KEY POINTS:
It's incredible to think that 30 years ago most New Zealanders still had black-and-white TVs that required skilful tuning by dad to stop the picture rolling off the screen, and a choice of just two TV channels.
People talk about the good old days but the reality is that New Zealand today is a far more exciting and cosmopolitan place. We're a hothouse of creative talent, a pulsing hub of ideas, a dynamic and savvy nation with a fierce pride in who we are and what we have achieved.
With our growing sophistication has come the demand for more choice. I can't think of too many people who would be happy to live in the world of the mid-1970s where fine dining meant a choice of chicken in a basket or lamb loin chops washed down with a glass of Cold Duck wine!
Choice is also the essence of public service broadcasting. As a public service broadcaster, it is TVNZ's job to reflect the amazing diversity of the lives of New Zealanders and to define and celebrate the common spirit that connects us.
Every day, we're judged on how we deliver public value. Our viewers are tough critics, but we wouldn't have it any other way. For many, however, the Holy Grail of public service broadcasting in New Zealand has been a true free-to-air, non-advertising service. The truth is that only existed in the first few months of television in New Zealand.
The economic reality in a small country like New Zealand is that public service broadcasting must, largely, sustain itself through advertising revenue if it is not to place an unacceptable burden on the taxpayer.
The launch of free-to-air digital television through the Freeview service, a joint venture between TVNZ, TV3's owners, Maori TV and Radio New Zealand, provides a major opportunity for TVNZ to boost the quality and range of programmes available to New Zealanders while still meeting its commercial obligations.
Over the past 12 months we have rolled out new technology that will transform public service broadcasting. Already, we have evolved from a single platform broadcaster with two channels into a genuine multi-platform, multimedia organisation.
TVNZ ondemand lets viewers download programmes from the internet. TVNZ even has its own channel on YouTube.
But on Sunday we take the biggest step yet in asserting TVNZ's position as New Zealand's flagship public service television broadcaster with the launch of an advertising-free channel on Freeview.
Our new channel will be called TVNZ 6 and will effectively be three services in one. TVNZ Kidzone will carry quality programming for preschoolers, TVNZ Family will feature viewing the whole family can enjoy and TVNZ Showcase will deliver the best in arts and drama programming. What really sets it apart is that between 50 and 70 per cent of the programmes screened will be home grown.
Each of these three services was developed in response to research that told us the type of television programmes New Zealanders expected from their public service broadcaster. Again, it's all about choice.
TVNZ 6 will be followed next March by the launch of TVNZ 7, a 24-hour current affairs, factual and news channel, again with a strong local focus and flavour.
Both are being jointly funded by the Government ($79 million over five years) and commercially earned revenues from TV ONE and TV2 ($32 million plus internal staffing and infrastructure costs over five years).
These new channels will allow us to extend public service broadcasting into an environment free of the direct commercial pressures of TV One and TV2. Because these channels will not face advertising or ratings pressures, we will be able to schedule more public service programming in prime time.
We will have complete freedom to create the kind of channels that have a clear social value for New Zealanders. By screening original local programming, it also plays a powerful role in shaping our culture, building national pride and defining what it means to be a New Zealander.
We've been working with organisations that share similar public service objectives to create programmes for TVNZ 6.
The most developed of these partnerships is with the Department of Conservation. Together we've made a series of around 150 remarkable four-minute mini programmes called Meet the Locals.
We've also been talking to Plunket and the Families Commission who are keen to work with us on programmes for TVNZ Kidzone and TVNZ Family.
There has been debate recently over how TVNZ can meet the requirements of the TVNZ Charter while operating as a commercial entity. The Charter makes it clear our role is to provide quality television that educates, informs and entertains through local programming and the best of international programming.
Launching TVNZ 6 and TVNZ 7 provides a major opportunity for TVNZ to extend the quality and range of programmes available to New Zealanders while still meeting commercial obligations via TV ONE and TV2.
Freeview allows us to throw off the constraints that have limited the potential of public service broadcasting for so long.
* Rick Ellis is Television New Zealand's Chief Executive.
