nice contribution tbh
Tbh
I am confused with New Zealand TV.
In Australia we have the 3 commercial networks-
Seven (Seven, 7TWO, 7mate, 7flix, 7food)
Nine (Nine, 9Gem, 9Go, 9Life)
10 (10, 10Bold, 10Peach)
and we also have the 2 government networks-
SBS (SBS, SBS Viceland, SBS Food, NITV)
ABC (ABC, ABC Comedy, ABC Kids, ABC News 24)
So in New Zealand, are the channels set up as a group of networks or is each channel separate?
In New Zealand there are three main commercial network channels.
TVNZ 1
TVNZ 2
Three
TVNZ which is government owned owns two of the three main networks and it owns TVNZ Duke which is a male skewing channel much like 7mate.
Mediaworks owns Three and it also operates three other channels. ThreeLife, Edge TV (Music Channel) and Bravo (Joint Venture with NBC Universal)
Sky TV which is the subscription company also owns the āfourthā FTA network Prime.
We also have Maori Television which is government owned and also operates a second channel - Te Reo.
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Itās a bit of both, but NZās market is completely different to Australiaās in structure. Theyāre not networks in NZ, in the Oz sense. Think of them as companies, some of which have their own mux to broadcast on (like 7 or 9) and others which pool theirs on the infrastructure companies muxes.
So here goes, Terrestrial coverage from my last muster;
TVNZ is stateowned but has no charter. They broadcast nationwide on their own set of muxes); TVNZ1, TVNZ2, TVNZ Duke (all in HD) and timeshift versions of 1 & 2 (SD).
MediaWorks is owned overseas by money-hungry leveragists. They broadcast nationwide on their own set of muxes; +HR=E (HD), Bravo, +HR=E Life (HD), The Edge TV (music channel), and timeshift versions of 3 & Bravo.
Sky Television is a pay-tv operator and managed to hoodwink the Commerce Commission into letting them buy Prime TV (which used to be a subsid. of Prime TV Australia). They have a nationwide mux but donāt use it since pulling the plug on Igloo (look it up). Prime is broadcast (SD) on Kordia/JDA mux (theyāre broadcast infrastructure companies). Prime has a timeshift channel but is only on satellite.
Maori Television was set up as part of colonisation grievance resolutions and they have a mux to themselves. They run Maori TV (HD), Te Reo (HD, Maori-language only station), and may in future add iwi radio.
The remaining channels are broadcast over the other muxes (Kordia/JDA, World TV and independents);
World TV are a chinese-outfit who lease the TABās mux (the TAB have two horse-racing channels, neither of which broadcast FTA. They broadcast two Chinese language channels, one nationwide the other just in the metros.
Choice TV is owned overseas and shows lifestyle shows. They also run a second channel, HGTV (yes, a local spinoff of that other HGTV).
Parliament TV is what it says on the box - gas-bagging politicians slagging each other off in the chamber (sounds dirty, sorry.)
Radio NZ (like ABC Radio) have a TV channel they utilise for 1.5 hours a day (but I believe they will extend this in 2019). They also broadcast their concert programme (radio only).
We also get a range of internationally-fed services; Al Jezeera, TVSN, Shine (religion, some local programming), Hope (religion), Firstlight (religion), Apna TV (Indian language).
And thereās a few local (think community) broadcasters; Dunedin 39, 45 South TV, Mainland TV, TVHB, Wairarapa TV, and a few Chinese operators in Auckland (Panda, TV33).
Mainland TV & 45 South TV operate outside of the Freeview platform (but remain compatible with receivers, etc). Freeview pretty much get the say these days on LCN, and if youāve got enough cash to pay them, and the infrastructure companies, you can broadcast.
Satellite is similar, but without the regional channels, and is carried over two half transponders on Optus D1.
I hope that adequately over-explains things!
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Thanks for that.
From what I understand TVNZ1 is the biggest rating station, followed by Three and TVNZ2. How well does everything else rate in comparision?
Terribly.
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Yup, but there hasnāt been a failure for a while, so theyāre all making just about enough to survive (touch wood).
Quite frankly, I doubt the ratings are worth a hell of a lot. Iād reckon, given from comments I hear, Choice gets higher viewership than the stats would indicate (if ever we see them). It was certainly enough for MediaWorks to copy the format and poach key shows off them for +HR=E Life.
Anyone else find it odd MediaWorks have scheduled Millionaire Hot Seat on +HR=E Liff at 6pm, rather than as a lead-in to the hub of news on +HR=E?
Or is the almighty Chase on 1 too much of a hurdle to overcome?
Itās odd. TVNZ did drop the rights a couple of years back as they had The Chase 4:30-5:30 and it was rating stronger. Then they moved it to 5-6 and itās going gangbusters.
I was thinking the other day if Mediaworks had managed to nab the rights for Hot Seat too! Canāt imagine Modern Family (currently at 5:30) is doing much against the phenomenon that is The Chase UK. They play it like everyday now on 1.
On thatā¦Surprised there has been no sign of a NZ version yet, although it is the host and chasers that make the UK version so great rather than the format.
However they could probably arrange for a few prime time specials to be filmed with the UK cast if they coughed up enough cash!
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Thereās an Australian version of course which Seven show at 5pmā¦ itās ok, but I much prefer the UK edition which 7 also show each day at 3pm.
While my opinion isnāt necessarily indicative of audience trends, it could be that TV1 wants to stick with the UK version getting more bang for their buck.
They showed the Aussie one on TV1 briefly a couple of years back but it bombed and got bumped to 11am. Prime picked it up and it got quickly pulled from their schedules too.
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It could be the host, it is for meā¦ I just donāt like Andrew OāKeefe.
Heās perfectly competent and Iām sure many like himā¦ but thereās just something about him that doesnāt work for me.
And itās not just on Chase (Australia) either, he seemed fake and insincere on other game shows and Weekend Sunrise.
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Yeah theyād need the right host here too to make it workā¦ and who is there? No one I can think of comparable to Bradley Walsh - UNLESS they could get Paul Henry out of retirement?!
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S l o w TV has arrived to NZ (it took a while, as these things tend to doā¦), take the Train on Prime this Saturday night for 3hrs, then for 12hrs from 1:30am Sunday. Read all about it.
Having taken the Overlander (as it was then) and TranzAlpine, I can recommend the journey. Will be interesting to see how it goes on television, and if my DVR will last the distance!
EDIT: At closer inspection, Iām not sure how much of the journey will be by rail. Boo!
They are doing the north island by rail from what iāve seen in promos, boat as they go through the cook straight then Car and truck maybe train too.
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Heres an interesting clip on youtube regarding an attempt by the government to introduce breakfast/morning television back in 1983. The programming block was essentially going to be franchised out to a private operator rather than TVNZ but broadcast over one of their channels??
If you watch the clip there is a company there called Northern Television (part of the Wilson & Horton newspapers - NZ Herald), does anyone know anything about this company? I know its facilities were eventually taken over by SKY TV who are still there today but im curious to know to what extent they existed in the TV industry. They seemed to have an extensive setup but not sure what they really produced as TVNZ was quite In-house with its local shows back then was it not?
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Sounds similar to the arrangement ITV has (had?) for their breakfast block.