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\nPhoto: Jakub Porzycki \/ NurPhoto via AFP\n<\/p>\n
Unregulated international streaming services have devastated local broadcasters and screen content creators, the head of Screen Producers New Zealand says.<\/p>\n
The government is investigating charging international streaming platforms a levy, having a local content quota, or requiring direct investment into New Zealand production.<\/p>\n
Screen Producers NZ president and RNZ board member, Irene Gardiner, told Checkpoint a similar levy scheme was put in place in Australia – at the beginning of the year – following other countries such as Canada, France, Switzerland, Spain and Denmark.<\/p>\n
“We’ve got behind that’s the trouble. Australia did theirs in January and any time that goes by without us doing legislation in the way that Australia has – we’re falling behind the rest of the world – so it is extremely urgent,” Gardiner said.<\/p>\n
Gardiner said a 10 percent levy could see up to $50 million a year coming back into the country to support local content.<\/p>\n
Gardiner said the government was asking international streaming companies to voluntarily report their New Zealand revenue, subscription numbers and audience reach data.<\/p>\n
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\nScreen Producers NZ president and RNZ board member Irene Gardiner.
\nPhoto: Supplied\n<\/p>\n
A briefing document to Media Minister Paul Goldsmith said the information would provide evidence for potential future interventions.<\/p>\n
“It’s interesting because we got someone to do those calculations for us but the data is quite hard to come by.<\/p>\n
“I guess he is trying to be decent about it but I would like it to be a little more than voluntary at this stage,” Gardiner said.<\/p>\n
Gardiner said she felt it would be extremely unlikely that streaming companies would withdraw their services from the New Zealand market rather than pay a levy.<\/p>\n
“There is no evidence anywhere in the world that they’ve actually come out of a territory because of regulation. They always say they will. They always push back, of course they do they’re big businesses.<\/p>\n
“I think it’s highly unlikely. They’d lose all that revenue,” Gardiner said.<\/p>\n