Vocabulary to the text

cater, to ['keɪtə]	догоджати
free-to-air (adj)	denoting or relating to television programs broadcast on standard public or commercial networks, as opposed to satellite, cable, or digital programs available only to fee-paying viewers
talkback ['tɔkbæk]	радіопрограма за типом “задайте питання у ефірі” (австр. та новозел.)
takeover offer	пропозиція про поглинання однією компанією іншої

1. Questions to the text:

1. Which Australian media outlets are publicly funded?

2. Name Australian TV channels, newspapers, radio stations.

3. Speak about media ownership in Australia.

2. Additional questions and discussion:

1. Why do you think Australians are against foreign ownership of media outlets?

2. What do you know about Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation?

3. Write short notes about the key issues raised in the text.

4. Compose and write a plan of the text.

5. Retell the text using new vocabulary.

6. Write a letter to a friend describing any Australian media outlet (15 sentences).

7. Prepare a report (20-25 sentences) on a single type of Australian mass media.

Topic 40. Media in New Zealand.

The media of New Zealand include television stations, radio stations, newspapers, magazines, films and websites. Mostly foreign-owned media conglomerates MediaWorks New Zealand, Australian Provincial Newspapers, The Radio Network, Sky Network Television and Fairfax New Zealand dominate this media landscape. NZ On Air funds public service programming on the publicly-owned Television New Zealand and Radio New Zealand, and on community-owned and privately-owned broadcasters. Many media organizations operate Auckland-based newsrooms, but most broadcast programs, music and syndicated columns are imported from the United States and United Kingdom.

There is limited censorship in New Zealand of political expression, violence or sexual content, although strict libel laws follow the English model and contempt of court is severely punished. The Office of Film and Literature Classification classifies and sometimes censors films, videos, publications and video games, the New Zealand Press Council deals with print media bias and inaccuracy and the Broadcasting Standards Authority and Advertising Standards Authority considers complaints. However, Reporters Without Borders ranks New Zealand highly on press freedom, with a seventh placing in 2008.

The media of New Zealand predominantly use New Zealand English, but World TV, Triangle TV, Stratos TV, Community Access and local Pacifica and Asia media organizations provide news and entertainment for linguistic minorities. The Waitangi Tribunal decided in the late 1980s that the Government had an obligation to nurture the Māori language and consequently Te Māngai Pāho now funds iwi radio stations, the Maori Television Service and other Maori programming on TVNZ, Radio New Zealand and TV3. MediaWorks operates two Auckland ex-iwi radio stations commercially with limited Maori content: commercial nationwide dance network George FM and hip-hop and R&B station Mai FM.

Television in New Zealand was introduced in 1960. Provision was first made for the licensing of private radio and television stations in New Zealand by the Broadcasting Act 1976. In addition to a legacy analogue network, there are three forms of broadcast digital television: satellite services provided nationwide by Freeview and Sky, a terrestrial service provided in the main centers by Freeview, and a cable service provided in Wellington and Christchurch by TelstraClear. There are currently 11 national free-to-air channels, 22 regional free-to-air stations and several pay TV networks. Programming and scheduling is done in Auckland where all the major networks are now headquartered.

The first nationwide digital TV service was launched in December 1998 by SKY TV, who had a monopoly on digital satellite TV until the launch of Freeview's nationwide digital Satellite service in May 2007. The Freeview terrestrial service, named FreeviewHD is a high definition digital terrestrial television service launched on April 14, 2008. The service currently serves areas surrounding Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Napier-Hastings, Palmerston North, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin.

The number of newspapers in New Zealand has dramatically reduced since the early 20th century as a consequence of radio, television and new media being introduced to the country. Auckland's New Zealand Herald is the country's national newspaper and serves the upper North Island, Wellington's The Dominion Post serves the lower North Island and Canterbury's The Press and Otago Daily Times serve the South Island. Provincial and community newspapers, such as the Waikato Times daily, serve particular regions, cities and suburbs. Ownership of New Zealand newspapers is dominated by Fairfax New Zealand and APN News & Media with Fairfax having 48.6% of the daily newspaper circulation. Local and overseas tabloids and magazines cover food, current affairs, personal affairs, gardening and home decor, personal affairs and business or appeal to gay, lesbian, ethnic and rural communities.

The New Zealand film industry is small but successful, boasting directors such as Peter Jackson and Jane Campion. The cinema of New Zealand includes many films made in New Zealand, made about New Zealand or made by New Zealand-based production companies. Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings film trilogy was produced and filmed in New Zealand, and animation and photography for James Cameron's Avatar was primarily done in New Zealand; both films are among the highest grossing movies of all time. The New Zealand Film Commission funds films with New Zealand content.

Mainstream American, British and Australian films screen in theatres in most cities and towns. Some arthouse films and foreign language films reach cinemas, including weekly Bollywood screenings in many city cinemas. Asian films, particularly from India, China, Hong Kong and Japan, are widely available for rental on videocassette, DVD and similar media, especially in Auckland.