Regional television in New Zealand

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In New Zealand, regional television refers to television stations, which in the analogue age broadcast on the UHF band, that had local programming, as well as specialist programming. As of January 2026, there are two such stations still on air: Apna Television and Television Hawke's Bay. Invercargill's Cue TV was broadcast nationwide on the Sky platform from 2003 until its closure in 2015. Most stations have shut down over time, often due to a lack of funds.

Contents

History

Background

When the New Zealand Broadcasting Service (renamed New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation in 1962) started broadcasting its television service in 1960, there was no uniform national network. There were four stations which provided television programmes initially to the city of licence, before expanding its coverage to include adjacent areas. The stations were:

After the TEV Wahine disaster on 9 April 1968, NZBC announced the creation of a national microwave relay network to connect the four centres; the network was completed on 25 October 1969 and the first broadcasts started on 3 November 1969 with the first edition of the NZBC Network News produced by WNTV1 in Wellington. [2] Gradually, over time, the original four-region model for television broadcasts was replaced by a centralised system. Initially it was semi-centralised: on 17 July 1976, viewers in most of the South Island were deprived from seeing TV One's coverage of the opening ceremony of the 1976 Summer Olympics when the Blue Duck transmitter in Kaikōura lost its generator due to heavy wind and gales. [3] On 31 March 1980, weeks after the two television channels (Television One and TV2) merged to form the current TVNZ, regional news programmes were restored. These aired at 7.30pm and ran for half an hour. The regional programmes broadcast from the four main TVNZ studios, the ones that operated as independent TV stations in the 1960s: in Auckland (Top Half), Wellington (Today Tonight), Christchurch (The Mainland Touch) and Dunedin (7.30 South). [4] In 1982, the regional programmes were incorporated into the network news bulletin with 7.30 South rebranded as The South Tonight. Each region would break out from the network news for a 20-minute regional programme before returning to the network news for the weather. In 1989 the regional programmes were transferred to Network Two in the new timeslot of 5.45pm, and Top Half and Today Tonight were axed later that year. In 1990, The Mainland Touch and The South Tonight were transferred back to Television One and screened immediately after the Māori news programme Te Karere (live at 5.20pm in the North Island, delayed at 5.35pm in the South Island) and before the network news. Both programmes were axed altogether at the end of 1990.

Commercial television

The newspaper industry was also keen on obtaining licences for private television stations, the likes of which only came into fruition in 1989. On 11 December 1980, publishing company Wilson and Horton won a bid for a third television channel; this was one of the three regional television licenses granted to the newspaper industry, the other two being the Central Television Network and one for the South Island. Technical training from Australia was brought in to study transmission and frequency issues to enable its broadcasts. [5] Northern Television ultimately broadcast nationwide on TV One's frequencies with Good Morning New Zealand, making it the first television programme on TVNZ to be produced by an independent company. [6] It aired for the first time on 21 June 1982 [7] but, over time, it was renamed 11AM and had its closure set for 17 June 1983. [8] In September 1983, it even announced plans to broadcast on the UHF band [9] and in stereo. [10]

The bid for a third channel was revived in 1985. Like what was intended for Northern Television, the bids were regionalised. The North Island received three bids instead of two and the South Island still received one. These were:

Applicants for the warrants included Aotearoa Broadcasting System, Civic Enterprises (region 4 only), Energy Source Television Network, Impact Television, On-Shore Services (region 1 only), Southern Cross Television (except region 2), Tele-Vid Three group and United Telecast Corporation (region 2 only). Hearings began in August 1985. [11] [12] The Broadcasting Tribunal announced in August 1987 that the Tele-Vid Three group (TV3) had been awarded all four warrants. The four channels would be based in Auckland, Tauranga, [13] Wellington and Christchurch, with a jointly owned national news and current affairs service and a national advertising service. TV3 was proposed to launch in early 1989, with broadcasts initially covering 80% of the population. [14] However, TV3 was affected by the share market crash in October 1987, rationalising the plans for four regional services before being shelved completely. The network was to be based in Auckland with limited studios and news and sales teams in the other main centres. [15]

