Kiwiblog

Seven Sharp is not current affairs so much as infotainment. I don’t have a problem with that because I am not sure enough happens in NZ for a daily current affairs show. This leads to manufactured stories and the like.

But I do think current affairs shows are important, even if not daily. And Rachel Glucina points out how many we have now:

• Sunday, TV One
• 360, TV3
• 60 Minutes, Prime
• Native Affairs, Maori TV
• 3rd Degree, TV3
• The Vote, TV3
• 20/20, TV2
• Q+A, TV One
• The Nation, TV3

When people say there is no current affairs in New Zealand, well far from it.

Stuff reports:

Australian television boss Tim Worner says the station will not be spooked into fast-tracking imported television series and dramas because of internet pirates.

Yeah, stuff the viewers who want to see their favourite shows promptly. They’ll see them when we tell them they can see them.

We now live in a global market. Channels are, in my  opinion, losing relevance. People are about content, and will bypass traditional channels too get it. Evenetually I hope the future will be that people can purchase their favourite TV series directly from the producers within a day of release.

TVNZ sent these out. This is for combined viewers, regardless of channel.

1. RWC 2011 Final (NZ v France) 23/10/2011 – 2,036,900
   2. RWC 2011 Semi-final (NZ v Australia) 16/10/2011 – 2,024,000
   3. RWC 2011 Opening Game (NZ v Tonga) 09/09/2011 – 1,930,000
   4. Boxing – Tua v Lewis 12/11/2000 – 1,841,230
   5. ONE News Special – Diana’s death 31/08/1997 -1,703,310
   6. 2000 Olympics Opening Ceremony 15/09/2000 – 1,654,310
   7. ONE News Special – Diana’s Funeral 06/09/1997 – 1,649,710
   8. RWC 2011 Qtr Final (NZ v Argentina) 09/10/2011 – 1,624,400
   9. RWC 2003 Final (England v Australia) 22/11/2003 – 1,604,800
   10. Diana Exclusive 21/11/1995 – 1,516,780
   11. RWC 2011 Opening Ceremony 09/09/2011 – 1,499,160
   12. RWC 2007 (NZ v France) 07/10/2007 – 1,410,410

I find it interesting that a boxing match was 4th highest (and 1st before the 2011 RWC).

Of the top 12, seven are RWC matches. three are the death of Diana, and one boxing and one Olympics.

The Government announced:

The Government announced today that New Zealand will complete the switch to digital television by 2013.

‘’Our election promise was to achieve digital switchover (DSO) by 2015 at the latest. With 70 percent of New Zealand households already watching digital television, we are in a good position to set a date for DSO,” says Broadcasting Minister Jonathan Coleman.

‘’In achieving DSO by the end of 2013, all of New Zealand will receive the benefit of enhanced reception, better picture quality and more channels. There will be a substantial wider economic benefit generated by the use of freed up spectrum for new technology.

It is the spectrum that is freed up, which has exciting possibilities.

Digital switchover will be phased starting with Hawke’s Bay and the West Coast in September 2012. The rest of the country will switch over in three stages with an end date of November 2013.

I got a new TV a couple of years ago that is digital, so no problems with me. Plus I do all my viewing through My Sky anyway.

Labour are supportive:

Am at NZ Computer Society 50th anniversary conf in Rotorua and about to speak, but want to say that it’s the right decision. Am a bit suprised. it loooked as though the government was going to delay til 2015.

Wonder why they changed their minds. The mobile companies investing in 4G will be pleased.  And it means that we wont lag in the next generation of ultra-fast broadband over mobile.

The “loser” is Kordia, who provide the current transmissions. But they are well on their way with developing other business models.

The HoS reports:

An explosion in online piracy has forced New Zealand’s free-to-air TV networks to fast-track the screening of top international shows.

Superhero drama Heroes and British car series Top Gear topped the list of the most illegally downloaded TV shows in New Zealand last year, with millions of copies hitting cyberspace as soon as they were made available overseas.

As a result, those shows and others including House, Private Practice and Survivor are aired within days of their international release.

And that is the logical response. We live in a borderless world and if people can read online the latest Heroes episode is out, they want to see it now – now in six months. If NZ is only a few days behind few will pirate it, but if it is a choice of waiting for months or downloading a copy of something that will be free to air  anyway, people download.

As a matter of principle I will not download movies, as they are distributed in NZ within days of overseas release, and you have to pay to see them.

I have occassionally downloaded a TV show if it either does not show in NZ at all, or the wait to see it will be too long. I always watch it again on the TV once they do show here also. At present I haven’t downloaded a TV show for months – partly too busy, but partly because TV networks here are screening them faster.

Tony Eaton, the executive director of the Federation Against Copyright Theft, says that the authorities in New Zealand had yet to conduct extensive research into illegal downloads.

“Our primary focus has been the film industry but in saying that we have turned our attention to television more,” he said.

“It makes sense for networks to make shows available as soon as possible on television here.”

Good to see FACT agreeing.

The trend may explain why the big two free-to-air networks offer legal downloads of top shows for a limited period after they screen on TV.

“It may be that online availability of programming is actually having the effect of boosting television viewing – that is certainly the case with `catch up’ television,” said Richards.

I have no doubt this is the case.