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Kia Ora and welcome to the August edition of the newsletter. 

It's hard to believe we are already two thirds of the way through the year and on the cusp of Rugby World Cup action.  We've good news for those of you who like a balanced diet of rugby and culture with an extraordinary selection of quality TV viewing scheduled for the weeks ahead.  

The Platinum Fund dramas and documentaries about to hit TV ONE include Tangiwai this Sunday, Rage (1981 Springbok Tour), Bliss (Katherine Mansfield), and the biopic Billy. The much-anticipated six-part season of Underbelly: Land of the Long Green Cloud, also supported by the Platinum Fund, and Rock the Nation 3: 100 New Zealand Sporting Moments also start next week on TV3. 

Warmly comic new drama series Nothing Trivial is building a great following on TV ONE, and new series Wild Coasts with Craig Potton on Prime and Global Radar on TVONE have also successfully begun on Sunday nights. 

So there's something for everyone including those who like their viewing on the big screen.  Annie Goldson's NZ On Air-supported documentary Brother Number One (about the murder of Kerry Hamill and the subsequent Khmer Rouge trial) was rapturously received at the New Zealand International Film Festival and will later screen on TV3. Ian  Mune's NZ On Air-supported film Billy T:Te Movie is premiering this month and will later screen on Maori Television.

We intend to keep getting behind new projects like these and of course need to support both new ideas and proven success. In an environment of constrained funding, the number of returning series on our slate presents an emerging issue. The Board wishes producers and broadcasters to note that, in this environment, special attention will be paid to applications for prime time television series that have had more than three prior NZ On Air funding allocations.  A clear case for renewal will be necessary and the broadcaster's contribution to these successful series will be examined carefully. After five series a very special case will be necessary.

This month included the first funding round for the new financial year.  Of course we had many more good ideas than we had funding available.  We invested more than $18 million in television production alone, as well as contributing to access radio annual operating funding for 12 stations.

We are already deep into the second round of our new music scheme MakingTracks.  Thirty three artists received grants in the first round - more details here.  We are very excited about the results and with the successful process of the first round. While we won't bore you with the admin details, I can tell you that a successful process, in itself, was no mean feat given the volume of applications and enquiries. Thank you to the many artists and industry members who have been so positive about the changes, and our deep thanks to the inaugural panel who so generously gave their time and expertise to select this month's supported projects.

Jane.

 

Jane Wrightson photo

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We have confirmed funding for 12 Access Radio Stations to take them to the end of the financial year.  Access Radio Stations throughout the country do a great job of giving access to the airwaves to community groups who wouldn't ordinarily get time.  Looking ahead to the 2012/13 funding year, value for money will remain an important consideration. It's important for stations to maintain and strive to improve levels of local (s36c) programme production as this will be a consideration for any additional funding should it become available in the future.

Meanwhile Fresh FM in Nelson is on the move and has been granted $25,700 help it to relocate to new premises in Founders Heritage Park. The move has been helped by an enormous amount of community interest and support.  

We've also allocated $32,044 to the Access Internet Radio project. This funding enables Community Radio Hamilton to project manage the AIR website - enabling live streaming and podcasting by 7 community access radio stations. The AIR website handled nearly 200,000 downloads in its most recent year of operation.

For more details see here.

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As expected for the first meeting of the new financial year this was an extremely heavy funding round with 54 applications received across the Contestable and Platinum Funds.  The round was targeted for applications for Documentary and Factual, Māori and Platinum fund applications.  There were quite a few errors in the applications received this time including discrepancies between budgets, the application coversheet and broadcasters letters.  Given the limited time we have available to process and assess all applications, we really need producers to check their applications for accuracy and completeness before they are submitted.  Thank you.

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country2011

Documentary and Factual programmes were a focus for this meeting and the total applications received exceeded our total year's budget by over 30%.  So competition was fierce and we had to make some tough calls.  Programmes supported in this round have accounted for 73% of our documentary and factual budget.  It is possible the December round will see this budgeted exhausted, so futher applications will be carefully assessed.

