Dialogue: Local quotas for TV long overdue

If we are ever to have television that mirrors ourselves, the Government must honour its election pledge on quotas, writes ANNETTE CHEN*.

The Government's apparent about-turn on the introduction of mandatory local-content quotas has disappointed many who seek a lively New Zealand television industry genuinely reflecting our culture and creativity.

The Labour Party's 1999 election manifesto promise was unambiguous. It would introduce format-specific local-content quotas as soon as possible on free-to-air television. Let's hope this is not another manifesto that turns out to be mere puffery.

Despite more than a decade of operations, New Zealand On Air, the statutory funding body charged with promoting local content on television, has been unable to raise annual levels beyond 25 per cent.

It has said consistently that without quotas this lamentable situation is likely to continue, and perhaps deteriorate.

To understand how atypical New Zealand is in this respect, one needs to compare the situation with Australia, which has a local-content quota of 55 per cent by genre on its commercial channels. The European Union requires a 50 per cent European-origin quota from all member countries, and this applies to all channels, free-to-air and pay television. Canada has set its local-content minimum at 60 per cent, and in Ireland it is 41 per cent.

Even some of the smaller Scandinavian countries, such as Norway and Finland, have local-content quotas, set at 56 per cent and 55 per cent respectively.

New Zealand's local-content position is perhaps the lowest in the Western world. The Minister of Broadcasting recognises that the reality and diversity of New Zealand life are not well enough represented in our broadcasting. The solution lies in mandatory quotas that apply to all broadcasters.

Such quotas need not be blunt instruments. They can be specific as to genre, and different levels can be set for state-owned and privately owned broadcasters.

Existing broadcasters can be given a phase-in period to achieve local content quotas. New entrants can have local-content requirements made part of their broadcasting licences. Pay television should not be exempt.

The proliferation of satellite channels has the potential to reduce the proportion of local content even further. New Zealand should follow the lead of the European Union in this regard.

Obviously, local-content quotas will increase the cost to private operators of broadcasting in New Zealand, and they would be reluctant to be compelled to comply with Government-set targets. Yet this is precisely the area in which governments must show leadership if television broadcasting is really to enhance and develop our cultural identity.

For the public component of broadcasting and Television New Zealand, the decision to axe the public broadcasting fee should be reviewed.

Whatever the drawbacks of its public unpopularity, the fee gave security of funding and independence for NZ On Air to promote local television content.

Without it, NZ On Air has little funding certainty. It makes good sense for the public service broadcasting fee to be reimposed.

The cost of meeting local-content quotas should not be prohibitive for commercial broadcasters. Careful thought should be given to the level of quota and the time given to gradually achieve the specified levels.

However, commercial broadcasters cannot abdicate all obligations for promoting local content to a charter-driven TVNZ. Their right to broadcast should be coupled with a social responsibility to promote and enhance the culture in which they operate.

Decisive leadership needs to be shown now for quotas to be set and implemented. If New Zealand television is ever to truly portray our stories and hear our voices, there should be no further delays on local-quota issues.

The Minister of Broadcasting has said she does not want New Zealand consigned to a blip that can slip from the CNN global view.

Yet this remains a possibility because local-content levels are likely to sink even lower as more channels increase total transmission time.

Marian Hobbs would do well to heed the words of Ian Cross, a former chairman of the Broadcasting Corporation, who said: "The quality of broadcasting and the quality of life of the community it serves are so linked as to be almost inseparable."

The minister should honour her party's promise and introduce local-content quotas without further delay.

* Annette Chen is a postgraduate student at the University of Auckland's film, television and media studies department.