Cate Slater says there is no way broadcast TV is flickering out in an end game. Photo / Michael Craig
TVNZ content director Cate Slater says The New Legends of Monkey, a co-production with Netflix and the ABC, is one of the new ways the state broadcaster is creating content for the fast-changing television landscape.
1 Does anyone still watch broadcast TV?
It's a myth that broadcast TV is dead or dying. The majority of people still watch broadcast TV - even if they say they don't. The demographic is ageing but everyone else is still watching - they just might not be watching exclusively. Another myth is that people fast-forward the ads or go and make a cup of tea. Our research shows 90 per cent of people watch the ads live. We've teamed up with our competitors Sky and Mediaworks to counter some of these myths with Think TV.
2 What devices are we watching TV on these days?
The average New Zealand home has over seven screens capable of viewing video. Almost one in three homes has an internet-connected smart TV. People watching what we call "lean back" programming like the latest drama want the full-screen experience. When we're on the go we tend to watch more snackable content. But we only watch about six hours of TV on our devices each week compared with 24 hours on our TV screens.
3 Can TVNZ compete with global players like Netflix when buying international content?
Yes because Netflix is focused on creating its own originals. By next year two thirds of its catalogue will be original. It's what they call "globalised localisation" where they make content in a territory but for a global audience. Usually you're buying off a concept before a show's even been made, so it's a gamble but there's so much content available if you miss out on a show, there's always another one.
4 TVNZ is now a fully commercial broadcaster. Why bother creating local content?
Local is our point of difference now with the competition from international providers like Netflix, Amazon, Lightbox, Prime or Neon. Local is still in high demand. People still want to see their cultures and accents and lives reflected on TV. We need to do more of it which means reallocating as much as possible from our international acquisitions into local commissions. This year we're launching three new local reality series; Project Runway NZ, Heartbreak Island and Design Junkies along with three new seasons of local series Survivor NZ, Nigel Latta's Mind Over Money and Coast NZ.
5 How much local drama do you have compared with local reality shows?
We have six local reality shows compared with around 12 local on-air dramas and another six exclusive local online dramas. The big reality shows do a really important job for us, along with 1 News and Shortland St, in bringing a mass audience on a nightly basis. They're appointment viewing you need to watch at the same time as everyone else if you want to be part of the conversation. International formats like Project Runway are known brands that come with loyal viewers but it's important to create New Zealand intellectual property as well, so this year we've done Heartbreak Island, which airs in May and is uniquely Kiwi.
6 How do you fund local content?
For some shows we have the support of brands to integrate into the show in a way that feels natural like Kiwibank's Mind Over Money. Funding bodies like NZ On air and Te Mangai Paho help fund free to air local content. Co-productions are more of a new thing for us. Viewers are getting used to high-budget dramas and co-productions are a really good way of pooling resources. The New Legends of Monkey is a co-production with Netflix and ABC that's made in Auckland and will be free to watch here on TVNZ and in Australia on ABC. Netflix will have it everywhere else. So it's just about carving up the market and the rights.
7 Will you do more of it?
Yes, we've got a number in the pipeline. We also have a new Danish-New Zealand co-production called Straight Forward. It's a Scandi-drama but also very Kiwi. The majority is made here so it has Kiwi landscapes. The language will be some Danish, some English. It'll feel local to both markets. It'll play via a streaming platform in Scandinavia, TVNZ here and Acorn Media will distribute it in North America and the UK.
8 Do you think New Zealand could be making more internationally marketable TV?
Yes but ideally you'd have that focus before you start making it. It can be a story told through a New Zealand lens but it still needs to connect with an international audience in some way. We've had great success with films like Hunt for the Wilder People, The Piano and Whale Rider. We haven't done as much with TV although we do still sell a lot internationally. I think there is an opportunity there.
9 Growing up in Havelock North, did you want to work in TV?
If I'd known you could work in television it would have been a clear direction for me. Fashion was what I was passionate about growing up. I used to make all my own clothes. I studied fashion and law. My first law job was as an in-house lawyer at IMG sports and media agency in London. I went from their fashion division to looking after the 2011 Rugby World Cup. There was still a bit of the old boys' network at the time. It's nice to be one of the women changing that dynamic.
10 Can TVNZ compete with the likes of Sky when it comes to sport?
We've done less and less sports coverage in recent years because it's become more expensive to acquire. Because sport comes in live, you have to disrupt the schedule to put it to air so it's harder to do that with smaller sports. Since launching Duke we've been able to play around a lot more. The Paralympics in Rio De Janeiro and Pyeongchang were a great success for us. Expats love the fact we've got AFL and NFL and Kiwis love that we have the Wimbledon tennis.
11 Before being promoted to content director, you were TVNZ's legal counsel. Is content rights negotiation an increasingly important part of the job?
Yes, acquiring international content is a big part of what I do, along with commissioning local content. So my background is really handy for the strategic stuff.
12 Why is TVNZ launching a new children's channel this year after closing Kidzone in 2016?
Hei Hei is a new online platform delivering local content to Kiwi kids through an app parents can put on their devices and a website. It's non-commercial but it's a way for us to engage local audiences. We think there's a gap in this space to counter the heavy American content currently available which have my kids saying "diaper" and "candy". We've commissioned 25 new local shows and games funded by NZ On Air. The platform will also carry existing TVNZ shows like What Now, Maia the Brave and Fanimals and international shows.
The latest entertainment news from NZ Herald Chief Lifestyle and Entertainment Reporter, Jenni Mortimer.