Since 1989 NZ On Air has measured local free-to-air television content. The Local Content Report compares the schedules of the four national free-to-air channels in 2012 to observe trends and changes in the local content landscape. The report used the Listener programme schedule and then measures the amount of time local content is broadcast. Some highlights from this 2009 report are that 11,418 hours of local content screened, 39% of prime time hours were local content, and TV One screened the most local content.
Methodology
For the six free-to-air channels, data from the Listener programme billings is recorded onto an Access database. Scheduling changes by the television networks after New Zealand Listener publication are generally not included; nor are unlisted programmes such as short filler programmes.
Programmes have, in most cases, been counted according to the amount of New Zealand content within the programme. For example, series such as 20/20 which averages two overseas stories and one New Zealand-produced story per episode, have been recorded as containing one-third of an hour of New Zealand content (two thirds in the case of 60 Minutes). There is a degree of arbitrariness to such allocations, but the emphasis is on consistency so trends can be observed.
Sports programmes are the main example of programmes that fluctuate significantly, and the New Zealand content is not always published in detail in advance. For accuracy Sports programmes would have to be timed as they go to air. As this is not practicable for NZ On Air, all sports content included within New Zealand-produced branded programmes has been counted as a New Zealand programme. For sports matches not featuring a New Zealand team, but which include a New Zealand commentator “topping and tailing” the broadcast, an allowance is made for the presenter links only.
If a programme straddles prime time and off peak, it is counted as prime time if the majority of the programme screens in prime time. For example, if a programme begins screening at 9.15pm and concludes at 10.15pm, it is counted as one hour of prime time.
In general, programmes are counted as whole hours or half hours irrespective of the differing durations often encountered. For example, a programme may actually have a duration of between 22 minutes and 29 minutes, depending on the length of advertising and promotion breaks, but is counted as a full half-hour for simplicity.
First-run programmes mean programmes that are appearing on a free-to-air national network for the first time. If a programme screened on C4 first, and was then repeated on TV3, the latter screenings are counted as a repeat. Previous screenings on pay television are not counted.
New Zealand content is classified as material which is both predominantly made in New Zealand and which reflects New Zealand identity and culture. Thus programmes which are made in New Zealand but which have no New Zealand flavour are not counted. Neither are programmes about New Zealand but made for foreign television channels.
Programme hours are divided into nine genre categories. The categories are:
Children’s
Programmes which use New Zealand presenters to provide links between cartoons and other overseas material, or which have a minority of New Zealand content are classified by the amount of New Zealand content only. Programmes which contain some overseas content but have a majority of New Zealand content, such as What Now?, are fully classified as New Zealand programmes.
Children’s Drama
This is scripted drama made for young people.
Drama/Comedy
This category contains all New Zealand-made Drama/Comedy, other than Drama made for children.
Documentaries
This category generally comprises one-off documentaries or series in a non-magazine format.
Entertainment
This category includes game shows, music programmes (from classical to rock), quizzes and competitions such as The Rich List and Dancing with the Stars, broad competitive formats such as Mitre 10 Dream Home and Deal or No Deal plus light entertainment shows.
Information
This category comprises a wide range of programme types, generally with a magazine format and/ or an information flavour, as opposed to an entertainment or a competitive purpose. Examples include series such as Minority Voices, Pacific Beat Street and Kai Time on the Road; spiritual series such as My God and Praise Be; leisure and lifestyle series such as Gone Fishin’; and special interest series such as Attitude, Asia Downunder and Tagata Pasifika.
Māori Programmes
Programmes made for a general audience, such as Marae, Waka Huia and Te Karere, are counted in this category.
News/Current Affairs
This comprises all New Zealand-produced News/Current Affairs programmes. One-off advertised events are included, but special bulletins which have not been advertised may be excluded. For programmes which are a mixture of New Zealand and overseas material, such as 20/20, only the New Zealand portion is counted.
Sports
This category includes all programmes packaged and produced in New Zealand. This is the only category which can contain a high level of overseas content and still be classified as a New Zealand programme. See paragraph 3 on the previous page.
Within each category, and by channel, programmes can be further analysed, depending on whether they are:
- prime time (first-run programming screening between 6pm - 10pm)
- off peak (first-run programming screening any time outside prime time)
- repeat (repeated programming screening both in prime time and off peak)
Hours are measured and reported on an 18 hour clock (as introduced in the 2003 report).
Key Results
Free-to-air television key trends
• Local content hours decreased by 183 hours to 11,418 hours. This represents a 1.6% decrease in local content in 2009 and the first time there has been a decrease since 2004.
• The percentage of local content on the six free-to-air channels dipped slightly to 33.7% of the schedule (34% in 2008).
• TV One screened the most local content, with 3,812 hours (1,782 hours in 1989).
• As in previous years MTS screened the second highest number of hours with 2,544 hours. 82% of MTS broadcast hours is local content programming (84% in 2008).
• Both TV One and MTS showed a small decrease in local content hours: TV One by 142 hours and MTS by 64 hours.
• TV3 showed the biggest increase with 138 hours added to their schedule, totalling 2,114 hours of local content (1,976 hours in 2008).
• TV2’s hours increased slightly to 1,129 hours (1,110 hours in 2008).
• Although Prime’s local content increased, the channel screened the least: 846 hours.
• Most of C4’s 975 hours consist of music videos.
• First-run hours, representing new series or programmes, decreased by 5% to 8,498 hours (8,936 hours in 2008), mainly due to decreases in the Entertainment, Information and Sports genres. Increases were in Children’s, Documentary, Ma - ori programmes and News/Current Affairs.
• TV One screened the most first-run local content with 3,232 first-run hours. Next was TV3 with 1,926 hours, followed by MTS with 1,062 first-run hours. Prime, MTS and C4 showed a decrease.
• Prime time local content decreased to 3,430 hours (3,701 hours in 2008). This was mainly dueto decreases on TV One and MTS.
• Local content comprised 39% of prime time schedules (42% in 2008; 42.5% in 2007; 43% in 2006).
• MTS screened the most local content in prime time with 786 hours, representing 25% of the prime time schedule. This is a decrease of 116 hours over the 2008 figures.
• Total hours of Children’s programmes, Documentaries, Information, News/ Current Affairs and Ma-ori programmes for a general audience increased, while Drama/Comedy, Entertainment and Sports hours decreased.
• Repeat screenings comprised 2,920 hours (2,664 hours in 2008), accounting for 26% of local content programming (23% in 2008). MTS screened the highest number of repeats. Programmes that screen first on another channel, e.g. Tagata Pasifika on TV One is regarded as a repeated programme on MTS.
(MTS and C4 have fewer total broadcast hours compared with the other channels.)