I think that the new National government should sell off TVNZ.
Those with any sort of memory will recall that it's been 20 years since TVNZ was a genuine public service broadcaster. Since the shakeup in the late 80's it's been dreck. Selling it off would at least allow it to be the dreck it wants to be without the feeling that it really shouldn't be.
Of course, I think we should retain a PBS-style channel without advertising, a cheap and cheerful place for Latvian documentaries and transgendered 'lifestyle' programmes. My guess is that even a modest channel of this nature would be so expensive no Government would ever shell out for it, but you can get the feel of what it would be like by watching Triangle TV now and then. There you may catch up on your Indian soap operas and marvel at how surprisingly good Al Jazeera is.
To a large degree the Information Age has overtaken the need for public service television, so it might be better just to give it a miss. Have to say though, I miss the age of two TV channels. It might seem Orwellian in retrospect, but in a way with less choice you were exposed to more variety, and you could rave or complain about whatever was on the previous night with just about anyone, because you knew they'd have been stuck watching it too.
Posted by stuart at July 13, 2008 3:40 PM