Shorts Newsletter - 21 May

The Platform Initiative is part of the Government media sector support package announced on 23 April 2020 to help media severely impacted by COVID-19 and is intended to provide immediate and urgent support for the media sector.

NZ On Air will receive a $16.5 million top up so that we can reduce the required platform contributions by 80% (formerly known as the broadcast licence fee) for new local content for the 2020/2021 financial year. This provides cost relief to the sector as well as ensuring that New Zealanders continue to have access to new and high-quality New Zealand content.

To be eligible for the Platform Initiative you will need to demonstrate that your organisation has been economically or socially impacted by COVID-19 and that you have taken reasonable efforts to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on your business. The Ministry for Culture and Heritage (MCH) will assess your eligibility for the Platform Initiative.

Applications to NZ On Air's July, September and December 2020 funding rounds can seek the platform contribution relief. Platforms should apply to MCH (at the link below) as soon as possible to get your eligibility for the Platform Initiative approved.

All funding applications should reflect the full amount of the usual platform contribution so we can determine the 80% reduction where it is applicable. The deduction will be applied to funded projects, subject to the platform having their eligibility approved, when funding decisions are announced.

Please read the full Platform Initiative information, eligibility criteria and application process here.

As part of the process around eligibility for the Platform Initiative, NZ On Air will ask each platform to enter into a Public Availability Agreement with NZ On Air.

This is to provide additional safeguards of existing independent producer rights, and the rights of the NZ public to freely access content subsidised by NZ On Air.

NZ On Air will shortly be updating some clauses in our Standard Production Agreement and Standard Development Agreement in order to support the function of this Public Availability Agreement.

For further information please email Benedict Reid.

NZ On Air has been granted a three month extension to the deadline for our 2020 - 2024 Statement Of Intent (SOI) and 2020 - 2021 Statement Of Performance Expectations (SPE) in accordance with the Covid-19 Response Act 2020.

Covid-19 has had a significant impact on NZ On Air funded productions, platforms and creatives. This extension to the deadline of our SOI and SPE will allow us to better assess our operating environment, incorporate impacts from the Government's media sector support package and evaluate our performance measures and targets as necessary.

Screensafe has created some useful COVID-19 resources to provide guidance for safe practice on set.

Click here for suppliers, forms and posters to be used on your production (more resources are to be added throughout the week).