Popular returning series for TV One that received support included Country Calendar, Beyond the Darklands, Coasters and another installment of the Politically Incorrect Guide to …. franchise.  This time Nigel Latta will be investigating adults - no doubt children and teenagers will delight in seeing the foibles of their parents exposed.  Returning series for TV3 included the successful series What's Really in Our Food and Missing Pieces.

Two ongoing documentary strands received funding for further series - TV One Docs, and Pakipumeka for Māori Television.  These strands provide an important opportunity for single and short series documentary programmes to be supported. 

 

New documentaries supported include Golden Mozzies, a Rautaki Māori series for TV3 that profiles successful Māori who now live on Australia's Gold Coast.  When A City Falls will also screen on TV3.  This theatrical feature documentary is being made by Gerard Smyth and chronicles the Christchurch earthquakes.  It is also supported by the NZFC.  TV One has a new 5 part series, First Crossings, which tells the story of five great NZ explorers through the exploits of two modern day adventurers.  Operation Hurricane was supported for Prime and will tell the little known story of New Zealander Gynes Ramsbottom -Isherwood who was awarded the Order of Lenin for his exploits in the Second World War.     

Four comedy projects received funding in this round including three stand-up specials - Christmas Comedy Special and Introducing Wilson Dixon for TV2, and Fresh AotearoHA for TV3.  The scripted comedy series Golden was also supported for TV3.

A second series of Kapa Haka Kids (Rautaki Māori programme) was supported for TV2 from the Children's budget; and a special Rugby World Cup programe  - Dame Kiri Te Kanawa: A Gala Evening was supported for Māori Television.  

For more details see here.

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Competition was also strong amongst the Platinum fund applications with six projects being funded.  These programmes equate to nearly 60% of this year's budget having been committed. 

Two very promising drama projects were supported for TV One - one is a second installment of the successful What Really Happened concept.  What Really Happened? The Women's Vote will tell the story of the struggle, led by Kate Sheppard, to secure the right for women to vote in New Zealand. The other project is City Under Siege, a tele-feature retelling of the Police's 50 hour siege of Jan Molenaar's house following his murder of Constable Len Snee in 2009.  Two further Historical Docudramas were supported for screening on TV One.  A call for proposals for these programmes will be issued shortly.   

The other documentary project supported in this round is a 6 x 1 hour series to be made by NHNZ for TV One that will celebrate New Zealand's National Parks.  Wild At Heart coincides with the 125th anniversary of the establishment of the first New Zealand National Park (Tongariro) in 2012.

Arts and Culture programmes were not overlooked in this Platinum round.  With Strings Attached, featuring the NZSO in collaboration with popular artists, was funded for TV One.  Nga Reo Hou was supported for Māori Television.  This series will see six important Māori plays, from the renowned Taki Rua theatre company, being staged for television. 

This was a very busy round for the television team but we are delighted to have been able to support such a strong and diverse line-up of programmes.  The next round is targeted for Children's and Special Interest programmes and will no doubt be as busy as this last one.  We are looking forward to the challenge.

For more details see here.

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Congratulations to the team who work on Amazing Extraordinary Friends on being selected for the running for an award at the 2011 Seoul International 2Drama Awards.  The programme screens on weekdays on TV2 and is made by Greenstone Pictures Limited.  The ceremony will be held at the end of the month - good luck!

Also congratulations to the Lets Get Inventin' team which has been asked to display six inventions with footage from the television series in the Party Central cloud during two of the Rugby World Cup games.   More than 15 thousand people are expected to flow through the cloud during each match so it's a real coup for the team.

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The deadline for receipt of invoices for our Thursday payments is Monday 5pm.  Invoices arriving after the deadline may have to be held over to the following week.

For Development contracts a set of the Deliverables must be sent to NZ On Air as well as the broadcaster.

Sorry - we made a mistake with the wording at the top of the Funding Application Checklist, asking for Unbound copies.   This has been changed and now reads "Please do not use plastic covers or wire binding on your proposals.  We prefer a staple in the top left hand corner of each copy of your proposal."

