Viewers cool on TV charter

TVNZ's charter was supposed to produce high-quality New Zealand television, but many viewers don't think it is happening.

A Herald-Digipoll survey found that 45 per cent of 1000 people interviewed thought TVNZ's programmes had become worse since the charter was introduced two years ago.

Thirty-four per cent thought the programmes were better and 20 per cent were undecided.

The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 per cent.

People over 60 were the most displeased with post-charter programmes.

Sixty-five per cent of them thought programmes were worse, against 19 per cent who thought there had been an improvement.

People under 40 were most content with the charter programmes, 46 per cent saying they had improved.

Fifty-one per cent of Maori and Pacific Island people surveyed thought the charter had improved programmes, but only 30 per cent of Europeans did.

TVNZ's head of publicity, Avon Adams, said the results were not surprising.

"It's hard for the public to know if it is better of worse if you don't clearly define what the charter is.

"I think there is confusion about what the charter is."

The charter requires TVNZ to balance commercial performance against social responsibility and contribute to New Zealand's cultural and national identity through programming.

It aims to lift local content to 50 per cent. TVNZ's annual report said local shows were 38 per cent of the network's content in the past financial year.

Ms Adams said the over-60 age group could be disgruntled by the reduction in the amount of British drama and comedy being shown.

But TVNZ research suggested that baby-boomers were likely to enjoy younger programming.

"We have always said this [the charter] is an evolutionary process, not a revolutionary process.

The Government is investing heavily in the charter.

In November it said it would put $11 million - nearly a third of TVNZ's annual dividend - back into the state-owned company to make charter programmes.

This is on top of $23.3 million of public money already paid to TVNZ.

The Herald-Digipoll survey found that 73 per cent of people surveyed would not watch Paul Holmes' new show on Prime, and that 74 per cent thought all channels carried too much "reality television".