An innovative collaboration between NZ On Air and TVNZ will deliver an engaging locally curated online home for children’s video and interactive content.
The project, which has yet to be named, will provide a safe, ad-free environment for children aged around 5 to 9 years old to explore and interact with local screen content. Children will be involved in developing the website.
Funded by NZ On Air to the tune of $1.5million in its start-up year, the site will be managed by a newly-formed team in TVNZ using the company’s content expertise and technology. Local content for the site will be funded in the usual contestable way through NZ On Air, supplemented with selected international content to give children a wider experience in one place.
NZ On Air Chief Executive Jane Wrightson says the project is the result of significant research, planning and consultation over the past two years.
“This initiative will ensure our children can easily find multi-media content they can relate to, reflecting them and their environment, in their own accent. This is a timely and crucial intervention for children’s media in New Zealand and part of a fundamental change to the way we do things at NZ On Air,” said Ms Wrightson.
TVNZ Chief Executive Kevin Kenrick says “We’re excited to partner with NZ On Air to create an online home that showcases compelling local video and interactive content for kiwi kids. Right now there’s nothing like this for our kids, and TVNZ welcomes the opportunity to be part of the team that's committed to delivering something special for our youngest audiences.”
The website content curation will be overseen by an advisory panel that includes external experts. One of the members of the panel is Janette Howe, Chair of the NZ Children’s Screen Trust (Kidsonscreen).
Ms Howe says, “A digital home for local content will give our children a trusted space they can call their own. We welcome the inclusion of principles from our Children’s Media Rights Declaration – ensuring diversity, access and the full potential of stories to engage and enrich our young people.”
A wide range of local content will be available on the site made by New Zealand producers, offering them new multiplatform and interactive content creation opportunities. Content creators with expertise in children’s media will be invited to a forum shortly, focused on exploring the content opportunities the new website offers.
The site will go live around March 2018.