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The first of NZ On Air's new MakingTracks music grants have been announced.

We took in 157 applications in the inaugural MakingTracks funding round in July.  We will fund 33 projects, totaling $250,000.

The new MakingTracks scheme is singles-based.  We are now funding on a song-by-song basis rather than funding albums.  We are offering funding of up to $10,000 for recording a song and making a music video of that song or $6,000 for just making a music video. 

In the July round, 13 recording/music video grants were made and 20 music video-only grants.  See here for the list.

It's an exciting and eclectic mix of new names - like first-timers At Peace, Tiny Ruins, Beastwars, O'Lovely and Tourettes - and some that are more familiar - like David Dallas, Head Like A Hole, Street Chant, Lawrence Arabia and The Feelers.

The unsolicited response to the first decisions has been pretty positive:  "That's a great list!"; "A delightfully diverse list"; "They've pretty much got it spot on with MakingTracks funding".

The MakingTracks changes are all about funding a greater diversity of new music, taking into account both mainstream audiences and music for alternative platforms like student radio and online.  MakingTracks was launched in response to last December's Caddick Report which looked at the way NZ On Air funds contemporary music. 

  

 

streetchantsmall

 

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MakingTracks funding decisions are made on the recommendation of an independent panel of broadcasters and music industry professionals.

The new panel-based decision-making process is an important part of the NZ On Air music policy reforms.  In the past, decisions have been based exclusively on broadcasters' assessments of the airplay potential of songs but with MakingTracks, we will be tapping into a wider range of opinions.

Every month, we will convene a panel of 6-8 broadcasting and music industry professionals to assess applications for MakingTracks funding.  Each monthly panel will be drawn from a pool of something like 50 people who have agreed to serve as panelists.  At least three panelists each month will be broadcasters - one from commercial radio, one from alternative radio and one from music television - and at least three will be music media or music business people.  At least one or two each month will come from out of Auckland.  Panelists will generally be asked to do only one or two panels a year each to keep the panels fresh and to avoid overburdening already busy people.

The panels will bring a diversity of viewpoints to the decision-making process.

The MakingTracks Panel that met on 22 July to review the first MakingTracks applications consisted of Ande Macpherson (More FM, Auckland); Manu Taylor (95bFM, Auckland); Phoebe Spiers (C4 Music Television, Auckland); Sam Wicks (Music Writer/Broadcaster, ex-Real Groove, Auckland); Martin Pepperell (Music Writer, Rip It Up, NZ Musician, Wellington); Jeff Fulton (Christchurch Music Industry Trust, Christchurch);  and Nic Manders (Record Producer, Ned Music, Auckland).

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Junica

The #1 most-played New Zealand song on radio this week is Living In My House by Junica.

Junica is Wellington musician Nik Brinkman (Ejector, Over The Atlantic) and the song features fellow Wellingtonian, Pip Brown who we all know better as Ladyhawke.  Living In My House was funded by NZ On Air through the former New Recording Artists scheme and was recorded in the UK with Welsh producer, Greg Haver who has had his fair share of New Zealand radio hits with The Feelers, Opshop and Annabel Fay.  An 8-track debut Junica EP is available now on bandcamp.

 

The top five most-played New Zealand songs on the radio this week are -

01         Living In My House by Junica featuring Pip Brown

02         Loud by Stan Walker

03         New Hot Nights by Luger Boa

04         And We'll Defy by I Am Giant

05         Don't Forget Your Roots by Six60

And the top five most-played New Zealand songs on music television this week are -

01         Dub Me Crazy by Bulletproof featuring Jessie G

02         Don't Forget Your Roots by Six60

03         A Part Of Me by The Adults

04         And We'll Defy by I Am Giant

05         Eventually by Shotgun Alley

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New Zealand music will be well represented at the annual Big Sound music convention in Brisbane in September.

The New Zealand showcase will kick off the three-day convention on 7 September.  It will featute Jon Toogood's band, The Adults, with Julia Deans and Shayne Carter, Tiny Ruins, Ruby Frost, Street Chant and The Psychs.

