SMST21606B Lecture 2 Week 29

1
SMST216-06B Lecture 2 (Week 29)

• Part I The History of Television
• A Short History of Television in New Zealand
• Geoff Lealand

2
There are two major strands of television
history

• The American history, concentrating on inventors
  and the development of television technology
  video Television Window to the World
• The British history, concentrating on the
  development of broadcasting institutions eg Asa
  Briggs, The First 50 Years of the BBC
• Note there are two general histories of
  television in NZ Robert Boyd-Bell (1985), New
  Zealand Television The First 25 Years, and
  Patrick Day (2000), Voice Vision A History of
  Broadcasting in New Zealand. See also Lealand
  Martin (2001) Chapter 1

3
Who invented television?

• Three hundred people responsible for some part
  of the invention is, in fact, a conservative
  figure since it took nearly a century of research
  before Milton Berle could show up in your living
  room in drag
• TV historian Jeff Kisseloff
• (Q. Who was Milton Berle?)

4
The inventors of television

• Philo T. Farnsworth (USA) - scanning lines
• Vladimir Zworykin (USA) -cathode ray tube
• John Logie Baird (Britain) - mechanical
  transmission of images over wire
• The first TV remote (called Lazy Bones) was
  developed by Zenith Electronics (US) in 1950

5
Television history timelines

• Broadcast History Timeline
• www.tvhandbook.com.History/History_timeline.htm
• History of Television Timeline
• http//inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bl_te
  levision_timeline.htm
• History of Television in New Zealand
• http//corporate.tvnz.co.nz/tvnz_detail/0,22406,11
  1544-247-252,00.html

6
The American model of television

• Television networks grew out of radio networks,
  controlled by large corporations (NBC,CBS,ABC)
• Minimal regulation/government control (Federal
  Communications Commission)
• primary content of television was
  domestically-based entertainment
• primary purpose and funding of television was
  commerce (delivering audiences to advertisers)
• video The Peoples Century Picture Power

7
The British model of television

• Television grew out of state-owned television
  (BBC), with a strong public service remit (eg the
  BBCs original remit to enlighten, elevate and
  educate)
• Television was initially funded by fees a mix
  developed with the introduction of commercial
  television (ITV) in 1955
• British television developed as a duopoly
  Channel 4, Channel 5 pay-TV added from the
  1980s
• External regulation of commercial TV
  self-regulation of the BBC (Charter)

8
But the distinctions are blurring

• The BBC is still regarded as a public service
  broadcaster, funded by a general broadcasting fee
  (120 pounds annually), to inform, educate and
  entertain. Nevertheless, it makes substantial
  profits from programmes it exports (eg NZ300
  million from Teletubbies), and formats it owns
  and exports (eg Dancing With the Stars)

9
The New Zealand model of television

• grew out of state-owned radio Television New
  Zealand remains state-owned television (currently
  a Crown-owned company)
• mix of public service objectives and commercial
  imperatives (eg TVNZ dividend)
• video 40 years of ONE)
  
  
  
• introduction of privately-owned channels (TV3)
  in 1988 and pay TV (Sky) in 1990

10
Part II Television in New Zealand in 2006

• Television in New Zealand, in 2006, remains a mix
  of public service objectives (a prime
  responsibility of Television New Zealand), and
  commercial interests (overseas-owned channels
  pay TV ). There are structures and processes
  unique to television in this country.
• Free digital service (Freeview) planned for
  2007, screening free-to-air channels

11
Television New Zealand

• A Crowned-Owned Company (CROC), operating TV ONE
  and TV2 under the TVNZ Charter. The transmission
  service BCL is now operated separately.
• Funded primarily through advertising revenue
  (90) Charter funding from the Govt (16m in
  2005) programme subsidies through NZOA and Te
  Mangai Paho
• 49 share of the FTA audience (2006). Dominates
  ratings (esp TV ONE)
• Pays dividend on profits to Govt

12
TV3 and C4

• Majority shareholder CanWest Global
  Communications (Canada) 30 NZ shareholders.
  Financed through advertising NZOA programme
  subsidies
• Operates TV3 (FTA channel, with younger
  demographic) C4 (music video programming
  strands). 19 FTA audience share (2006)
• CanWest also owns a large share of the NZ radio
  market (RadioWorks, Radio Pacific, More FM)

13
Prime TV

• Previously owned and operated by Prime Networks
  Australia purchased by Sky Network Television in
  2005. Financed through advertising revenue. Up to
  5 FTA audience share.
• Prime plans to use Prime for FTA replays of the
  significant sporting fixtures it has exclusive
  rights to.

