2024 - TV3 Cancels the News

In late February 2024 TV3's owners announced to staff, then the country that due to the financial reality of plunging advertising spending in the New Zealand media market the company would be canceling their Newshub 6pm news show from June 2024 and making all associated staff redundant. At the same time they will be halting all local TV production unless there was some significant cost sharing in place via co-productions or NZ on Air funding.

Aside from warning of a "crisis for democracy" with the disappearance of TV3 as a news outlet Media commentators all point out that this move most likely heralds the end of TV3 as a real time live to air station and local producer of content. The logic is that without the News to attract viewers to the channel at the start of the evening its audience numbers will only go down, income will fall, and there is less to spend on original content. The phrase "Death spiral" springs to mind.

TV3 brough a fresh approach to New Zealand TV screens in November 27 1989, one that attracted a younger audience. Their approach to news back at the start was a little bit livelier that TVNZ at the time with more scope for the on air staff to display some character and a kiwi sense of humour while still providing in depth news coverage.

The shows like Nightline got the attention of 20 somethings like myself and felt more in-tune with life in NZ than the more "BBC-lite" approach that has always dominated TVNZ's shows, and they broadcast a range of overseas shows like Canadian tv's Muchmusic and Ed's House Party which seemed more edgy and up-to-the-minute than most shows screening at the time on TVNZ..

Over time they launched a range of their own local shows, some of which made their mark:

• 7 Days (2010 - now)
• Aftershock (2009)
• Almighty Johnsons, the (2011-13)
• Away Laughing (1991)
• Banker, The Escorts, and The $18 Million, The (2011)
• Being Eve (2001-2003)
• Big Chair, the (1998, 2001)
• Billy T James Show (1990)
• Blue Rose (2013)
• Bro'Town (2005-)
• Campbell Live (?)
• Cinema of Unease (1995)
• Doves of War (2006 )
• Dress Up Box, the (2001-2005ish)
• Funny Girls (2015-2017)
• Gone Fishin (1993 - Now)
• Harry (2013)
• Homeward Bound (1992)
• Hounds (2012)
• Ice TV (1996 - 99)
• Inside New Zealand (1991-Now)
• Jaquie Brown Diaries, The (2008-09)
• Jono and Ben (2012-2018)
• Living Room, the (2002-06)
• Maddigan's Quest (2006)
• Main Event, the (1990)
• Melody Rules (1993)
• Moe Show, the (2013 - ?)
• New Adventures of Black Beauty (1990)
• Nightline (1990-Now)
• Oscar and Friends (1996)
• Outrageous Fortune (2005-2010)
• Perfect Match (1989-90)
• Police Stop (1995-97)
• Pulp Sport (2003 - ? )
• Radiradirah (2010)
• Shakedown (1990-91)
• Skitz (1993-95)
• Squirt (1994 -?)
• Strip, the (2002-3)
• Super City (2011-2013)
• Topless Women Talk About Their Lives (?)
• TV-FM (1991-92)
• TV3’s Sunday Horrors (1990,92)
• Underbelly NZ: Land of the Long Green Cloud (2011)
• Westside (2015-20)
• You and Me (1992-1999)

The fate of the channel will take shape over 2024, but whatever happens the channel left an impression on Kiwi culture that only TV could back at the turn of the century when linear TV held sway in the media ecosphere.