Save TV Coverage in the South

new-zealand-first-party

Mon Nov 02 2015 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)

Save TV Coverage in the South

Monday, 2 November 2015, 12:31 pm
Press Release: New Zealand First Party

2 NOVEMBER 2015

The proposed Television NZ downsizing in the South is yet another example of regional neglect that is a hallmark of the National government.

“If this government is not careful, South Islanders may renew the old war cry ‘cut the cable’. And well they might,” says New Zealand First Leader and Member of Parliament for Northland Rt Hon Winston Peters.

“The proposal is an affront to regional New Zealand. It’s basically saying the deep South doesn’t matter, we’re casting them adrift, while two National Ministers and three National MPs from the South stand idly by.

“Reports suggest the Southland and Otago, and many parts of provincial New Zealand, have been gutted as broadcasting newsrooms downsize or pull out of the regions.

“It is up to the government to protect democracy by ensuring reportage and spread of information. TVNZ as the state broadcaster has a mandate to broadcast to all New Zealand, not just part of it.

“Within that charter it is expected that the subject matter would also be about the whole country.

“The government crows about diversity in the population, but is excluding regional Kiwis.

“Instead of axing reporters and camera crews from regional New Zealand TVNZ should be putting more into provincial cities and get back to serious coverage of what’s going on in this country. After all that’s where the real export created wealth comes from.

“Fortunately Radio New Zealand still brings provincial coverage but with massive changes there will this be weakened under an Auckland-centric government?”

ENDS

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