UHF

UHF broadcasts in the early half of the 1990s, coupled by the deregulation of the media landscape, facilitated the creation of new local television stations. These were either general services catering local communities, as well as specialist ethnic and music channels. One of the earliest stations was Canterbury Television in Christchurch, which broadcast from facilities that TVNZ used there in the past. It started on 17 June 1991. [16]

TVNZ launched the Horizon Pacific Television network to counter its national networks lacking regional programming. There was an excess in the amount of UK and US-made programmes (including the relays of BBC World) which meant that the service was considered to be an "oxymoron" countering its plan to be "regional public service television". [17] There were four stations in the network:

The privately-owned Canterbury Television joined the network in November 1995, when Horizon Pacific acquired it. [18] Four of the five stations (all but Southern) aired the first LGBT-centric programme on New Zealand television, Express Report, which became famous for being rejected by Southern Television owing to ratings and advertising concerns. [19] It was subsequently renamed Out There and ended in April 1997. [20]

Horizon Pacific operated at a loss throughout its existence, the initial 7pm news hour was replaced by a 5.30pm bulletin [21] and was scrapped later on, in order to enable One News relays on the network. [22] Local news services were restored in February 1997, [23] but TVNZ announced plans to shut it down as it was unsustainable, replacing it by MTV Europe, a more competitive alternative, in June. [17]

Music channels also sprung on the UHF band. Auckland had Max TV [24] and Christchurch had Cry TV. [25] In 1996, Te Māngai Pāho saw a need for a trial television station in the Māori language, the Aotearoa Television Network, which broadcast from a low-powered transmitter in the Auckland area. It failed a number of funding issues, as well as a notorious scandal in which Tuku Morgan, one of the partners of the project, was involved in using $89 out of ATN's $4,000 budget for buying a pair of Hugo Boss underpants at Politiks in Newmarket, as well as other misuse of funds. [26] [27] ATN's director Morehu McDonald also spent his budget buying clothes there. These actions prompted an audit. [28] By April 1997, ATN was renting airtime to Patrick McPhee, and planned negotiations with Taiwanese, Indian and Chinese groups for ethnic programming. [29] ATN shut down in July and liquidated two months later. [30]

Religious groups were also interested in religious licences. This led to the creation of the Family Television Network in 1996: first in Auckland, on terrestrial and cable, [31] then in 1997 it had spread to Christchurch, using Cry TV's frequency, but Cry TV was blocked as a formal sale wasn't approved yet. [32] FTN in Canterbury moved to CTV's frequency in October 1997, after Horizon Pacific shut down, leaving CTV off air for months. [33] For much of 1998, it also owned half of Mercury Television's operating company CRT, [34] later leaving the South Island in 2000 by selling its Canterbury station. [35]

As of November 1997, the following stations were in operation:

Later years and downfall

Southland TV became a national channel in 2003 when it started broadcasting on the Sky platform. [37] The stations also used the new Freeview platform. [38] From 19 April 2011, Canterbury Television, whose building was damaged in an earthquake two months earlier, made its programmes available nationwide on Māori Television, which aired the previous day's offering. [39] World TV, owner of Japanese, Chinese and Korean services on the Sky platform, launched an English-language channel, TV9, on 1 February 2012, mostly relaying CCTV News programming. [40]

However, the 2010s led to a rapid decrease in the amount of regional television stations. Cue TV shut down in 2015, its operating company downsized to a mere production company. [41] In December 2023, Channel 39 announced its plans to shut down, due to declining funding from NZ On Air. [42]

