Kedgley Sue: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Kedgley Sue: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:632;Page:3687] 
11.  
SUE KEDGLEY (Green) 
 to the  
Minister of Broadcasting 
: Will the Government commit to a substantial increase in funding for local content and put in place local content quotas to ensure there is a guaranteed amount of local programming on the proposed 18 new digital channels; if not why not? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY (Minister of Broadcasting) 
: 
 No the Government’s commitment is to support the establishment of a platform for free-to-air digital TV to ensure that all New Zealanders continue to have access to free-to-air broadcasting services. We are not intending to impose quotas. Our commitment is to provide up to $25 million over 5 years towards the establishment of Freeview and to provide access to frequencies estimated to be worth up to $10 million. 
Sue Kedgley 
: Does he agree that without substantial increased funding for local content or local content quotas digital television may simply deliver us high-quality images of low-quality overseas programmes and endless reruns of other people’s reality TV; if not why not? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: No. 
Jill Pettis 
: What is the Government doing to support local content on free-to-air television? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: The Government supports local content through funding of New Zealand On Air and through the Television New Zealand (TVNZ) charter. Combined television funding for these initiatives is now more than $83 million per annum—significantly more than the previous National Government funded. The Government’s policies promote the development of quality programming and a good example is children’s programming. This year New Zealand On Air is funding a great range of children’s programmes including  
Madigan’s Quest 
  
Killians’s Curse 
  
The Lost Children 
  
Karaoke High 
  
What Now 
  
Studio 2 
  
Mai Time 
  
Stage Challenge 
  
Squirt 
 and of course the ground-breaking  
Let’s Get Inventing 
. 
Sue Kedgley 
: How many new channels does the Minister expect TVNZ to set up once digital television is established; does he agree that this presents a great opportunity for TVNZ to differentiate itself from all the other channels by making one channel an advertisement-free genuinely public broadcaster; if not why not? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: Six and yes. 
Sue Kedgley 
: Does he accept that many New Zealanders simply cannot afford the $300 to $400 technology upgrade to switch to digital and what will happen to those who have not been able to make the change before the analogue switch-off in 6 to 10 years; will he guarantee that no one loses access to television because of the cost of the upgrade? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: I have to point out this change will take place over 6 to 10 years. The most likely cost right now for a person making the shift would be $200 for a set top box and $30 to have someone come round to twiddle with the aerial. Over time those costs may well come down to next to zero. For example I imagine that within 6 to 10 years manufacturers will put the digital component inside the television set when a person buys it and that will leave almost no costs at all to the consumer.