A million names still on database

By EUGENE BINGHAM

Names and addresses of almost everyone who paid their broadcasting fee are being stored in a huge database even though the fee has been scrapped.

Two years after the Government announced that the television licence would no longer be collected, NZ On Air still keeps hold of information dating back more than a decade.

With over one million records, it is one of the largest databases in the country.

NZ On Air says it has kept the files for tax purposes and because they would be too expensive to purge.

However, campaigners who attempted to bring the fee down through a court challenge fear that NZ On Air has retained the database in case the Government decides to revive the broadcasting licences.

"I think they have a sort of secret hope that the fee will be brought back," said Ned Haliburton, a spokesman for the group that fought the fee.

"The other thing is that this database is an asset that can be sold to someone else."

NZ On Air said yesterday that although organisations had expressed an interest in accessing the database, this had been ruled out.

"Our focus is basically on winding up the operations of the broadcasting fee," said Selwyn Crane, the general manager of revenue.

"We're not interested in trying to find a way to make a quick buck on data.

"We've got an obligation for financial reasons to keep track of people's accounts that have been paid," said Mr Crane.

"It's no different from any other financial transaction.

"If we were to try to destroy [the files of] those people who had paid there would be considerable cost," he said.

The database records the names, addresses and accounting information of 1,026,000 people.

This includes more than 100,000 people who still owe money.

Although NZ On Air kept track of people who had unpaid balances, it did not refresh the details of those who had settled their accounts in full.

The database has been contracted to a subsidiary of NZ Post, Datamail.

Mr Crane said confidentiality clauses meant that the information could not be used by anyone other than NZ On Air.

He was not certain when the database would no longer be used.

"From a GST and revenue point of view, records have to be kept for five years.

"We still get a lot of people ringing up wanting to know why they haven't received a bill, too, and wanting to know if they are paid up."

Access to the electronic files would be blocked some time in the future.

"There would be a point when probably it won't become accessible because of costs," said Mr Crane.

One of the principles of the Privacy Act says that agencies should not hold personal information for longer than was required for the purposes for which the information could be lawfully used.

Privacy Commissioner Bruce Slane said there were probably reasons why NZ On Air needed to keep the information.

"They might lawfully use it to check back whether someone has overpaid, for instance."

The National-led Government said in May 1999 that it would axe the $110 public broadcasting fee from last July.