New Zealand’s Got Talent

Yvonne Tahana at NZ Herald reports:

Public arts and culture funding to the tune of $1.6 million will partly pay for the New Zealand’s Got Talent reality television series.

Developed by Simon Cowell, the series is famous for discovering unlikely star Susan Boyle in the British series. It will screen on TV One.

Government agency New Zealand On Air said its support was a smart use of the public purse.

Chief executive Jane Wrightson said it was a “wonderful opportunity for many types of New Zealand performers to entertain a nationwide audience”.

I like the US and other country versions of the show. However I’m not convinced that a NZ version should be funded by NZ on Air. I suspect the show will be a ratings hit anyway. I’d much rather NZ on Air was funding shows like The Court Report. Of course to be fair to NZ on Air, TVNZ is refusing to apply for funding for shows that used to be on TVNZ7, because it doesn’t want to screen them on a weeknight. So the fault is not NZ on Air, but it does suggest the model needs looking at if taxpayer funding is going on shows such as New Zealand’s Got Talent.