1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:02,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, because Shorty Street has been saved. Today it's going 2 00:00:02,520 --> 00:00:05,880 Speaker 1: to go down to three episodes a week. I reluctantly 3 00:00:06,640 --> 00:00:09,000 Speaker 1: think that saving Shortland Street was the right thing to do. 4 00:00:09,600 --> 00:00:13,800 Speaker 1: For now, what saved it is tax payer money, no surprise. 5 00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:16,000 Speaker 1: Is there three million dollars from New Zealand on air 6 00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:18,120 Speaker 1: and then it's also going to be eligible for a 7 00:00:18,160 --> 00:00:20,479 Speaker 1: rebate from the screen production Grant, which must be about 8 00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:22,520 Speaker 1: what like six or seven million dollars or something like that. 9 00:00:22,560 --> 00:00:24,200 Speaker 1: So that would mean that we're pumping in around about 10 00:00:24,239 --> 00:00:26,720 Speaker 1: ten million bucks in tax payer money to save a 11 00:00:26,760 --> 00:00:31,319 Speaker 1: soap opera. Now I'm reluctant to do this because I 12 00:00:31,400 --> 00:00:33,599 Speaker 1: generally do not think that we should be propping up 13 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:36,240 Speaker 1: failing businesses, which is what Shortland Street is. If it 14 00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:38,640 Speaker 1: can't make a buck, it's because not enough people like 15 00:00:38,680 --> 00:00:40,800 Speaker 1: the product, in which case it should be allowed to die. 16 00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:43,519 Speaker 1: But I think there is an exception this time with 17 00:00:43,560 --> 00:00:46,680 Speaker 1: Shortland Street, because it might actually be possible that Shorty 18 00:00:46,760 --> 00:00:49,640 Speaker 1: may be able to pay its own way again, just maybe. 19 00:00:50,040 --> 00:00:52,479 Speaker 1: And the reason I say that is because Shorty Street 20 00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:56,240 Speaker 1: is not unpopular. Actually, it's got a lot of people 21 00:00:56,240 --> 00:00:58,720 Speaker 1: watching it now, figures it's kind of hard to get 22 00:00:58,720 --> 00:01:01,880 Speaker 1: a handle on. Absolutely the latest figures, but the last 23 00:01:01,880 --> 00:01:04,240 Speaker 1: that I can see from last year, and at the time, 24 00:01:04,319 --> 00:01:07,039 Speaker 1: seventy nine thousand people in the key demographic were watching 25 00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:09,240 Speaker 1: it on TV two. Now, that is not impressive, let 26 00:01:09,280 --> 00:01:11,319 Speaker 1: me tell you, seventy nine thousand is not a big number. 27 00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:14,360 Speaker 1: But then you add in the streaming numbers on TV 28 00:01:14,440 --> 00:01:16,360 Speaker 1: and Z plus and that's four hundred and fifty five 29 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:19,479 Speaker 1: thousand a week, and suddenly it becomes quite impressive because 30 00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:21,759 Speaker 1: now we're talking about more than five hundred thousand people 31 00:01:21,800 --> 00:01:23,840 Speaker 1: watching it, like, well more than five hundred thousand people 32 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:27,720 Speaker 1: watching it. By comparison, at the same time, TV and 33 00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:30,440 Speaker 1: z's News only earned one hundred and eighty streams on 34 00:01:30,720 --> 00:01:33,040 Speaker 1: one hundred and eighty thousand streams on TV and ZEN plus. 35 00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:35,280 Speaker 1: And even though the News has two extra episodes a 36 00:01:35,319 --> 00:01:37,960 Speaker 1: week right because it runs all week long, Shorty was 37 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:40,480 Speaker 1: beating it two and a half times. So the problem 38 00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:42,800 Speaker 1: isn't that Shortland Street is unpopular. The problem is that 39 00:01:42,840 --> 00:01:44,680 Speaker 1: TV and Z hasn't figured out how to actually make 40 00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:47,120 Speaker 1: enough money from the people who are watching it online. 41 00:01:47,160 --> 00:01:50,600 Speaker 1: On TV and Z plus, it shows it knows. Rather, 42 00:01:50,640 --> 00:01:52,960 Speaker 1: this is TVNS it. It knows how to get money 43 00:01:52,960 --> 00:01:55,560 Speaker 1: from TV two's ads, but it doesn'tyet know how to 44 00:01:55,560 --> 00:01:58,920 Speaker 1: properly monetize what's going on online now Shortland Street is 45 00:01:58,960 --> 00:02:02,280 Speaker 1: only guaranteed for next year, and beyond that there's no guarantee. 46 00:02:02,400 --> 00:02:03,880 Speaker 1: I don't know if a year and a half is 47 00:02:03,960 --> 00:02:05,800 Speaker 1: enough time for TV and said to figure out how 48 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:07,880 Speaker 1: to earn more money on the app, but I hope 49 00:02:07,880 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 1: it does, because, to be honest with you, it would 50 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:11,840 Speaker 1: be a pity if we lose a show that is 51 00:02:11,880 --> 00:02:14,480 Speaker 1: still watched by that many Kiwis and that has actually 52 00:02:14,480 --> 00:02:17,560 Speaker 1: trained some of our best acting talents Timmywira Morrison, kJ 53 00:02:17,680 --> 00:02:21,480 Speaker 1: Upper Thomas and Mackenzie, Craig Parker, Martin Henderson, Robin Malcolm, 54 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:25,480 Speaker 1: all of whom have gone on to careers overseas. Frankly, also, 55 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:27,399 Speaker 1: and this is important, it is one of the few 56 00:02:27,440 --> 00:02:31,519 Speaker 1: shows left that actually reflects us Kiwis Back to Ourselves 57 00:02:32,320 --> 00:02:35,519 Speaker 1: for more from Heather Duplessy Allen Drive. Listen live to 58 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:38,760 Speaker 1: news talks'd Be from four pm weekdays, or follow the 59 00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:40,399 Speaker 1: podcast on iHeartRadio.