Why women control what we watch on TV

TVNZ General Manager of Programming Jane Wilson with the city behind her. Photo / Janna Dixon

They control what we watch on television in New Zealand, so why is it that one gender has such power over our viewing pleasure?

As Carol Hirschfeld is set to take up the reins of director of programming at Maori Television next month, Spy looks at how four females have crossed enormous barriers to become the most powerful women in New Zealand television, each holding the commanding role of programme director at their respective networks.

Over the ditch, men predominantly control the programming portfolio, which may explain the quality of Australian television.

TVNZ's Jane Wilson may look like a blonde version of Eva Longoria but don't let the petite frame and Vogue looks fool you. This woman controls what we watch on our biggest media network. She says as a television programmer, she has a unique skill-set. "You need solid television experience which is a clinical necessity but you also need to be able to trust your instincts and understand the market. In programming terms, knowledge of the audience isn't just an age group break down, it includes understanding Kiwi idiosyncrasies, our sense of humour, moral boundaries, sacred cows and all those other intangible components that make up our culture".

TVNZ's head of television, Jeff Latch, says Wilson has an "innate feel for what viewers want to see, television and marketing experience, her grasp of programming strategy and strong editorial skills".

Karen Bieleski is the woman behind the shows at Prime TV. She joined Sky in 2005 after a 10-year stint at the state broadcaster. She is attributed with reversing declining audience share trends at Prime and for achieving some of the channel's highest ratings, which comes as no surprise to Travis Dunbar, Sky's director of entertainment programming, who reckons Bieleski "lives, eats and breathes television".

Like Latch, Dunbar says an innate understanding of what the viewers want to see is the key. "Prime's programming reflects Karen's inherent ability to understand what the audience wants without putting her own preferences first." He also recognises her personality as being a big part of her success. "Karen has a wonderful rapport with people and is well-liked and respected within the industry."

Media commentator Russell Brown echoes the sentiment when it comes to programmer Juliet Jensen at TVNZ Digital. "She knows her field very well, but also seems to be someone who gets on with people around her. She's genuinely nice, and you don't always get that in TV."

Media guru Janet Wilson credits niceness and egalitarianism as female traits. "The female sex is the most democratic gender. Given that NZ is a nation of just over four million people with the duo-cabal of broadcasters, programmers have to cater to everyone."

Kelly Martin agrees. She was appointed programming director at TV3 in 2006 after five years as associate director of programming at the channel. She says women "are generally pretty good at multi-tasking and are usually very empathetic so often think about what everyone would like as a whole. I think this makes them good at crafting appealing schedules for a very broad audience."

Martin's quick to credit supportive male colleagues in the department for "enabling me to do a good job".

Her rival at TVNZ thinks the dominance of women in the industry in New Zealand is "purely coincidental... but that's not the case in Australia or the US at the moment - like many things it's just cyclical".

Mediaworks chief executive Brent Impey is not of the opinion that sex is a determining factor in the success of his network's programming schedules. "Kelly's success is not a matter of gender but of expertise - quite simply Kelly is the best person for the job as our TV head of programming."

Impey's glamourpuss presenter and Campbell Live producer, Hirschfeld, is set to jump ship next month to Maori Television after 11 years at TV3 to try her hand at something new - running a programming department. We will be watching her progress keenly.

Janet Wilson: "Programme directing, despite the recent trend of over-researching each series, is more art than science. It takes gut instinct - aka intuition - to come up with sustainable ideas that the heartland wants to watch and women have more of that (generally speaking), than men. However, if there are so many female programmers out there, how come there's nothing on the box for a wide female audience? And I'm not talking the 'over-the-teacups' crapola that is Good Morning but intelligent telly. Telly that entertains and informs in equal measure. Like their male counterparts, female programmers have become fearful, conservative, stick-to-the-research types who aren't prepared to trust their instincts".

Russell Brown: "It's interesting that the best writers about TV are also often female. Diana Wichtel at The Listener, Heather Havrilesky on Salon.com, for example. Perhaps women are more able to express a real affection for the medium. There are also important parts of the schedule and flagship programmes that directly target women viewers - Shortland Street, Desperate Housewives. It must help in that sense to have some understanding of the viewer's mind. I imagine being a woman would be an advantage in programming TV2, which skews sharply towards female viewers. Being a female TV programmer isn't necessarily the same as being a good TV programmer. There have been failures."