Government to spend $13m on digital TV campaign

Monday 11th April 2011

The big old television sets sometimes seen discarded along suburban roadsides may be getting some company next year.

The Ministry of Culture and Heritage plans to launch a "Going Digital" campaign to help the nation's TV viewers switch from analogue to digital television in 2013.

"Going Digital is the biggest change to New Zealand television since the introduction of colour in 1974," the ministry's national manager for the campaign, Greg Harford told an advertising news website.

He said the advertising campaign - part of a $13 million "education" programme - would ensure people were informed about what they needed to do before their regions switched over.

The ministry said on its Going Digital website that Hawke's Bay and West Coast viewers will lose their analogue broadcasts in September next year, the rest of the South Island in April 2013, the lower North Island in September 2013, and the rest of the North Island in November 2013.

The switch-over - announced by the Government late last year - is expected to improve picture quality and reception in many areas, and to allow for more TV channels.

Advertising agencies OMD and Draftfcb have been appointed as media and creative agencies, as well as a design agency, Moxie, the AdNews.com website said.

A "test" campaign has already been trialled in Hawke's Bay and on the West Coast in preparation for the national campaign, which involves television, print, radio, outdoor and online promotions.

OMD Wellington general manager Matt McNeil told AdNews: "This is a high- profile government project which was highly contested by almost every major agency in the country."

NZPA

Comments from our readers

No comments yet