Big Sound (www.qmusic.com.au) is now Australia's premiere new music tastemaker festival.  The New Zealand music promotion at Big Sound is a joint-venture between NZ On Air and the NZ Music Commission.

The adults

 

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James Coleman reports that his music sharing project Mixtape, funded by NZ On Air's Digital Content Partnership Fund, is developing well and is on track to be launched by the end of the year.  The Mixtape.co.nz website will promote New Zealand music by encouraging songs to be uploaded for fans' enjoyment.  The site is currently at the beta testing phase with a handful of the producer's friends and family and a number of industry people putting the site through its paces.  The site allows unlimited listening, the ability to build a queue of songs, skip tracks, preview tracks and will make recommendations based on listening history.  

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With the Rugby World Cup less than a month away we're starting to get excited about what's going to be happening on and off the field.  We love the innovative New Zealand On Screen project which will see two large installations with large screens on the waterfronts in Auckland and Wellington, and a souped up retro kiwi caravan cinema, which will tour the South Island, all showing snippets of NZ screen content and history.

The caravan (an original 1971 Oxford) will slowly make its way from Picton across the top of the South Island, down the West Coast, cut through to Wanaka and Queenstown and down to Invercargill before turning around and make its way back up the east coast to Hagley Park in Christchurch for the final two weeks of the World Cup.

If you'd like to follow kiwi icons from Billy T to Sir Edmund Hillary, or Sir Peter Jackson and Cheryl West on the tour please see more details here.

Caravan

 

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The NZ On Air funded Ngaio Marsh - Crime Queen will be screened at the Aurora Centre in Christchurch on the 26th of September to raise money for "The Shed" which is the Court Theatre's new home.  The film follows Chief Inspector Roderick Alleyn, the urban English poilice officer who stars in all 32 of Dame Ngaio's internationally best selling detective novels, as he searches London for the author.  For more information about the event please contact Aileen O'Sullivan at Seannachie Productions.  seann@ihug.co.nz

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Television Funding Decisions

Genre

Programme

Total Amount Approved

No. Of Episodes

Length of Episodes (minutes)

 

Production Company

Channel

Arts/Culture

DAME KIRI TE KANAWA: A GALA EVENING

136,708

1.0

90.0

 

Arts & Entertainment Productions

MTS

Arts/Culture

* NGA REO HOU

Up to 827,185

6.0

120.0

 

Black Inc Media

MTS

Arts/Culture

* WITH STRINGS ATTACHED

529,722

2.0

90.0

 

Eyeworks New Zealand Film & TV Drama

TV One

Children

KAPA HAKA KIDS - SECOND CHANCES

355,308

6.0

30.0

 

Black Inc Media

TV 2

Comedy

CHRISTMAS COMEDY SPECIAL

102,914

1.0

120.0

 

Satellite Media Group

TV 2

Comedy

FRESH AOTEAROHA

110,653

1.0

60.0

 

TVWorks

TV3

Comedy

GOLDEN

1,290,185

6.0

30.0

 

South Pacific Pictures

TV3

Comedy

INTRODUCING WILSON DIXON

91,622

1.0

60.0

 

Satellite Media Group

TV 2

Documentary

BEYOND THE DARKLANDS 5

706,272

8.0

60.0

 

Screentime

TV One

Documentary

BLAKEY

85,000

1.0

120.0

 

Sticky Pictures

TV One

Documentary

COASTERS 2

512,542

10.0

30.0

 

Fisheye Films

TV One

Documentary

COUNTRY CALENDAR 2012

361,311

26.0

30.0

 

Television New Zealand

TV One

Documentary

FIRST CROSSINGS

591,268

5.0

60.0

 

Eyeworks New Zealand

TV One

Documentary

GOLDEN MOZZIES

419,408

8.0

30.0

 

Black Inc Media

TV3

Documentary

MISSING PIECES 4

813,748

13.0

30.0

 

