FAQs | INSIDE TVNZ | tvnz.co.nz

WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO MY FAVOURITE TV ONE PROGRAMME?
If any information is available, it will appear on each individual programme page which can be found here

WHEN IS THE CLOSE UP WEBSITE UPDATED?
The Close Up site is updated every week night at 7.30pm and the video is updated at 8.30pm. All stories are streamed in Windows Media and Flash.

WHERE ARE THE STUDY GUIDES I HAVE SEEN ADVERTISED?
Most study guides can be found archived here

TV2

WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO MY FAVOURITE TV2 PROGRAMME?
If any information is available, it will appear on each individual programme page which can be found here

HOW CAN I BE PART OF THE STUDIO AUDIENCE FOR WHAT NOW?
To get tickets to the taping of What Now, call Whitebait TV on (03) 339 7101. Tapings occur in Christchurch.

GENERAL

Programming

I'VE GOT A GREAT IDEA - HOW DO I MAKE IT HAPPEN?
Firstly a proposal outlining the concept must be presented to TVNZ's commissioning editors. Details on how to do this can be accessed by clicking here.

HOW CAN I GET A COPY OF A PROGRAMME?
TVNZ does not hold the rights to programmes made overseas, however it is possible to purchase tapes of some locally produced programmes and items in local news bulletins. Please detail the programme or item you would like a copy of and post to: Saffron Solley, Licensing Executive - Non-Commercial, TVNZ, PO Box 3819, Auckland or email: saffron.solley@tvnz.co.nz

WHAT ARE THE CLASSIFICATIONS FOR PROGRAMMES?
TVNZ takes the issue of inappropriate content on television very seriously. There are four internal appraisers who scrutinise all programmes and promotions before they go to air to ensure they conform to the Codes of Practice formulated by New Zealand broadcasters and the government-appointed Broadcasting Standards Authority.

Last year TVNZ rejected a number of entire programmes and edited segments out of many more because they were deemed too offensive. However, TVNZ believes that parents must be the ultimate censors, and the comprehensive classification system is there to help parents choose what is appropriate viewing for their children. The classifications are as follows:

Definition: A child means a boy or girl under the age of 14 years (Children, Young Persons, and Their Families Act 1989).

G - General Programmes which exclude material likely to be unsuitable for children. Programmes may not necessarily be designed for child viewers but must not contain material likely to alarm or distress them. G programmes may be screened at any time.

PGR - Parental Guidance Recommended Programmes containing material more suited for mature audiences but not necessarily unsuitable for child viewers when subject to the guidance of a parent or an adult. PGR programmes may be screened between 9am and 4pm, and after 7pm until 6am.

AO - Adults Only Programmes containing adult themes and directed primarily at mature audiences. AO programmes may be screened between midday and 3pm on weekdays (except during school and public holidays as designated by the Ministry of Education) and after 8.30pm until 5am.

Note: News and Current Affairs programmes, which may be scheduled at any time and may, on occasion, pre-empt other scheduled broadcasts, are not, because of their distinct nature, subject to censorship or to the strictures of the classification system. However, producers are required to be mindful that young people may be among viewers of news and current affairs programmes during morning, daytime and early evening hours and should give consideration to including warnings where appropriate.

Special note There will be programmes containing stronger material or special elements which fall outside the AO guidelines. These programmes may contain a greater degree of sexual activity, potentially offensive language, realistic violence, sexual violence, or horrific encounters. In such circumstances, time designations such as "AO 9.30pm or later" may be appropriate.

WHY IS THE SHOW ON AIR DIFFERENT TO THE PRINTED LISTINGS?
A late alteration to TVNZ's programme schedule only occurs under special circumstances. Occasionally, there are last minute problems in receiving a programme from the supplier or if there are satellite delivery delays which leaves our programmers no other alternative other than to screen another programme. At other times, programmers choose to screen an extremely topical programme or breaking news interrupts the schedule. In a full programme schedule, room has to be made to accommodate these programmes and newsbreaks. Replacing a programme and changing the schedule is not a decision that is made lightly by TVNZ's programmers. TVNZ's publicists make every possible effort to inform viewers through on-air promotions, and listings in the newspapers and magazines, however sometimes these changes happen after the deadlines for print media.

WHY IS MY FAVOURITE PROGRAMME RUNNING LATE?
Sometimes a programme is received from a distributor only shortly before going to air and may run for slightly longer than anticipated. TV ONE also screens a lot of programmes from non-commercial British networks and, as a result, TV ONE sometimes runs a little later than scheduled.

In addition to this, the live nature of programmes such as ONE NEWS and Close Up early in the evening means that they can sometimes run a little over time, especially if live interviews take place. This changes the start and finish times for programmes throughout the evening's schedule.

