Engineering Policy Announcement

The New Zealand Television Broadcasters' Council advises all Australian advertisers, agencies and production houses that the introduction of the 16:9 aspect ratio on October 1, 2002 as the Australian Standard will result in the following conditions in New Zealand:

1/ Normal 16:9 commercials will play as received and be viewed with the wide-screen letterbox effect.

2/ 16:9 Anamorphic commercials will not be accepted for transmission.

If station dubs are received in the anamorphic format they will be dubbed through a converter to the NZ Standard 4:3.

A standard charge of $100 for the dubbing of each commercial will be invoiced to the agency or advertiser buying the time by each television company involved - TVNZ, CanWest, Prime and Sky.

It would more practical and cheaper for all production houses to supply ALL New Zealand release dubs on Digital format in the NZ 4:3 standard, unless the letterbox effect is specifically desired by the advertiser and agency booking the time.

For further information, please contact any of the following:

Paul Timmins, general manager,
Television Commercials Approval Bureau, Auckland
Ph: 64 9 373 2907, Email: paul@tvcab.co.nz.

Richard Prosser, TVNZ, Auckland, 64 9 916 7000.

Published: July 3, 2002

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