New Zealand on Air and Television New Zealand have made public their funding decision for 2007's New Zealand LGBT programme. With the working title ‘Express Yourself', the programme will be ten half-hours, broadcast on TV2. ‘Umbrella Productions' has been given $364,774 from NZOA to make the series. The programme will use events in the offices of LGBT national newspaper ‘Express' to introduce stories about our community. Steven Oates, former presenter of TV2's ‘Queer Nation' and ‘Frontseat' will direct segments of the new show. TVNZ's Commissioner of Documentaries Jude Callen said last December that TVNZ wanted a ‘fly-on-the-wall'-style programme, designed to revitalise the gay programme genre and show the ‘real lives' of LGBT New Zealanders. Umbrella Productions' owner Glenn Sims said last month on GayNZ.com's messageboards, “I have absolute belief that [the programme] hits the target demographic of the ‘average' GLBT New Zealander. A project can never be expected to please everyone; we would like it to satisfy the majority”. Ref: GayNZ.com (m)
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Wednesday, 7th March 2007 - 12:00pm