Saturday 10 October 2009

TVNZ UPS THE ANTE ON RUGBY COVERAGE BID


We woke up this morning ready to go into bat again re the Maori Television bid.

We have heard from a couple of sources this morning that TVNZ has prepared another bid that is bigger than the MTV bid. Whic begs the question - where did they get the money? They are bloody near broke and any expenditure means less dividends to the government so they are effectively spending government money.

We know that Maori TV went to TVNZ to try and work a joint compromise but they turned it down.

However we understand that TVNZ did not approach MTV to be part of this latest bid.

So who is playing politics now? John Key and McCully should bang a few heads together and get MTV and TVNZ to work together.



This sentence from Audreys column
this morning pretty well sum the whole saga up for us.

The meddling by the Government has caused widespread resentment on the Maori side - the rules change as soon as Maori look as though they are winning.


Well now it appears TVNZ doesnt want to share the sandpit - shame on them.




6 comments:

Berry said...

The one and only reasonable action that the government should take is to withdraw funding from any and all broadcasting and news entities, regardless of racial, cultural, commercial or political underpinnings. The state has NO role in news and entertainment, full stop.

Adolf Fiinkensein said...

Perhaps Mr Key should let TVNZ know that 'his expectation' is that TVNZ too should guarantee coverage is beamed to 100% of NZ - including those remote areas currently unable to receive a signal.

Yes, you're right. The PM should have kept his nose out of this one. He should front up and admit it was a mistake to interfere and let them get on with it.

Jonathon Coleman should be demanding an explanation from Mr Ellis over the revised bid.

aardvark said...

Look at it this way - we have two government funded departments bidding against each other for RWC broadcast rights. Will we as taxpayers (the funders of their bidding war) benefit from paying a higher price. No, the only beneficiaries are the IRB and bureaucrats egos.

Anonymous said...

I must have misread, but didn't TVNZ go to MTS with a bid of $1 million for the last 6 games, and was told to Foxtrot Oscar?

Anonymous said...

The other question being asked with some nervousness by MTS employees and contractor programme-makers is what programmes are going to be cut, and who will laid off, to pay for the MTS bid.

Swimming said...

The PM should have kept his nose out of this one

It is my understanding he cant as any successful TVNZ bid has to be passed by cabinet.

But I do think that the political implications of the TPK proposal have not been thought through particularly well. Sharples approved funding via Maori development so any proposal had to have a convincing development approach.

If there was to be a joint approach between MTV and TVNZ , the implications of a fusion of TVNZ aims with a Maori development approach will need to be considered.