Sick of the programmes on TV?
Had enough of the violence and R-rated material? Looking for something with a family and local flavour?
If so, a new free-to-air regional channel may be just what you're looking for.
Television viewers in parts of Tauranga and the coastal Bay of Plenty who receive their signal
from Mt Te Aroha can now tune in to the channel tvCentral.
Parts of Tauranga that get their TV signal from elsewhere will receive tvCentral from March, after the launch of the Freeview Aerial digital terrestrial system.
The Matamata-based network, which was rebranded recently from FamilyTV, already broadcasts into Hamilton and Rotorua. It is owned by a charitable trust, and delivers programmes that all members of the family can watch at any time.
"This has been a dream of ours since we first began operating FamilyTV," says group CEO Daryl Anderson, "and it is very exciting to finally be able to realise it and share it with the Waikato and Bay of Plenty."
The channel brings a taste of local television back to the Bay of Plenty with a potential audience of about 400,000 people.
"We are looking forward to bringing regional television back to our screens, and I encourage people to switch over to see what we have to offer. Our channel is being added to TV guides in most local newspapers."
The play list includes a current affairs programme InDepth, magazine-style chat show Every Day, commercial Let's Go Shopping, children's show MishMash, and seasonal rural programme Farming Today, along with documentaries, news, sport and movies from around the world.
To receive tvCentral now, you need a standard UHF aerial facing Mt Te Aroha. Tune your TV to Channel 40/622Mhz.
"This is a $250,000 investment for us ... We show about 30 per cent local content at present, and we're aiming for 50 per cent to be locally produced in the Waikato/BOP region," he said.
To this end, tvCentral wants to set up studios in Hamilton and Tauranga, with Matamata remaining as the administration and broadcasting hub.
"There are opportunities for our programmes to be sponsored," he added.
