Samoa and other Pacific countries will soon enjoy a lot more content from New Zealand thanks to the launch of the Pasifika TV.

Under the Pacific Broadcasting Initiative, announced by New Zealand Prime Minister To’osavili John Key at the 2015 Pacific Islands Forum, Pasifika TV is the new channel that enables television content to be given to Pacific free-to-air broadcasters by New Zealand.  

The initiative will be officially launched at the New High Commissioner’s Residence, Letava, tonight.

In the meantime, Pasifika TV has now begun to deliver up to eight hours a day of New Zealand originated content (including sports, news, documentaries, and entertainment) via satellite to free-to-air Pacific broadcasters. 

Pasifika TV will support free-to-air broadcasters to receive and rebroadcast the content to local audiences and encourages the production of local content.

Who will receive Pasifika TV?

Free-to-air broadcasters across the Pacific will receive the content at no cost through Pasifika TV and be able to rebroadcast the content to their local audiences. We are currently working with 20 free-to-air Pacific broadcasters. They are:

• Cook Islands: Cook Islands TV, Vaka TV, Araura TV (Aitutaki), Mangaia TV;

• Tonga: Tonga Broadcasting Corporation, TVWAN;

• Fiji: Fiji Broadcasting Corporation, Fiji Television, Mai TV;

• Samoa: Samoa Quality Broadcasting (TV1), Apia Broadcasting Ltd (TV 3), EFKS TV;

• Vanuatu: Vanuatu Broadcasting and Television Corporation;

• Solomon Islands: Telekom TV (TTV);

• Niue: Broadcasting Corporation Niue; and

• Papua New Guinea: National Broadcasting Corporation, EMTV, TVWAN, Click TV

• American Samoa: PSCTV

Who is providing content at no cost through Pasifika TV?

There is a range of New Zealand and international sports rights holders, major broadcasting partners and production houses who have agreed to provide their content, at no cost, to Pacific free-to-air broadcasters. These include, but are not limited to:

• Sports Rights Holders: SKY Television (Heartland Rugby, Grassroots Rugby, Weekly SKY Sport shows), NZ Rugby, Oceania Football Confederation, NZ Cricket, Touch NZ, Basketball NZ; and • New  Zealand broadcasters, production houses and funding agencies including New Zealand on Air, TVNZ, Mediaworks, SKY Television, Prime, Maori Television, Radio New Zealand, and Parliament TV

•How will Pacific broadcasters receive the Pasifika TV service?

In-country free-to-air broadcasters will receive content (via the IS 19 satellite through an encrypted contribution feed) and be able to rebroadcast this content to local audiences. Daily, weekly and monthly schedules of the content and individual programme information will be available through the new Pasifika TV website.

Importantly, free-to-air broadcasters will have the ability to choose what content they want to rebroadcast to local audiences from this feed, and to add in their own news, ads and other local content. 

How will local audiences know what content is available?

The website and a mobile phone app will be also accessible to local audiences and will give them details of upcoming schedules and programmes that will be provided to free-to-air broadcasters through Pasifika TV. 

Local audiences will be able, through the website and the app, to contact their in-country free-to-air broadcasters, comment on current programmes and indicate what content they would like to see.

How will New Zealand support the development of Pacific broadcasters?

From the 3rd Quarter of 2016, the Pasifika TV service will also provide support and development opportunities for local free-to-air broadcasters. 

The details of support and development will be discussed with each free-to-air broadcaster based on need, and will include: 

• The supply of testing and production equipment to selected broadcasters;

• Onsite technical training; and

• New Zealand based media internship programme.

Who is managing Pasifika TV?

Pacific Cooperation Broadcasting Limited is funded through the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade to manage the Pasifika TV service (which has replaced the previous TVNZ Pacific Service) and to support the development of Pacific broadcasters.

Further information on Pacific Cooperation Broadcasting Limited and the Pasifika TV service can be found on the website at pasifikatv.co.nz or on the QR code to the left.  Scan this QR code for more details on Pasifika TV.  Get your QR code reader from Android PlayStore or iTunes.