WHY DOES DAYTIME PROGRAMMING CHANGE IN THE SCHOOL HOLIDAYS?
TVNZ tries to balance the demands of both school children and regular daytime viewers during school holidays. Extra care is taken with the content of the soaps and talk shows during the school holiday periods, with material that's not appropriate for younger viewers being edited out wherever possible or in the event a programme has an AO rating it is removed from the schedule while the school holidays are in progress.

WHY ARE THERE REPEATS OF SOME SHOWS AND NOT OTHERS?
Some viewers dislike repeats, while there are many other viewers who wish to see their favourite movie or programme again. Hundreds of viewers write to TVNZ requesting repeated programmes every year. TVNZ's programmers constantly try to balance these conflicting preferences. Throughout the year TVNZ receives a lot of requests for repeat programmes, and the holiday period, when many people have more time to watch television, offers a good opportunity to accommodate those requests. Generally when purchasing a programme, TVNZ attempts to secure repeat rights of popular programmes with the programme distributor, however this is not always possible.

HOW DO I LAY A FORMAL COMPLAINT?
Viewers are able to lay a formal complaint with TVNZ if they feel the company has breached the Broadcasting Standards Act. To complain, viewers need to write to TVNZ in the first instance at: TVNZ Formal Complaints, PO Box 3819, Auckland. The one exception is an allegation of a breach of privacy, which may be taken directly to the Broadcasting Standards Authority. In the event a viewer is dissatisfied with the response from the TVNZ Complaints Committee, they may take their complaint to the Broadcasting Standards Authority.

ARE THERE PLANS FOR ANOTHER TELETHON?
There are currently no further Telethons planned. Producing a huge live television event, like Telethon, is a logistical and expensive production and isn't always justified when balanced against the amount of money raised for charity. However TVNZ now helps charitable community organisations through the 'TVNZ Community Support Foundation' giving them free television advertising time to promote their organisations.

The Charter

WHO WROTE THE CHARTER?
Government officials were responsible for drafting the Charter. Members of the public were able to make submissions to the Charter, as was TVNZ itself. This feedback was incorporated into the final Charter which was implemented in 2003.

HOW IS TVNZ'S PEFORMANCE AGAINST THE CHARTER MEASURED?
A range of quantitative and qualitative measures are used in determining TVNZ's delivery of the Charter both on and off screen.

Sport

WHY IS THERE SO MUCH/ISN'T THERE MORE SPORT ON TV?
One of the difficulties facing TVNZ's programmers is to offer a balanced schedule in order to cater for as broad an audience as possible. This obviously involves the inclusion of sport but necessitates placing many other forms of programmes in the schedule as well. There are sometimes occasions when a sporting event is not included in the schedule due to cost and availability of airtime.

WHY ARE YOU PLAYING SPORTS INSTEAD OF REGULAR PROGRAMMING?
On occasions when there are major sporting fixtures of huge interest to New Zealanders, and TVNZ has the broadcast rights to these events, live sport is screened in place of regularly scheduled programmes. These events are typically major international events such as the Olympics, Commonwealth Games and the America's Cup.

WHY DO YOU COVER SOME SPORTS AND NOT OTHERS?
TVNZ negotiates television broadcast rights with various national and international sports organisations and is not always successful in securing the rights. Sports rights for television broadcast can be enormously costly, and in addition to balancing the amount of sport screened on television, budgets are also a factor in deciding how much sport can be played on television. Naturally TVNZ endeavours to secure the rights to sports that are most popular with New Zealanders.

WHY DON'T YOU SCREEN MORE RUGBY?
TVNZ continues to screen the Rugby Sevens. Rights to the Super 14, Air New Zealand Cup and All Blacks' games have been bought by Sky Television. In the new professional rugby era, these live television rights have become prohibitively expensive for TVNZ and can only be afforded by pay TV networks such as Sky. In the future TVNZ will continue to explore ways it can screen more rugby.

Maori Programmes

DOES TVNZ CONTROL THE MAORI TELEVISION CHANNEL?
Both TVNZ and the Maori Television Service have the Government as shareholder, however both operations are completely separate.

Some Maori television programmes screened on TV ONE are re-broadcast on Maori Television - this is part of a deal negotiated between the two organisations to help promote te reo Maori. TVNZ is committed to working with the Maori Television Service where possible to maximise the benefit of the Government's investment in Maori programming.

DO ANY OF THE MAORI PROGRAMMES HAVE ENGLISH SUBTITLES?
Te Karere is broadcast live every weekday afternoon on TV ONE, then a repeat is shown at around 6am the following morning. The repeat broadcast has open captions (subtitles) in English. If 6am is a little early for you, these captions can be recorded with an ordinary VCR. Captions for the delayed broadcast of Te Karere are funded by NZ On Air. Parts of Marae on Sunday mornings also has captions in English.

