NZ On Air’s annual survey of the amount of local content on New Zealand television has found that more New Zealanders than ever are tuning in to locally made TV.

NZ On Air’s annual survey of the amount of local content on New Zealand television has found that more New Zealanders than ever are tuning in to locally made TV.

The Local Content Report 2008, released in May 2009, found that more than 11,600 hours of local programming screened in 2008 on the six national free to air channels. This is the highest level recorded to date and a 7 percent increase on last year. Thirty-four percent of the free to air schedules feature programmes by Kiwis, for Kiwis.

Chief executive Jane Wrightson said that healthy competition in the broadcast sector was driving excellent on-screen results. 

“NZ On Air has compiled this report for the twenty years of our existence,” she said. “The comparison is remarkable. In 1989, the year the contestable funding system was being designed, only 59 hours of drama screened. In 2008 it was 711 hours. It’s the same for children’s programmes: 464 hours in 1989 compared to 1,047 hours in 2008. And the documentary figures are staggering: 34 local hours in 1989, 691 hours in 2008.”
“New Zealanders’ desire to see themselves reflected on screen remains undiminished,” she said.

NZ On Air invests over $80 million into local programmes each year, along with broadcasters and other funding sources. “What’s especially good this year is that first-run hours increased by over 8 percent,” said Ms Wrightson. 

TV One screened the most local content - nearly 4,000 hours - and Maori Television came second, with over 2,600 hours.

Quick facts: Local Content Report 2008

• The report uses an 18-hour clock, counting programmes from 6am-midnight. The number of local content hours increased by 816 hours to 11,600 hours, a 7% increase on 2007 when 10,784 hours were broadcast. This is the highest level recorded to date.

• Channels included are TV One, TV2, TV3, C4, Prime TV and Maori Television

• Local content increased on four of the six channels surveyed in 2008.

• TV One screened the most hours of local content and screened the most first run (new) programming, with 3,427 first run hours.

 Free to air television

• The biggest percentage increase in local content hours was on TV3, up from 24% to 30%.

• Total first-run local content hours increased by 711 hours in 2008 to 8,936 hours. (8,225 in 2007).

• Prime time local content hours decreased by 25 hours to 3701 hours (3,726 in 2007)

• 2,664 hours of the total 11,600 hours were repeat hours (23%).

Television Local Content in New Zealand 2008 (quantitative report released May 2009)