7 Sep 2007

American Samoa Senators upset by poor games coverage

10:21 am on 7 September 2007

American Samoa's Senators have expressed their deep disappointment that the government owned KVZK TV is not showing any coverage of the South Pacific Games.

During review of the Office of Public Information/ KVZK-TV budget, Senate President Lolo Letalu Moliga told Director Paolo Sivia Sivia that it was embarrassing that despite American Samoa's close proximity to Apia, local viewers are not able to see coverage of the games on KVZK-TV, but faraway islands are getting live coverage of the games.

Lolo said that the station's inability to show the games is leading people to question KVZK's purpose.

Director Paolo explained that the rights for the games coverage had been sold to an Australian company, and when KVZK-TV went to Apia to cover the games, as it has done on previous occassions, it was prohibited, as the local rights had been given to Malama TV.

Malama is a commercial cable tv station.