There are a few reasons why the break is so long.
Most kiwis are still on holiday till the 14th or 21st of January so the viewing audience is small / not worthwhile to produce for. (no ratings during the break too)
As most of the teams are on across the year there’s no weekend or b team to come do the summer break, best not to alienate the audience with a new team.
And both channels can save some money.
Isn’t the entire population of New Zealand as a country around the same size (or slightly smaller) than that of the Sydney or Melbourne metropolitan areas?
This would probably explain why their breakfast TV shows go on such extended breaks (although our breakfast shows used to do this) and why NZ TV/radio is quite predominately national content from Auckland, even moreso than how Australian TV/radio is mainly centred around the two biggest cities with only a splash of national content produced elsewhere.
NZ has never has the state structure that Australia has. Government is centralised and the same laws apply nationwide. The state based culture that applies here just doesn’t exist across the Tasman. That’s not to say there aren’t rivalries… everybody hates Auckland.
Plus, perhaps most importantly, 1/3 of the population live in Auckland. 1.6 of 4.7 million people. If 8 million Australians lived in a single city , that city would dominate media and the national conversation even more than Sydney (and perhaps Melbourne to a smaller extent) does now.
I think as an Australian, I’ve just become so accustomed to having breakfast TV almost year round.
Yup. Even the ones who live there.
Really?
Most people I know (who aren’t in the media) take one week either Christmas-New Years or the week after New Years and that’s it. No more breaks until Easter or winter.
Has more to do with it.
Personally, I don’t hate Auckland*, but I do get very tired of hearing/seeing what is their local news, bandied about on national bulletins. Who in Southland cares if a house burnt down in Epsom?
My aunties and uncles both go on holiday till then most of them take leave from work right before Xmas to make the most of the weather. Plus if you plan the leave we’ll you can use very little.
Seven Sharp back tonight.
Hilary joined Simon and Wendy (also back tonight) by standing at the desk before the first break with a quick tease.
And Jeremy joined them at the desk before the second break.
No doubt a response to last year’s soft ratings. I think previously there were a couple of ads during 6pm and a throw from Simon and Wendy after sport to preview
And ahead of the third break, Sav joins S&W right at the desk for a sports tease (next) which then panned out to Dan at the far side of the screen with a weather tease.
Seven Sharp coming from a couch this year. Coffee table replicates the old desk. New look backdrop too. The show’s presentation has changed a bit since mid-2018.
Simon and Wendy were on the new couch for the handover.
I still can’t buy Jeremy Wells in this role, its almost like he is playing a parody character or something.
I hope that handover isn’t a nightly arrangement it doesn’t warrant moving Simon and Wendy over there for something so quick plus less association with a news bulletin and that ‘programme’ the better.
To the detriment of everyone else in the office. I hope they don’t do that every year 
Nah, that’s just an excuse. NZ On Air funds local news on regional channels.
Dunedin has local news, tied in with their local newspaper. Christchurch used to have local news (until the shakies) plus another couple of smaller centres.
The problem is laziness in the boardroom, I think. Consolidation does that, and it takes smaller players, like the ones mentioned above, to fill the gap. Except it requires viewers to switch channel (if they have the option, not everywhere has regional tv) and just put up with it.
What I mean is, a house fire in Epsom is ultimately interesting to more people watching that bulletin than not. And there’s never going to be a full non-network bulletin again.
I agree, regional news is important. Growing up in Christchurch I used to love watching CTV. NZ On Air do a really good job of targeting that funding for regional media.
