TVNZ7 under threat

I've only recently discovered TVNZ7 because we only got Freeview in the last few months.   Admittedly TVNZ7 has a tendency to repeat itself, which can be fine if the subject is interesting enough. This is obviously part of their policy and means that programmes get more than a single airing, and turn up at different times of the day. 

They have a bit too much news on for my taste - the less news the better, is my motto.  By which I mean TV news, since it's entirely geared around whatever they have pictures of.  If there aren't any pictures, it's not news.

But TVNZ7 is under threat of closure.  For a start it isn't interested in sport, which makes it something of a heretic's channel in NZ.  It's very interested in ART which makes it something of an oddball channel in NZ.  And it's interested in talking about art, and showing it, and thinking about it, and discussing it and everything else you can do with it.   There's a programme on one of the other main channels - How to look at a painting - or something along those lines.   It's not a bad programme - it's shown late at night, of course, when everyone's making their last hot drink before going to bed - and Justin Paton, the presenter, is a good communicator.  But it has a tendency to do the quick flick thing, where picture after picture is whipped across the screen until your eyeballs fall out.   Occasionally Justin will stop and focus (or is allowed to stop and focus) and then the programme actually comes to life, when he tells you what is able to be seen in the painting in question.  But this doesn't happen nearly often enough.

TVNZ7 is far more inclined to stop and look.   That's what I like about it.