TVNZ
Television New Zealand (Māori: Te Reo Tātaki o Aotearoa), more commonly referred to as TVNZ, is a television network that is broadcast throughout New Zealand and parts of the Pacific region. All of its currently-operating channels are free-to-air and commercially funded.
"Television New Zealand" redirects here. For New Zealand television in general, see Television in New Zealand.
Native name
Māori: Te Reo Tātaki o Aotearoa
Broadcast television
February 1980
Nationally (New Zealand) and some Pacific Island nations such as the Cook Islands, Fiji, and the Solomon Islands
Jodi O'Donnell (CEO)
43.2% (2019)[2]
Former TV stations
- TVNZ Sport Extra (2009)
- TVNZ 6 (2011)
- TVNZ 7 (2012)
- U (2013)
- TVNZ Heartland (2015)
- TVNZ Kidzone (2016)
TVNZ was established in February 1980 following the merger of the two government-owned television networks, Television One (now TVNZ 1) and South Pacific Television (now TVNZ 2), under a single administration. It was the sole television broadcaster in New Zealand until November 1989 when private channel TV3 (now Three) was launched.
TVNZ operates playout services from its Auckland studio via Kordia's fibre and microwave network for TVNZ 1, TVNZ 2 and TVNZ Duke, with new media video services via the American-owned Brightcove which is streamed on the Akamai RTMP/HLS DNS based caching network. Its former channels include TVNZ Kidzone (closed 30 April 2016), TVNZ Heartland (closed 31 May 2015), TVNZ U (closed August 2013), TVNZ 7 (closed June 2012), TVNZ 6 (closed 2011), and TVNZ Sport Extra (closed 2009).
TVNZ is state-owned but commercially funded through advertising.[4] There has been reoccurring debate about TVNZ's role and whether it should be treated as a public-service broadcaster or a fully commercial network.[5]
Transmission network[edit]
High Definition[edit]
TVNZ has offered HD broadcasts since July/August 2008, when the 2008 Summer Olympics were broadcast in High Definition. The service is offered on the Freeview|HD platform, using DVB-T transmission. Only TV One and TV2 are offered in HD, and the majority of programming is still up-converted from Standard Definition. From 1 July 2009 the HD versions of TV One and TV2 became available to Sky TV subscribers who have the MySky HDi decoders. Content on the HD versions of TV One and 2 are the same as the Standard Definition versions however when watching certain shows that broadcast in High Definition the HD logo is displayed next to the channel logo, this logo is not seen when watching the same show on the Standard Definition versions of TV1 and 2.
TVNZ has adopted 1080i as their HD broadcast format.
Kordia, formerly BCL, TVNZ's transmission partner[edit]
TVNZ's transmission network is operated by Kordia, formerly a subsidiary of TVNZ known as Broadcast Communications Limited until 2006. The company owns and operates the terrestrial transmission network used for broadcast of all major terrestrial television networks in New Zealand, including Discovery New Zealand. and Sky Open – TVNZ's major competitors, along with other voice and data telecommunications services.
Geographic history[edit]
TVNZ's primary television channel TV One is provided as four distinct terrestrial feeds, localising to viewers within and around the Auckland, Waikato, Wellington and Christchurch regions. Localised satellite feeds were made available in 2010 to channel-locked SD receivers. Localised content currently only consists of targeted regional advertising spots toward the end of a commercial break. Localised regional news programming was discontinued in the late 1980s and all localised versions for TV2 were discontinued in the early 2000s in favour of only national advertising.
TVNZ's predecessor, NZBC started as distinct stations in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. Nationwide networked services were first introduced in July 1969 to broadcast the Apollo 11 landing footage, flown in specially from Australia, from Wellington simultaneously across all stations. However, the network was still incomplete, and in some places, outside broadcast vans were strategically placed to temporarily complete missing links. The network was fully completed in November that year.