References

  1. ↑ "The Early Years | INSIDE TVNZ | tvnz.co.nz". TVNZ . Retrieved 29 August 2008.
  2. ↑ "National Telecasts Next Month". The Press . 25 October 1969. p. 1.
  3. ↑ "TV link from north cut". The Press . 19 July 1976. p. 1.
  4. ↑ "From today, it's Television New Zealand". The Press . 16 February 1980. p. 12.
  5. ↑ "Newspapers to form TV companies". The Press . 12 December 1980. p. 3.
  6. ↑ "Northern TV to provide daily morning telecast". The Press . 11 February 1982. p. 1.
  7. ↑ "Northern TV's show overcomes problems". The Press . 22 June 1982. p. 3.
  8. ↑ "Final 11 a.m.' in June". The Press . 21 May 1983. p. 8.
  9. ↑ "Northern TV makes bid for UHF". The Press . 26 September 1983. p. 4.
  10. ↑ "Stereo TV possible". The Press . 12 October 1983. p. 14.
  11. ↑ "TV3 group in warrant bid". The Press . 30 March 1985. p. 1.
  12. ↑ "Hearing begins for third channel". The Press . 16 August 1985. p. 25.
  13. ↑ "Tauranga H.Q. for TV3 region". The Press . 5 March 1988. p. 9.
  14. ↑ "TV3 to get third channel". The Press . 26 August 1987. p. 1.
  15. ↑ Malthus, Nigel (30 March 1989). "New television channel on air in November". The Press . p. 3.
  16. ↑ "Television and radio". The Press . 17 June 1991. p. 15.
  17. 1 2 "Television New Zealand's Charter: The struggle between social responsabilities and commercial imperatives". Auckland University of Technology . 2003. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  18. ↑ "Horizon Pacific cleared to acquire CTV". Commerce Commission of New Zealand. 9 November 1995. Archived from the original on 26 January 2019. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  19. ↑ CLARKE, B. (1996, Jan 21). Channel bans first gay TV show. Sunday Star - Times
  20. ↑ TVNZ slammed for axing gay show. (1997, Apr 03). Evening Post
  21. ↑ CESSFORD, C. (1996, Jun 20). Five made redundant as Capital TV moves news. Evening Post
  22. ↑ PETROVIC, H. (1996, Aug 22). CTV to take TVNZ news hour. The Press
  23. ↑ Region news back on Horizon. (1997, Feb 08). Dominion
  24. ↑ Bertram, Gavin (18 July 2014). "Max TV - Not given lightly". Audio Culture . Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  25. ↑ Moffett, Julie. "Cry TV – A Music Station Like No Other". Toi Ōtautahi. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  26. ↑ "'Close eye' on TV grant to Tuku Morgan". The New Zealand Herald . 29 April 2002. Retrieved 19 February 2010.
  27. ↑ "Mallard tries to stay afloat". Sunday News. 27 October 2007. Retrieved 19 February 2010.
  28. ↑ TAYLOR, P. (1997, Feb 05). Maori TV to be audited after spending claims. Dominion
  29. ↑ TAYLOR, P. (1997, Apr 03). Rock show rents air time from ATN. Dominion
  30. ↑ Court winds up ATN. (1997, Sep 26). Waikato Times
  31. ↑ KENNEDY, E. (1996, Aug 17). TV coming out your ears. Dominion
  32. ↑ PETROVIC, H. (1997, Jul 16). TV station's rights queried. The Press
  33. ↑ Station moves to CTV. (1997, Oct 25). The Press
  34. ↑ PEART, M. (1998, Dec 01). CRT sells more shares. The Southland Times
  35. ↑ NORRIS, P. (2000, Sep 22). Battle for local news. The Press
  36. ↑ ESPINER, G. (1997, Nov 26). Privateers find regional niche. Evening Post
  37. ↑ "Cue up a new future". The Southland Times . 2 April 2015.
  38. ↑ "Cue TV to join Freeview digital satellite service". The Southland Times . 18 February 2009. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
  39. ↑ "CTV back on air". kiwinewsonline.co.nz. 19 April 2011. Archived from the original on 19 August 2011. Retrieved 12 May 2011.
  40. ↑ "World TV launches new channel on Freeview". Fairfax. 16 January 2012. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
  41. ↑ "Cue TV turns off transmissions". The Southland Times . 1 April 2015. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
  42. ↑ "Uncertainty for Channel 39". Otago Daily Times . 14 December 2023. Archived from the original on 13 December 2023. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
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