KEY POINTS:
TVNZ wants public comment on a new, plain English redraft of its charter as it begins a five-yearly review of the document it has worked under since 2003.
The draft charter is a simplified version of the charter - a set of obligations to show programmes meeting the interests of a wide range of people.
TVNZ chief executive Rick Ellis said the draft did not change the substance of the charter but made it easier for people to understand.
"We're not intending to change the substance of the current charter until we've had input from the public."
TVNZ has been trying since 2003 to ensure it met the Government's expectations as well as delivering a profit.
Mr Ellis said the redraft also took into account the two new digital channels TVNZ was setting up under Freeview, and its greater use of the internet and other technologies.
It would be available for public comments for a month, and then a working party would prepare a report on the results for Minister of Broadcasting Steve Maharey and for referral to a select committee.
National broadcasting spokesman Jonathan Coleman said the new draft would make no difference to what was on the screen and dismissed the exercise as a feel-good attempt to divert the debate away from TVNZ's commercial performance and recent staff cuts.
The head of the broadcasting school at Christchurch Polytechnic, Paul Norris, said the redraft was more succinct and easier to understand.
However, TVNZ needed to be wary of relegating low-rating charter programmes to the new digital channels until the channels were better established.
"It could mean some of these charter aims will not be fulfilled by the mass audience channels, and that may diminish the aim of providing a mix of programming on the two main channels. Clearly you're not going to be able to reach 'most New Zealanders' on TVNZ 6 or 7 for a very long time."
TVNZ's statement of intent for 2007 to 2010 said charter programmes would stay predominantly on the two main channels, complemented by the digital channels.
However, the non-commercial digital channels may eventually become the natural home for programmes for niche audiences, allowing TVNZ's main two to focus on boosting revenue.
The new channels - TVNZ 6 for children and family viewing and TVNZ 7 for factual programmes, such as current affairs and documentaries - are due to begin in September this year and March next year respectively.
Mr Maharey said he was comfortable with the wording in the draft.
From next year TVNZ will use a new system to measure how it has delivered on the charter, which has traditionally been tricky to quantify.
In return for Government funding of $79 million toward the $112 million estimated cost for five years of the two digital channels, TVNZ is expected to show and commission more local content than at present, and show niche programmes in better timeslots.
TVNZ says it will use digital funding for local programmes on those channels.
Rewriting the charter on news and current affairs
* Old: "Provide independent, comprehensive, impartial and in-depth coverage and analysis of news and current affairs in New Zealand and throughout the world and of the activities of public and private institutions."
* New: "Provide independent, comprehensive, impartial and in-depth news and current affairs."
On minority groups
* Old: "Include in programming intended for a mass audience material that deals with minority interests."
* New: "Enable New Zealanders to have access to programming that deals with minority interests."
