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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.
TVNZ spokeswoman Megan Richards and TV3 marketing director Roger Beaumont confirmed they had "tightened" the turnaround for screening international shows, particularly those from the US.
"The potential for illegal downloading is a factor in that," says Beaumont.
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."
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.
"Having the ability to catch up online on a couple of missed episodes of a favourite programme actually encourages the viewer to stay with the series as it runs on TV."
Despite the boom in dodgy downloads, Beaumont said total TV viewership is up 5 per cent on last year.
"That's more people watching TV, and watching it for longer."
An independent study conducted on behalf of the Motion Picture Association in 2005 showed piracy cost the New Zealand film industry an estimated $70 million.
Internet piracy via file-sharing networks accounts for the majority of these losses, with about $33m in lost consumer spending. The buying of illegally-pirated movies or files was responsible for more than $24m in lost consumer spending in 2005.
* The much-hyped return of hit 90s teen soap 90210 has flopped with New Zealand viewers, forcing TV3 executives to pull the show after one month.
The updated version of Beverly Hills, 90210 - about a group of West Hollywood brats - is now scheduled to air on C4 instead.
It was also axed in Australia because of poor ratings.
