was ceasing in-house production of the two shows and would be tendering out the production rights.
At a meeting last night with TVNZ boss Kevin Kenrick, many expressed outrage that TVNZ announced its plans two weeks ago without consulting Pasifika communities or affected staff.
“We understand this is a commercial decision and operational matter but many felt TVNZ lacked respect for our people,” says meeting facilitator Iulia Leilua.
“He came to consult the community after the decision had been made, and only because he was asked to attend our public meeting. As a collective we agreed we want TVNZ to slow down the process of outsourcing and wait until March 2015 to make any transitions.
"That gives everyone time to prepare – both current staff and the independent Pasifika producers.”
Last night, Kenrick reassured the Pasifika gathering their concerns could now begin to be part of a conversation with TVNZ.
Majority outsourced
However, he said TVNZ was no longer in the business of programme production with 80 percent of its programmes now outsourced. Shows like Praise Be and Country Calendar continue to be produced in-house.
Since TVNZ’s charter was abolished in 2011, the broadcaster has not been bound by legislation to meet the needs of its Pasifika audiences.
With the outsourcing of Tagata Pasifika and Fresh, many feared the organisation would become monocultural with no one internally to advocate for Pasifika programming.
“Some of last night’s feedback was that TVNZ doesn’t value Pasifika audiences because we don’t make them money and our cultural contributions to public television aren’t important either,” says Leilua.
”Kenrick compared Tagata Pasifika’s ratings to some of TVNZ’s more popular shows which many thought was unfair. They schedule Tagata Pasifika at graveyard or early morning hours and Pasifika communities are smaller in size.”
Other major concerns included:
- The tendering process for rights to produce Tagata Pasifika and Fresh
- The staff redundancies and uncertainty about their futures
- Capacity of outside production companies to produce the shows to the same quality or higher with the same budget
- Competitiveness within the small Pasifika TV production industry as a result of the tendering process
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Pacific Media Watch
