Very much so. I think ITV’s breakfast slot is technically franchised still but of course ITV own it.
1 Like
Not entirely sure what they produced exactly, maybe you could hunt for an old Listener from 1983, if the listings get that detailed.
It can’t have been all that great, or too early for NZ, as it folded pretty quick. It’s absurd that they’d go out and buy all that gear before even getting a warrant though, I wonder what their plan-b was?
It appears the studio for the crowd goes wild and the main Sky Sports local productions share the same studio space
Fascinating. Who won the bidding?
Northern Television… it was posted somewhere above or in the History thread (can’t remember which).
That’s the interesting part… if seems they went through the process and, as you say, declared a winner; Northern Television (which I hadn’t heard before) and yet nothing ever eventuated?
My vague memory is that Breakfast started sometime in the 90s with Susan Wood and Mike Hosking? But it was a TVNZ production.
Maybe they declared a winner yet never proceeded with the franchise?
Just on NZ TV franchises etc… I recall taking to an old joirno at one point, I think it was Barry Soper… and he told me that during the initial consultations about offering the private licence there was talk of the news being hived off and awarded separately, similar to ITN in the UK.
I’m not sure how seriously the idea was ever treated or if it was just a fantasy floated by some ambitious journos.
Obviously it never happened TV3 was awarded the entire package.
Does anyone recall hearing anything like that?
Yeah not sure what came of it. Northern Television were an advocate for a the third and private television channel and suggested a three region system.
TV3’s initial plans were to operate as three or four regions which would include news and studio production facilities in each region however those grand plans were scaled down to what THREE is now… pretty much everything done out of Auckland.
This was the original design for TV3’s Christchurch headquarters.
TVNZ started Breakfast in 1997.
5 Likes
Talking Married with Shelly Horton & Jayne Azzopardi begins on Three after Wednesday’s MAFS screening. I don’t think they aired it last season.
I well remember the site - it was empty for years!
Northern TV had all the gear, it seems, so surely they put something to air? Everything I’ve ever seen about it suggests they folded after a year (or less) as no one watched. It’s a shame PapersPast only goes up to the '50s… would be handy to look it up there.
1 Like
In a move that I’m sure would shock no one! TVNZ has shifted its live afternoon and evening hockey coverage from TVNZ 2 to TVNZ Duke this Friday.
It was a pretty bold move on there part to put it on TVNZ2 in the first place.
3 Likes
I notice Three Life will show the current season of Better Homes and Gardens on Saturday nights, eight days after it airs on Seven back in Australia (season premiere is on February 9). Three Life only began in April last year, so was BH&G on air back then?
3 Likes
Bold/stupid.
It’s not the Olympics and didn’t justify being shown on the main channel in the first place.
4 Likes
I found this reference while trawling the net;
From “The Remaking of Television New Zealand 1984–1992” By Barry Spicer
Television time had been sold to Northern Television but had proved unsuccessful, and a proposal for breakfast television collapsed when all applicants withdrew
Ahh, well that wouldn’t be surprising. A picky government unwilling to introduce competition would have made sure the terms were untenable.
1 Like
The networks have been airing rainbow idents for 
pride as of late.
1 Like
Looks as if three have launched a new promo series for this year called ‘All Good’ featuring mediaworks talent dressed all in white dancing.
1 Like
They’ve rolled these campaigns out quite often since the network relaunch, which has been great to witness. Last year was “Brilliant”; this year is “All Good”.
1 Like
I love that promo! Mediaworks always makes good use of it’s on-air talent, TVNZ need to do the same, instead of replaying those dancing segments on TVNZ 2…
2 Likes
Great promo from Three without a doubt one of their best.
I think this one from 2008 however would still be my favourite TV3 promo and ident package.
TVNZ 2 ditched the dancers last year with these cheap thrown together promos and idents. Cant say i’m a fan of them at all plus the song they use for them is terrible.
5 Likes