TVNZ joins the party... Bans Slingshot adverts

TVNZ has joined Sky TV in banning Slingshot's latest TV ads, leading to the Internet Service Provider labelling the move as "anti-competitive, undue censorship, and an example of old-school thinking."

Referring to all adverts which include Slingshot's somewhat controversial Global Mode service, Slingshot GM Taryn Hamilton says TVNZ informed the ISP today that it wouldn't run the ads.

"This is anti-competitive, undue censorship, and an example of old-school thinking," he says.

"SKY and TVNZ need to wake up and smell the internet. People are accessing content from around the globe – Global Mode or not.

"Having a company like Sky try to stop the message that Kiwis don't have to tolerate such poor and expensive content options is one thing. But a state owned broadcaster doing the same is absolutely outrageous."

TVNZ currently carries ads for Slingshot services and via an emailed statement sent to TechDay, TVNZ's Communications Manager Georgie Hills insists the broadcaster is "happy to continue doing so."

"However, we would draw a line at running advertising for its Global Mode service," Hills added.

"It's simple really: it doesn't make any business sense to promote a competitor's service that encourages viewers to watch international programmes that we hold the exclusive rights to in NZ.

"Our studio partners would look askance at us if we actively plugged a service that's diminishing the value of these content rights.

But in Hamilton's view, he remains confident that the Kiwi public will tolerate the actions of both TVNZ and Sky TV, adding: "We are calling on the Broadcasting Minister to interject and direct the TVNZ board and management to pull their heads in.

"The management of TVNZ and Sky would be better served pushing back on their suppliers and demanding that they can have a better, more affordable catalogue of content so that Kiwis don't continue to get a raw deal."

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