Freeview eyes govt's $1.5 billion fibre network


From Freeview eyes govt's $1.5 billion fibre network | National Business Review (NBR) New Zealand - Business, News, Arts, Media, Share Market & More

If they build it, Freeview will come. General manager Steve Browning says if the government's proposed fibre optic to the home broadband network reaches 75% of the country by 2011 as promised, he'll happily move Freeview to fibre - which could spell dire news for Kordia.

"We're serious. It's something we've discussed at board level," Mr Browning tells NBR. He says a move to fibre would complement rather than replace Freeview's existing SD and HD broadcast arrangements with Kordia.

Mr Browning notes it's common for US broadcasters to deliver their programming over cable or, increasingly, IPTV.

Broadcasters in the Freeview consortium (including TVNZ, MediaWorks and Maori TV) currently pay Kordia $1.8 million to broadcast a Freeview channel in high defintion (HD) over its terrestrial service or $500,000 per Freeview standard definition digital (SD) channel delivered by satellite. Freeview also charges a $100,000 service fee per channel.

Mr Browning also told NBR he was pleased Jonathan Coleman had been appointed broadcasting minister, given Mr Coleman's pre-election support for Freeview, and comments that Mr Coleman wanted the introduction of HD sped up.

In terms of Sky TV's Prime joining the Freeview line-up, the news remains: there ain't none.

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