Eyeworks New Zealand

TV3

Documentary

OPERATION HURRICANE

146,850

1.0

60.0

 

Messenger Films

Prime

Documentary

PAKIPUMEKA AOTEROA 4

1,250,000

10.0

60.0

 

TBC

MTS

Documentary

THE POLITICALLY INCORRECT GUIDE TO GROWNUPS

540,000

8.0

30.0

 

Razor Films

TV One

Documentary

TV ONE DOCS 2011

1,140,000

12.0

60.0

 

TBC

TV One

Documentary

WHAT'S REALLY IN OUR FOOD SERIES 4

623,324

10.0

30.0

 

Top Shelf Productions

TV3

Documentary

WHEN A CITY FALLS

115,000

1.0

120.0

 

Frank Film

TV3

Documentary

* 2011 HISTORICAL DOCU-DRAMA STRAND

Up to 1,800,000

2.0

90.0

 

TBC

TV One

Documentary

* WILD AT HEART

Up to 1,463,330

6.0

60.0

 

NHNZ

TV One

Drama

* CITY UNDER SIEGE

2,644,965

1.0

120.0

 

Screentime

TV One

Drama

* WHAT REALLY HAPPENED? THE WOMEN'S VOTE

1,563,200

1.0

90.0

 

Eyeworks New Zealand Film & TV Drama

TV One

Special Interest

ATTITUDE AWARDS 2011

108,270

1.0

60.0

 

Attitude Pictures

TV One

* These programmes were supported by the NZ On Air Platinum fund

The TV One Doc working group has made the following funding decisions for TV One documentaries:

Genre

Programme

Total Amount Approved

No. Of Episodes

Length of Episodes (minutes)

 

Production Company

Channel

Documentary

THE PRINCESS AND THE PAUPER

103,509

1.0

60.0

 

Inkubator

TV One

Documentary

THE DAY MY LEGS STOPPED WORKING

117,832

1.0

60.0

 

Project Melting Pot

TV One

 

Radio Funding Decisions

Funding Type

Genre

Description

Total Amount Approved

No. Of Episodes

Length of Episodes (minutes)

 

Channel

NZ Music Programmes Radio

Music

As Kiwi As Jul - Dec 2011

20,100

725.0

4.0

 

Classic Hits

NZ Music Programmes Radio

Music

Backyard Beats Nov - Dec 2011

7,533

375.0

4.0

 

Mai FM

NZ Music Programmes Radio

Music

Fresh Produce Oct - Dec 2011

11,250

520.0

4.0

 

Flava FM

NZ Music Programmes Radio

Music

Homegrown Jul - Dec 2011

16,880

26.0

60.0

 

Radio Rhema

NZ Music Programmes Radio

Music

Off The Record Sep - Dec 2011

16,666

520.0

4.0

 

The Rock

NZ Music Programmes Radio

Music

The Slab Jul - Dec 2011

18,000

546.0

4.0

 

The Edge

NZ Music Programmes Radio

Music

The Word Jul - Dec 2011

22,500

700.0

4.0

 

ZM

NZ Music Programmes Radio

Music

Wired Jul - Dec 2011

25,000

600.0

4.0

 

MORE FM

Radio Programme Production

Youth

Te Puutake & The Source 2011-12

169,918

100.0

60.0

 

Mai FM

 

