Pray the News » TVNZ

Spirituality per se is a reality of life

Denis — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 22:22:29 +0000

Prior to the implementation of the TVNZ Charter in 2003, the Churches’ Broadcasting Commission (an ecumenical body which was recently disbanded) made a submission on the proposed Charter to a Parliamentary Select Committee. It called for parliament to include programming that acknowledged and reflected the spiritual dimension of life. The reasoning was that spirituality per se was a reality of life. It argued that the majority of New Zealanders professed a religious affiliation, and that most people had some kind of moral compass and value system regardless of religious beliefs. It seemed for a time that this recommendation might be incorporated into the Charter. Sadly, it was not.

However, the Charter did acknowledge that programming should contribute to intellectual, scientific and cultural development, and promote wide and informed debate and critical thinking. It was committed to providing understanding of the diversity of our cultures and particularly to promote Maori language, concerns and culture. It is debatable whether that actually happened to any great extent, but it imposed a degree of responsibility on TVNZ at least to pay lip service to the ideals of the Charter.

Sadly, this latest move to repeal the Charter means that TVNZ will have no such responsibility and become, as one media commentator put it, a mere “cash cow” for the government and “a mass market entertainer” no different from its local rivals whose main objective is to generate as much income as possible. Perhaps one should make an exception of Maori Television, whose programmes do so often recognise the spiritual and cultural dimensions of our society.

Art and beauty, regardless of specific religious beliefs, are a path towards the transcendent. This point was made very compellingly in an address which Pope Benedict gave recently to a gathering of the world’s artists – people of different faiths – who were invited to meet with him in the Sistine Chapel. He spoke of the need for a return of spirituality in art in a world lacking in hope with increasing signs of aggression and despair.

It is clear that there is an increasing interest today, especially among younger people to explore the deep and meaningful issues of life. Once we no longer have a responsible public broadcaster in TVNZ that teases out these issues in its programming, our taxes will support just another populist broadcaster that seeks to provide for the lowest possible standard of popular taste and opinion.

This is something we should all think and pray about, and discern how we might raise our voices and mobilise our resources.

NZ Broadcasting sails in unchartered waters

Denis — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 22:17:47 +0000

For many years public broadcasting, following the BBC pattern, took pride in its goal of informing, entertaining and educating listeners and viewers. Broadcasting in New Zealand set a course away from that nearly 20 years ago when it opted to become commercial and competitive.While not wrong in itself, opening doors to commerce can have disastrous consequences.Today, the emphasis in broadcasting is almost exclusively on entertainment. Little else matters – unless it sells. Even our “News” programmes have to be entertaining – according to the gospel of commercial broadcasting. Information and education are, per se, hard to sell. The arrival of TV3 and the opening up of the radio waves to all comers in the late 80s, put paid to virtually all non-commercial programming, particularly in television. Cultural, community, religious and other “special” groups found themselves in the media wilderness virtually overnight. Only the sensational or “commercially viable” programme ideas stood any chance of getting to air.All this tells me that the Broadcasting Minister, Jonathan Coleman, is not doing a new thing when he proposes scrapping the TVNZ Charter. It was well intentioned but has proved unworkable. Only a change in the “culture” of broadcasting, enabling programmers to truly reflect New Zealanders and New Zealand life without regard to commercial interests, will restore the balance. Some programmes will never attract the dollars a sponsor brings to the studio, simply because they will not draw huge audiences. Yet many of these programmes contain the stories of who we are and what it’s like to be us. By not telling them, parts of our identity will never be revealed. The mosaic will remain incomplete and we will all be the poorer for that – regardless of profits made elsewhere.

TVNZ to lose public service role in shakeup

Denis — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 22:10:11 +0000

TVNZ’s charter is to be repealed in a move commentators say will end its public broadcaster role and turn it into a “cash cow” for the Government.

Broadcasting Minister Jonathan Coleman introduced a bill yesterday to repeal the charter, which was created by Labour in 2002 to require TVNZ to broadcast a wide range of programmes for all groups in New Zealand. Under the charter TVNZ was required to have a “significant Maori voice” and broadcast programmes for people and groups not generally catered for by other broadcasters. Under Mr Coleman’s bill, it will be told simply to screen programmes relevant to and enjoyed by New Zealanders, include some local content and “reflect Maori perspectives”.

The head of the Broadcasting School at Christchurch Polytechnic, Paul Norris, said the change effectively gave TVNZ the go-ahead to act as a fully commercial broadcaster, screening the most commercial programmes it could find.

Reflective comments
Spirituality per se is a reality of life; the majority of New Zealanders profess a religious affiliation

Broadcasting in New Zealand already sails in unchartered waters

Is there enough of us and do we have the money to provide enough local content

Paying for Local TV content

Denis — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 22:06:47 +0000

Two questions occurred to me when I was thinking about the TVNZ Charter. If so many people want to see local programmes how come they don’t actually pull in the ratings when they are screened? And is our population big enough and is our economy strong enough to allow the production of a lot of high quality locally produced drama and current affairs and documentaries?

Could it be that most New Zealanders actually want to watch infotainment instead of news and cooking competitions rather that political commentary? If so sell of the state owned free to air channels and focus the subsidies on Maori TV and TVNZ 7 and to a lesser extent, TVNZ 6, which seem to be making a reasonable job of providing content that a minority of the population enjoys; programmes that reflects our national character and concerns and provide us with some in depth interviews, arts and current affairs programmes and quality local and international documentaries.

Is there enough of us and do we have the money to provide enough local content? I suspect it depends on what we expect. Last week I watched a drama that was shot in my home suburb. It was enthralled to see it all happening on the local beach, and outside my sister house as well as other familiar local landmarks. It was however clearly made on a shoestring budget. The actors were in general young and inexperienced; the acting was OK but unlikely to earn any academy awards. According to the reviewer the story was shot in the actual sequence that it was screened, and it improved as it went along. The question I am left with, is am I happy with this lack of sophistication and professionalism or have I become addicted to the big budget glitz of the blockbusters? If I can no longer enjoy the simple things done simply have I been seduced?