KEY POINTS:
Broadcasting Minister Steve Maharey is pleased the public appear to be warming to the idea of free-to-air digital television through the Freeview service.
Freeview, offering free-to-air digital versions of TV One, TV2, TV3, C4, Maori Television, and Radio New Zealand said today more people had signed up for the service in the first quarter than was predicted for the full year.
Freeview gives viewers free-to-air, high quality, digital television and radio once they have bought a set-top box, as the country moves away from analogue broadcasting and into the digital age.
Sales figures show more than 21,000 set-top-boxes have been bought since Freeview's launch in May, taking the total number of households with free-to-air digital satellite reception to an estimated 41,000.
Freeview general manager Steve Browning said when the service was launched the target was 40,000 households, or 100,000 New Zealanders, accessing Freeview's satellite service within a year.
Mr Maharey said this was an outstanding achievement.
"TVNZ has two new advertising-free channels coming on to Freeview in September and March, TVNZ 7 and TVNZ 7," Mr Maharey said.
"Triangle has also announced its intention to launch it Statos digital channel. With more content we can expect an increasing number of consumers choosing to make the one-off payment to buy a set-top box and change to digital television."
Mr Browning said the high initial take-up showed that New Zealanders had "clearly connected" with the digital service and chosen to make bad reception a thing of the past, he said.
"It's a great result, which indicates that people do want crystal clear, digital quality, and they want it for free."
Freeview take-up in regions such as Northland, Nelson, and Southland had been particularly strong.
The Government is spending $25 million over five years on the policy and had provided access to digital frequencies for free to the service.
- NZPA