The national television network consisted of microwave links linking the major transmitters via intermediate repeaters. In 1985, the microwave network extended from Maungataniwha in Northland to Obelisk in Central Otago via Auckland, Waikato, Taupo, Hawke's Bay (with a spur to Gisborne), Manawatu (with a spur to Taranaki), Wairarapa, Wellington, Marlborough (with a spur to Nelson and the West Coast), Canterbury, Dunedin and Southland. Broadcast relay stations served areas off the microwave network.[60]
TVNZ also used to run telethons up until 1990 at locations around the country, viewers would be shown full coverage of the Telethon nearest their location. Originally when TVNZ began broadcasting TV One and TV2 on Sky Digital at the end of 2001 viewers would see only nationwide or Auckland advertisements when watching these channels through the Sky Digital service. In 2004 this was expanded to show one of three feeds for regional advertising spots targeting Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch with viewers outside of these regions seeing advertisements from the closest region. This was again dropped in March 2007 with a return to only nationwide advertising on TVNZ channels on Sky Digital before being reintroduced through the Freeview SD service. Regional advertising spots are only shown on TV One on both Digital and Analogue platforms however those that receive the HD version of TV One through their HD receiver will only see Auckland advertisements. Standard DVB satellite receivers will scan in all versions to be selected by the viewer.
Wellington-based Avalon Studios, long a nucleus of TV production in New Zealand, was finally put up for sale by TVNZ in 2011, with most of its remaining shows relocating to Auckland, completing a trend of northward drift by the broadcaster.[61][62] TV production was spread evenly around the country in the 1970s, but according to Wellington-based TV personalities, the drift to Auckland began in 1980 with the formation of TVNZ, and the subsequent relocation of the TV One newsroom and headquarters to Auckland under then Prime Minister Rob Muldoon.[63]
In Christchurch, the original TVNZ studios were located at Gloucester Street in the NZBC owned building used to broadcast 3YA and 3ZB. A 14-storey building was also built on Worcester Street as studios for various TVNZ shows, notable shows to be filmed here included What Now and The Son of a Gunn Show. In 1998 TVNZ closed its Christchurch studios. What Now was moved to the Wellington-based Avalon Studios for a few years but moved back to Christchurch to be filmed at the privately owned Whitebait studios. Prior to the 2011 Christchurch earthquake on 22 February, the Worcester Street building continued to house Christchurch radio stations previously owned by RNZ and now owned by NZME (formerly The Radio Network); stations included Newstalk ZB, Classic Hits 97.7 and 91ZM. The Gloucester Street building remained as Christchurch based newsroom for TVNZ until the building was badly damaged in the quake, and has since been demolished. The Worcester Street building was demolished on 5 August 2012 by implosion.[64]
The Dunedin studios were used to film many iconic shows, such as Play School, University Challenge, Beauty and the Beast, and Spot On. When TVNZ scaled back its Dunedin studios in 1989, they were purchased by Ian Taylor, the founder of Animation Research and Taylormade Media.[65]
DVB-S availability[edit]
TV One, TV2 and the hour delayed versions are available "in the clear" over DVB-S on Optus D1 as standard definition only. A Sky set-top box is not required, any satellite set-top box or tuner will work. However the high definition versions on DVB-S2 are scrambled and require a Sky Television H.264 set-top box such as MySky, which costs the price of a basic subscription plus addition MySky rental fee.
Civil Defence[edit]
TVNZ's functions are subject to lifeline utility requirements under NZ civil defence legislation.[66] In practice, this status as a lifeline utility requires TVNZ to be able to function at least to a reduced level after an emergency, and to provide advice to civil defence authorities when requested.
1980–1982
1982–1987
1987–1994
1994–2004
2004–2012
2012–2015
In 1980, TVNZ was launched as Television New Zealand, the logo consists of a four red stars overlap together with the name below. Later in 1982, the logo changed to four point stars on the red and blue octagon shape. 5 years later, the octagon was changed to blue and the stars are changed to red. In 1994, it changed the name to TVNZ, the logo consists of the letters TVNZ coloured in purple, red, green, and light blue. 10 years later, it consists of the name in a futuristic font with letters TV in black and letters NZ in light teal. Today, TVNZ launched a new logo consists of a blue spiral with the letters TVNZ in a new font.
TVNZ's major competitors in the television market are