Irene Gardiner: Screen Producer's Association President on the NZ On Air funding for Kiwi TV shows

New NZ On Air funding announcements provide some hope in a tough time for Kiwi made TV shows. 

Their latest non-fiction funding includes more than $1.3 million for Celebrity Treasure Island and $750 thousand for Country Calendar. 

Screen Producer's Association President Irene Gardiner told Mike Hosking with so little ad revenue, it's a high pressured, intense time for NZ on Air. 

She says the New Zealand version of Treasure Island is thought of as one of the best in the world and is selling, so if we get more international sales, NZ On Air contributions can reduce. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
So New Zealand on air as in the taxpayer branching
out of this funding of reality Telly, So you've got
traitors in New Zealand and Celebrity Treasure Island both getting
well and excessive a million dollars each after TV and
C and three apparently threatened to can them. Iron Gardens,
president of the Screen Producers Association, and is back, well,
there's Iron Morning the Morning.

Speaker 2 (00:18):
Mate.

Speaker 1 (00:18):
How do you know when you're sitting there looking to
hand out money and TVNZ comes to you and go
tell you what if you don't give us money, We're
going to can them, whether they're bluffing or not.

Speaker 2 (00:28):
Ah. Man, money's so tired at the moment. The conversations
are pretty intense, So I don't think there's a lot
of buffing going on. I think we're all kind of
working together. It's become a very united industry really, because
the common enemy now is the International Streaming Agency is
kind of stealing all of our ad rev and that's

(00:49):
the background to this, that's the background to ends it
on are going a wee bit broader, and it's remit
from the more public goods sort of things it's done before.
It's just so little commercial money around now at the networks.

Speaker 1 (01:03):
We'll tell us how because back in my day, Irene,
if you're.

Speaker 2 (01:08):
Stuck, made lots of funny. I made a heap.

Speaker 1 (01:12):
Anyway, Celebrity Treasure Island goes.

Speaker 2 (01:14):
I don't know.

Speaker 1 (01:14):
I've never watched it, obviously, but you put it primetime
TV too, right? Are you telling me that you cannot
put a television program on primetime TV two and not
celebdvertising around that that covers it anymore?

Speaker 2 (01:27):
Not anymore? No way, not anymore. No, I'm not lying.
They cut about fifty million out of spending on local
production last year across the two main channels. It's really
desperate out there. The ad river is just so low,
and it's because of big tech, and it's gone completely
unregulated and it's incredibly tough, and you know, to reassure people,

(01:48):
I mean, this is not entered on air, you know,
doing a race to the bottom. I mean you use
the term reality, and yes, technically I guess they are.
But you know, the Traders is pretty sophisticated entertainment format
that's pretty well made.

Speaker 1 (02:00):
It doesn't right, Can I be also without insuling my
jorage of friend Paul Henry Traders didn't rate on TV three,
not much rates on TV three, whereas Celebrity Treasure Island.
Celebrity Treasure Island does rate yes and pure numbers. Celebrity
would be traders all day long, every day of the week,
wouldn't it.

Speaker 2 (02:19):
And Celebrity Treasure Island is also a really good vehicle
for New Zealand talent and humor and all of that.
I would argue with you about the ratings of Traders.
I think bearing in mind what free to wear ratings
are at the moment and what it also did online,
it actually did very well and it is definitely a
viewer favors. Also, the New zeal versions also thought of
as one of the best in the world, and it

(02:39):
is selling. And see that's that's the area where the
growth is starting to happen. If you can start to
get more international sales, more international money, then inded on
there's contribution can reduce fair enough. But yeah, it's a
heck of a time for ended on air. Honestly, the
pressure on them for the decisions at the moment is intense.

Speaker 1 (02:57):
Should I go on Celebrity Treasure Island give them.

Speaker 2 (02:59):
The help, well, that would be entirely up to you right.

Speaker 1 (03:05):
It invited me on a number of years ago. But
you know, they don't pay any money. And I'm, you know, like,
go on, would I don't think so?

Speaker 2 (03:16):
Probably wins?

Speaker 1 (03:17):
I reckon, I probably would.

Speaker 2 (03:18):
Iren.

Speaker 1 (03:18):
Nice to talk to you, Iren Gardener, who's the president
of the Screen Production Development Association. See now I can't
do it because if I went on and won, everyone go,
oh that's rigged. Don't you have to form alliances on
those sorts of shows? No Alliance of one. I'd change
the format. It'll be an Alliance of one for more
from the mic Asking Breakfast, Listen live to news talks.
It'd be from six am weekdays, or follow the podcast

(03:40):
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