Weathering the US storm

The television and film business has been far from sheltered from the impacts of the falling us dollar. Take nhnz, a Dunedin-based prodco with Beijing and Washington, dc offices that produces over 60 hours of factual each year. John Crawford, nhnz's general manager, says in the company's last financial year (which ended in June), the bottom line impact of the declining us dollar was nz$1.25 million (us$960,000). 'So it's pretty serious stuff,' says Crawford. In September alone, the shift in the us dollar against the New Zealand dollar resulted in a nz$200,000 ($153,000) reduction in income for nhnz. Although the fluctuating us dollar is a problem the prodco has dealt with for at least three years, 'the severe impact really has been in the last six to nine months,' says Crawford.