For more information on captioning please visit http://www.captioningnz.co.nz

Ratings

WHAT ARE RATINGS AND HOW ARE THEY MEASURED?
Programme ratings show the average number of people who tuned into a programme at any given time and are expressed in thousands or as a percentage (known as a rating) of the total potential audience of the demographic selected. It is also known as a TARP (Target Audience Rating Point). Ratings are measured by a device called a PeopleMeter. A PeopleMeter is a box which sits on top of every television set within a house on the panel. It electronically records what programme is being watched at any given time. As each member of the household comes into the room to watch television, they press a button on the PeopleMeter handset, which tells the PeopleMeter exactly who is watching and what they are watching. The viewing information is automatically fed through the phone lines each day to a central computer at AGB Nielsen Media Research, the research company that runs the PeopleMeter system. 500 households are on the Peoplemeter panel and are spread across the country to cover all age groups as they are regarded as a representative sample of New Zealanders. This information is used to evaluate who is watching television and when, and whether programmes are popular or not.

WHO USES THE RATINGS?
Naturally, television networks utilise these figures to determine whether viewers like what they see on television - if a programme rates highly, then it is considered to be popular. Ratings also tell television networks how many people are watching - prime time in the evenings will always rate higher than during the day or overnight. Advertising agencies use the information supplied by AGB Nielsen Media Research to book television advertising time for clients as ratings are a good indication of when and how many people are watching. A general rule of thumb is that the higher a television programme rates, the higher the cost of advertising in that programme will be.

Advertising on TV

WHY ARE THERE ADS ON TV ONE AND TV2?
TVNZ is a commercial broadcaster as well as the public broadcaster for television, and its channels TV ONE and TV2 need to screen commercials to generate the revenue with which to buy and produce programmes.

With the exception of 'direct government funding' and funding through New Zealand On Air and Te Mangai Paho, TVNZ relies on commercial advertising to fund its most of its activities.

HOW MUCH DOES A COMMERCIAL COST?
In addition to the cost of making a television commercial, advertisers book time with television channels and pay each time the advertisement is broadcast. The cost of commercial advertising time on TVNZ's channels, TV ONE and TV2 can range from $100 to many thousands depending on the length of the advertisement and the time it screens. If an advertisement screens during peak time in a programme that attracts a large audience, the placement cost of the commercial will be more expensive than if it were shown late at night or during the day.

WHY DO THE ADS SOMETIMES SOUND LOUDER THAN THE PROGRAMMES?
TVNZ does not increase the volume of advertisements when they are screened. However, it is common practice in the television production industry for the sound tracks of commercials and some promotions to be compressed. The sound level of quieter passages is increased so there is more sound power in the range where the ear is most sensitive. The objective is to give those items a greater audible impact. In contrast, many television programmes do not have their sound compressed to the same extent and therefore, the differences between programmes and other material can be quite marked.

Unfortunately, the compression methods vary according to the production house and it isn't possible to predict in advance what the differences may be and take appropriate corrective action. In addition, it is now apparent that viewers perceive sound levels differently; what may be annoying for some is not of concern to others.

ARE THERE CONTROLS IN PLACE TO CHECK THE STANDARDS OF COMMERCIALS?
TVNZ has no editorial control over the content of advertisements. These are produced by independent advertising agencies on behalf of the company or product advertised.

The advertising of alcohol on television and radio is strictly controlled by codes of practice set down by the Government-appointed Broadcasting Standards Authority and the broadcasters. These rules restrict the number of these commercials and the times they can play, as well as the specific tone and content of the ads and the events and programmes they can be associated with. There are also guidelines regarding television advertising in children's programmes. More information about these regulations can be accessed by clicking here

Transmission

I HAVE TELEVISION RECEPTION PROBLEMS
TV ONE and TV2 reception is available to 99.6% of New Zealanders. There are very few viewers who receive poor or no reception. There are a number of reasons why television reception can be affected, some of the most common are listed below.

Atmospheric interference is caused by a phenomenon called ducting, which occurs as a result of two separate layers being created in the upper atmosphere (ionosphere). When this happens, television signals become trapped in the duct and are reflected back and forth to travel much further than intended.

This type of interference is more common in summer during periods of warm and settled weather. The effect is most noticeable at lower frequencies and as TV ONE is the main user of those channels, it is the service which is most affected.

Television signals arrive in distant coverage areas, causing anything from mild interference to complete obliteration of the wanted signal from the local station on the same frequency or channel. Interference occurs between channels within New Zealand and also between Australia and New Zealand, with occasional reports from countries further afield.

Although the ducting phenomenon is well understood, unfortunately there isn't a simple solution. For most viewers the problem is short term, occurring only in the evenings, especially during summer, but viewers in some areas will suffer long-term interference. Check with your neighbours to see if they are experiencing a similar problem, if so this is likely to be the case.

