The Minister of Broadcasting, Dr Jonathan Coleman, has this evening announced the establishment of the Platinum Television Fund for New Zealand-made television content.

The Fund, to be administered by NZ On Air, totals $15.1 million and was previously allocated to Television New Zealand. It will now be available on a fully contestable basis to the six free-to-air national television broadcasters, from 1 July 2009.

"By encouraging competition for quality, the contestable Platinum Television Fund will ensure the best ideas get supported regardless of which channel broadcasts them. Before the election we made a commitment to ensure more funding would be made fully contestable for all free-to-air broadcasters. Today‘s announcement is proof that this government delivers on its promises."

The Platinum Fund is being ring-fenced off from NZ On Air's other funding to specifically support content which may currently be difficult to find on our screens and which requires a high level of subsidy to be made.

"We want this funding to really make a difference to what we see on our television screens, not just to fund more of the same content we are already getting. NZ On Air has developed criteria for the Platinum Fund with the focus on high quality public broadcast content of wide appeal," says Dr Coleman.

Assessment criteria include such qualities as creativity, originality, risk-taking, depth, whether a project reflects New Zealand's diversity of population, and value for money, including the likely size of the target audience. The programme genres will be assessed each year based on an evaluation of the range of local content currently available. For 2009/10, priority will be given to high-end drama; and documentaries, specialist current affairs and special events programming.

"This is a great opportunity for broadcasters and producers to create high quality and high value local programmes. I very much look forward to seeing compelling new content being generated by this fund, "said Dr Coleman.