Music Funding Decisions

Funding Type

Artist - Project

Total Amount Approved

Production Company

NZ Music International

Junica/Australia

10,000

Page One Management

NZ Music International

The Adults/Australia

20,000

Warner Music New Zealand 

NZ Music Making Tracks

At Peace - Be Like

10,000

At Peace

NZ Music Making Tracks

Awa - Midnight

10,000

Awa Music

NZ Music Making Tracks

Beastwars - Empire

6,000

Destroy

NZ Music Making Tracks

Cairo Knife Fight - The Origin Of Slaves

6,000

Loretta Recordings

NZ Music Making Tracks

David Dallas - Postcard

6,000

Dirty Management

NZ Music Making Tracks

Die! Die! Die! - Smelter

10,000

Records Etcetera

NZ Music Making Tracks

Disasteradio - Drop The Bomb

6,000

A Low Hum

NZ Music Making Tracks

Drew - Explosive

6,000

Empire Records

NZ Music Making Tracks

Ghost Wave - Bootlegs

10,000

Arch Hill Recordings

NZ Music Making Tracks

Haunted Love - Love Underwater

10,000

Round Trip Mars

NZ Music Making Tracks

Head Like A Hole - Glory Glory

6,000

Rhythmethod

NZ Music Making Tracks

JGeek and the Geeks - YTIMGF (Youtube Is My Girl..

6,000

Kog Mastering

NZ Music Making Tracks

Junica - And It Hurts

10,000

Page One Management

NZ Music Making Tracks

Kimbra - Good Intent

6,000

Warner Music New Zealand 

NZ Music Making Tracks

Lawrence Arabia - Travelling Shoes

10,000

Honorary Bedouin Records

NZ Music Making Tracks

Lisa Crawley - You Won't Be There

10,000

Let The People Speak Entertainment

NZ Music Making Tracks

Lydia Cole - Hibernate

10,000

CRS Records

NZ Music Making Tracks

MayaVanya - Hot Nights

6,000

MayaVanya

NZ Music Making Tracks

Mt Eden - Mirage

6,000

Mt Eden

NZ Music Making Tracks

O'Lovely - Bright Lights

6,000

O'Lovely

NZ Music Making Tracks

PNC - Be With You feat. Vince Harder

6,000

Dirty Management

NZ Music Making Tracks

Porcelaintoy - Monsters

6,000

Porcelaintoy

NZ Music Making Tracks

Ria - All My Ladies

6,000

M4U Records

NZ Music Making Tracks

Ruby Frost - Water To Ice

10,000

Universal Music NZ

NZ Music Making Tracks

Street Chant - Frail Girls

10,000

Arch Hill Recordings

NZ Music Making Tracks

The Drab Doo-Riffs - I'm Depressed

6,000

The Drab Doo-Riffs

NZ Music Making Tracks

The Earlybirds - Backseat Runner

10,000

The Earlybirds Music & Publishing

NZ Music Making Tracks

The Feelers - Dosvidanija

6,000

Feelers

NZ Music Making Tracks

The Transistors - Abandoned

10,000

The Transistors

NZ Music Making Tracks

The Upbeats - Diffused

6,000

Non Vogue

NZ Music Making Tracks

Tiny Ruins - Running Through The Night

6,000

Spunk Records

NZ Music Making Tracks

Tourettes - Tonight

6,000

Round Trip Mars

NZ Music Making Tracks

Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Ffunny Ffriends

6,000

CRS Management

 

Pacific & Access Radio Funding Decisions

Funding Type

Region

Station

Total Amount Approved

Capital Grant

Nelson Marlborough

Tasman Broadcasting Trust

25,700

Capital Grant

Waikato/Lakes

Community Radio Hamilton

32,004

Access Radio Stations

Auckland

Auckland Access Radio Planet Fm 104.6

208,333

Access Radio Stations

Canterbury

Plains FM

191,667

Access Radio Stations

East Coast/Hawke's Bay

Radio Kidnappers

141,667

Access Radio Stations

Lower North Island

Coast Access Radio

108,333

Access Radio Stations

Lower North Island

Manawatu Access Radio Charitable Trust

137,500

Access Radio Stations

Lower North Island

Wairarapa Access Radio

108,333

Access Radio Stations

Lower North Island

Wellington Access Radio

175,000

Access Radio Stations

Nelson Marlborough

Tasman Broadcasting Trust

162,500

Access Radio Stations

Otago

Otago Access Radio 105.4FM

137,500

Access Radio Stations

Southland

Southland Community Broadcast

133,000

Access Radio Stations

Taranaki

Access Radio Taranaki Trust

133,333

Access Radio Stations

Waikato/Lakes

Community Radio Hamilton

191,667

 

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