14
Maori Television Service

• State-funded national channel,with a brief to
  preserve and promote te reo Maori . Launched June
  2004, and attracts between 50-70 non-Maori
  viewers, broadcasting up to 8 hours daily.
• Programming is 90 locally produced

15
Sky Network Television

• Pay TV service, providing 80 channels of
  terrestrial satellite digital service radio
  channels. Currently the only significant digital
  television provider in NZ. 78 owned by
  Independent News Ltd (INL) 8 Commercial Bank
  of Australia. More than 42 of NZ h/hs subscribe
  (640,500), After years on continuous losses, Sky
  made 35m profit in 2004. Currently 5 of income
  comes from advertising. 23 of the total NZ
  television audience (2006). Introduced PVR
  (personal video recorders) in 2006.
• 44 owned by Rupert Murdochs News Corporation

16
Other television

• Regional television eg NowTV, CTV (Christchurch),
  Nelson (Mainland TV). Channel 9 (Dunedin)
• Community television eg Triangle (Auckland and
  Wellington), BigTV (Univ of Waikato)

17
Funding Agencies (1)

• New Zealand On Air (under Ministry of Culture and
  Heritage) est. 1989, with responsibilities for
  social and cultural objectives of broadcassting
  (radio TV). Directly funded from Treasury (97m
  annually 60m allocated to funding TV
  programmes). Contestable funding, concentrated on
  threatened genres (drama/comedy, childrens,
  documentaries).
• Broadcasting slot required to receive NZOA
  funding.

18
Funding Agencies (2)

• Te Mangai Paho (under Te Puni Kokiri). Promotes
  Maori language and culture through providing
  funds for programming--primarily to Maori
  Television Service (more than 20m annually, with
  50 te reo Maori targets)

19
Regulation Agencies (1)

• Broadcasting Standards Authority (under Ministry
  of Culture and Heritage) . Est. 1989.
  Govt-funded, complaints-based content regulator.
  Regulates radio and TV, through codes of
  broadcasting practice, developed in conjunction
  with industry. Deals with around 200 formal
  complaints annually (average upheld21).
  Conducts audience research (as does NZOA)

20
Regulation Agencies (2)

• Advertising Standards Authority. Industry-based,
  self-regulatory body responding to advertising
  complaints. Incorporates Advertising Standards
  Complaints Board and Advertising Standards
  Appeals Board (both with public members)

21
To conclude .

• The major avenues for funding television are
• advertising (buying airtime, sponsorship, naming
  rights)
• fees or taxes (eg the former Public Broadcasting
  Fee)
• direct government funding eg MTS and NZOA in NZ
  ABC in Australia)
• funding mixes (eg TVNZ)
• Pay TV--pay service, channel subscriptions

22
The manner in which television is funded
determines what kind of television eventuates

• commercial television eg American networks
  NBC/ABC/CBS/Fox Channels 7/9/10 in Australia
  TV3/C4/Prime in NZ
• public service television eg BBC, ABC
  (Australia), NHK (Japan), YLE (Finland)
• pay TV eg Foxtel (Australia), Sky (UK), Sky (NZ)
• mixed systems (public funding advertising) eg
  Television New Zealand

23
The future of television?

• The Personal Video Recorder (PVR) aka Digital
  Personal Video Recorder (DVR) or TiVO.
• The PVR makes timeshifting much easier, can
  pause live TV, provide instant replay, and the
  ability to skip advertising .
• Sky has introduced PVRs into New Zealand
• Analogue TV switch-off (NZ 2012? USA 2009
  Finland 2007), digital TV
• New forms of delivery eg TV on mobiles, webTV

24
Questions

• What other factors have shaped the history and
  development of television in New Zealand?
• Is it possible to fund television differently
  from the methods described here?
• What might be other futures for television?
• What dilemmas does broadcasting regulation face
  in the near and distant future?