Other reception problems arise frequently from aerials that are rusted or corroded, are damaged or blown out of alignment. In addition, the feeder cable that should preferably be of the coaxial type, can be affected by loose or damaged connections or ingress of moisture. In such instances, it is almost always TV ONE that is affected.

Try checking your aerial and feeder cable thoroughly together with inside connections. The receiver tuning should also be checked.

If you decide to carry out an inspection yourself, we recommend you take all necessary precautions in regard to working at heights and near power lines. Alternatively, you might prefer to consult a reputable television service company for advice.

HOW DO I TUNE MY TV?
In most cases, if you have a television aerial or television satellite receiving dish you can tune in to TV ONE or TV2 fairly easily. It is best to follow the manufacturer's instructions in the first instance, however if you do not have instructions you can attempt to tune in as follows:

If you have difficulty tuning your television, we recommend you contact the outlet you purchased the television from or a reputable television service/repair company. Please note, Television New Zealand is not liable for any costs incurred tuning in your television.

For further information on tuning channels on your video, refer to the manufacturer's instructions. If you are a Sky Television subscriber and wish to tune in to TV ONE or TV2 on the Sky digital platform, please contact Sky Television.

Digital Television

WHAT?
Digital Television is a technical change to the present Analogue service which provides clearer pictures, sharper sound, ultimately a better choice of programmes and interactive options. All round, a better viewing experience.
Freeview will bring free to air digital radio and TV to New Zealand viewers. At first it will be beamed down from a satellite (DTH, Direct to Home) and later, transmitted from hilltops and high-points (DTT Digital Terrestrial TV).

WHO?
Freeview comprises a group of free to air broadcasters (CanWest MediaWorks, Maori Television Service, TVNZ and Radio New Zealand who have worked as a not-for-profit co-operative to create a digital platform on which their channels can be broadcast. Each broadcaster will decide which of its channels it will make available to Freeview. Notably Freeview is NOT TVNZ, but a group of broadcasters, one of whom is TVNZ.

HOW Is Freeview Received?
Householders will need a Freeview-certified set top box (sometimes called a decoder) which will be available from accredited retailers, and a dish to receive the initial DTH satellite service and, later, a Freeview-certified set top box and a suitable aerial if they want to receive Freeview via DTT, the terrestrial service. Sky set top boxes will not be able to receive all Freeview channels.

WHEN?
Freeview satellite(dish) launches in May 2007 and Freeview teristril(aerial) launches in early 2008.

TVNZs Digital Television Services
TVNZ's first free-to-air digital channel will launch in 2007, followed by another channel in 2008. There will be ample notification before the first channel launches so viewers will have sufficient time to purchase and install a Freeview-certified set top box and a dish for the initial service via satellite. Householders will have longer still to prepare for the later terrestrial service.

The current analogue television broadcasting system will however continue for 6 10 years until it is 'switched off' and replaced with the digital only television broadcasting system.

For all other information on Freeview please goto www.freeviewnz.tv

WHAT IS THE HYPE ABOUT 'WIDESCREEN TV'?
Please be assured that the transmission of our programmes in formats different from normal is not intended to force viewers to obtain new receivers.

Widescreen formats are being adopted progressively by broadcasters throughout the world to take advantage of opportunities presented by new technologies, particularly digital delivery systems. As a result of that progressive adoption, programme makers are providing increasing amounts of content only in those formats, for world-wide distribution.

To provide a little more detail, programmes with a broad band at the top and bottom of the picture are supplied in the "widescreen" format intended mainly for large international markets where there is known to be a high population of widescreen receivers, usually associated with digital delivery systems.

Alternatively, programmes with a narrow band at top and bottom are referred to as the 14:9 format which is a compromise intended to best suit both receiver types; widescreen and standard.

Miscellaneous

HOW IS THE TVNZ BOARD APPOINTED?
The TVNZ Board is appointed by the Minister of Broadcasting with Directors' terms typically being three years.

CAN WE VISIT TVNZ FOR A TOUR OF THE STUDIOS?
Yes, we often show people around the Auckland Television Centre. Please bear in mind though that we get many requests for tours and there can be quite a long queue! Please email us using the address below to request a tour - providing us with the time and date that you would like to come in and see us. corporate.communications@tvnz.co.nz

Captioning

I HEAR THERE ARE CAPTIONS AVAILABLE FOR DEAF VIEWERS. HOW CAN I WATCH THEM?
Anyone with a Teletext TV can view captions. If a programme has captions you will be able to watch them by selecting page 801 on Teletext. For the most up-to-date listing of programmes with captions see page 502 of Teletext. Captions are funded by NZ On Air.

For more information on captioning please visit www.captioningnz.co.nz

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