Digital trends in NZ - TV stations need to watch out

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Geektastic

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#901743 24-Sep-2013 10:35

Jas777: Geektastic,

Are you willing to pay a broadcasting fee? And if you are how much as to produce the same quality as the BBC with a population 20 times less will mean a massively high fee.

I rarely object to paying for quality.

No need to make new programs, just add the BBC channels live to Sky. The UK ones would be 100% better than 90% of anything they made here.

Geektastic

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#901747 24-Sep-2013 10:37

NonprayingMantis:
SaltyNZ:
Jas777: Geektastic,

Are you willing to pay a broadcasting fee? And if you are how much as to produce the same quality as the BBC with a population 20 times less will mean a massively high fee.

You are paying a broadcasting fee. It's just that in most civilised countries it comes out of general revenue rather than being split out as an explicit tax.

It's not quite the same thing though. TVNZ, for example, is a profit making enterprise. it doesn't receive government funding directly.

The only government funding really is for NZ OnAir, which is pitiful amount compared to what the BBC gets, even allowing for population and GDP difference.

The BBC has a commercial arm that makes tonnes of cash. UKTV on Sky for example. The franchising of Top Gear etc etc.

They do not do what they do merely using the Licence Fee (to give it it's proper name).

afe66

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#901892 24-Sep-2013 13:27

I would be quite happy to pay the uk licence fee to get access to UK tv (legally) as opposed to using the VPN route. (hopefully with a local mirror)

$22 per month (include gst)

A.

NonprayingMantis

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#901900 24-Sep-2013 13:41

Geektastic:
NonprayingMantis:
SaltyNZ:
Jas777: Geektastic,

Are you willing to pay a broadcasting fee? And if you are how much as to produce the same quality as the BBC with a population 20 times less will mean a massively high fee.

You are paying a broadcasting fee. It's just that in most civilised countries it comes out of general revenue rather than being split out as an explicit tax.

It's not quite the same thing though. TVNZ, for example, is a profit making enterprise. it doesn't receive government funding directly.

The only government funding really is for NZ OnAir, which is pitiful amount compared to what the BBC gets, even allowing for population and GDP difference.

The BBC has a commercial arm that makes tonnes of cash. UKTV on Sky for example. The franchising of Top Gear etc etc.

They do not do what they do merely using the Licence Fee (to give it it's proper name).

the difference is that this is side income for them. The licence fee is where most of their money comes from.

BBC operating costs is around 5bn GBP, they only generate commercial income of around 1.5bn. the rest comes from licence fee payers

By contrast, TVNZ generate almost all of their income from commercial activity, and in fact make a profit which they return dividends from to the shareholders (the government)

JimmyH

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#902026 24-Sep-2013 18:49

afe66: I would be quite happy to pay the uk licence fee to get access to UK tv (legally) as opposed to using the VPN route. (hopefully with a local mirror)

$22 per month (include gst)

A.

Given the quality of the BBC, and the miserable offerings that qualify for TV here, I'm with you. I would happily pay the BBC licencing fee at the same rate as UK residents for live access to all their channels.

As for NZ on Air, I would like to see it closed and the money spent elsewhere or even (gasp) returned to taxpayers. It has to be better than the "new, exciting, ...." gloriously ad-saturated 50 episode local production of "when uninteresting pets do nothing in particular". Or whatever similar unwatchable dreck, or other assorted ratholes, they have decided to pour taxpayers money into this week.

Compulsion isn't necessary now. We have many delivery platforms and more than one "one size fits all" national broadcasting service with no choice. Let them put their own NZ on Air channel onto pay TV and encrypt it, or stream it on the net with an access charge, and charge something close to what the per-household funding currently is. Then if people think it is worth watching for what it costs, they can opt in. If not, then the people who are being asked to foot the bill have spoken.........

ScuL

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#902065 24-Sep-2013 20:48

Geektastic: I have to say that one thing I really miss here is the BBC.

Numerous channels with no ads. Oh - and quality programs.

Thank heavens for BBC World at least; proper grown up news for people who know that there is more in the world than rugby and cats up trees in Dunedin....

Get a geo-block removal DNS service such as Overplay.net and download BBC iPlayer.
Tadaa :)

The TV license is at £145.50 per year at the moment (NZ$ 278.62)

Haere taka mua, taka muri; kaua e wha.

alasta

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#902070 24-Sep-2013 20:56

I haven't looked at these new fandangled streaming services properly, but it sounds like they're mainly focussed on American lightweight entertainment shows which don't interest me.

I'm more interested in domestic current affairs like The Nation and Campbell Live. If the 3News iPad app had decent video resolution then I could almost forgo conventional broadcast television, but they can't be making a lot of advertising revenue out of this medium so I really wonder about the sustainability of broadcasters' current business model.

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JimmyH

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#902074 24-Sep-2013 21:05

ScuL:
Geektastic: I have to say that one thing I really miss here is the BBC.

Numerous channels with no ads. Oh - and quality programs.

Thank heavens for BBC World at least; proper grown up news for people who know that there is more in the world than rugby and cats up trees in Dunedin....

Get a geo-block removal DNS service such as Overplay.net and download BBC iPlayer.
Tadaa :)

The TV license is at £145.50 per year at the moment (NZ$ 278.62)

Yep, I'm getting close to doing that. Especially now that my WD media players, networked and connected to TVs, now have both Netflix and iPlayer menu items.

Something I will look at over Christmas when I have more time. Increase data cap, VPN service, Netflix and Hulu Plus subscriptions, plus ability to circumvent geo-blocking and use UK and Aussie streaming services - and dumping Sky to pay for it.

Looks like an option that is both cheaper and better than Sky, or any other local offerings.

Jas777

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#902350 25-Sep-2013 11:43

A simple question for those that would get upset by someone using a forged document to gain a benefit from the NZ taxpayer they are not entitled to.

Is there any difference between that and using a VPN to get access to BBC iplayer when you are not a British taxpayer?

Jas777

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#902360 25-Sep-2013 12:04

To further clarify my previous question I got asked this and I could answer for a paid service but it was hard coming up with an answer for a non paid service

afe66

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#902462 25-Sep-2013 14:03

145 pound minus 20% VAT convert to nz dollars add gst devide by 12 = $22 per months.

Recalculated its $21.54 per month.

Beats Sky especially as also includes othe other uk channels.

A.

BlueShift

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#902468 25-Sep-2013 14:16

Jas777: A simple question for those that would get upset by someone using a forged document to gain a benefit from the NZ taxpayer they are not entitled to.

Is there any difference between that and using a VPN to get access to BBC iplayer when you are not a British taxpayer?

Its more akin to a Brit getting access to NZ Sky TV without paying for it - BBC is funded from the TV licence fee, not from the general tax pool, so you could consider it as pay TV.

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