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TVNZ7
Well, what can we say. The response to the Save TVNZ 7 public meetings around the country has been incredible with large crowds and inspiring speeches from the panels and from the public. Save TVNZ 7 has been in the papers, on radio and even on TV, the online petition is at 28000, Craig Foss's office has been swamped with emails and the impending closure of TVNZ 7 is bringing people off the couch to stop our Government making a terrible mistake.
At meetings the mood has been surprisingly angry with many people asking "What can we do to save TVNZ 7?" The answer is "PLENTY".
Save TVNZ 7 needs financial help.
We're taking the campaign up another notch with a series of press ads reaching out to the rest of New Zealand. The first is in this week's Listener inside the front cover. It's pretty audacious but NZ television is an important issue.
We have negotiated more good deals for ad space and we have a great creative team. All we need now is the money to pay for it.
If you believe saving public service television is a battle worth fighting, please help us with a donation.
Please deposit a few dollars in the Save TVNZ 7 bank account:
Kiwibank 38-9006-0783529-04.
(We are totally non-profit and none of us are being paid but we're not a registered charity so we can't issue a tax receipt, sorry).
A lot of people have already been incredibly generous. We've put their money to good use organising the public meetings and lots of newspaper ads to publicise them and promote the cause. Thank you very much for the wonderful support so far.
Help get the message to the decision-makers.
If you can't spare any dollars, can you spare some time? Apparently Craig Foss has been inundated by emails from vocal TVNZ 7 supporters and we think that's great. Slowly he'll be realising the effects of his actions (or inaction) and may be thinking of a way to get himself out of this jam. So if you haven't emailed Craig Foss or John Key please do so now. It only takes a minute to write a brief complaint and you'll feel great afterwards.
TVNZ has a new CEO, Kevin Kenrick, and while we recognise TVNZ is only doing what their shareholder tells them to, we believe broadcasters have responsibilities. One day, someone at TVNZ will stand up to the government and say "No. We can't pay you a larger dividend because we have a responsibility to broadcast a range of quality programmes of benefit to our audience" and perhaps Mr Kenrick is just the person to do it. So why not send him an email with that suggestion.
There's also all the National Party Backbenchers. We're compiling a list of MPs positions on Public Service Television and we know a couple of National MPs have personal views different from their party's policy. So please contact your local National MP or any on the list and politely explain why this issue might affect their chances of being re-elected. And if you get a response that's not the usual "cut and paste" from the Minister's Office please contact us. We promise to be discreet.
Help spread the word.
The online petition is still growing at a rate of knots. If you're new to Save TVNZ 7 please ask your friends and family to sign the petition because ultimately this proves how many Kiwis care about TVNZ 7. If all your friends and family have already signed try your boss, try your postie, try the charity collector who accosts you in the street.
Our Facebook page is very busy and a good place to vent, read other opinions and have a chuckle. And if you're really keen, print off our paper petition and collect signatures at the local mall as some heroic folk are already doing. Please email us for details.
Public Meetings
There are many more Save TVNZ 7 public meetings taking place over the next month and details are on our website and Facebook.
The first four public meetings have been a roaring success with fantastic panels and fantastic audiences - many of whom are more qualified than the panellists. The audience of 350 in Auckland were lucky to get a guest appearance from English academic, Graham Murdock and all the speeches are available on our YouTube channel (our own version of TED Talks).
400 people braved the cold in Wellington, to voice their anger at the closure of TVNZ 7. Politicians present, including Labour deputy Grant Robertson, were given a strong message to do something about it and we hope they remember this at the election. The Nelson venue was packed out before it started and highlights included Dr Peter Thompson explaining alternative funding models for Public Service TV that needn't cost taxpayers a cent. And Christchurch had an excellent turn out for a city with a lot of other serious issues on its plate.
Meetings Equal Media
As well as being great forums for us all to discuss the issues, the public meetings have been a good way to get exposure in newspapers and radio. As you can see from the list of links below, there's been heaps of it and if you've got a few minutes they make interesting reading and listening...
Myles from Save TVNZ 7 was interviewed on TVNZ 7's News at 8 but it's no longer available online
...which is a very long-winded way of showing that the public meetings have been a great success and thank you very much for coming along, helping organise and helping fund them.
The Grand Finale
Advance notice of public demonstrations and hikoi in Wellington and Auckland (and possibly Nelson). Please keep these dates free:
- Thursday 28th June - Wellington. Presenting the Petition to Parliament. March starts at Civic Square at 12pm leading to Parliament around 12.45pm
- Saturday 30th June - Auckland (and maybe Nelson). Funeral procession, marking TVNZ 7's last day of transmission, ending at St Matthew-in-the-City.
But if we play our cards right, get lots of online signatures, build huge support with the newspaper ads and show the strength of our movement - it may not come to that.
Keep up the good work.
Na matou, noa na
The Save TVNZ 7 team
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