TVNZ is axing Sunday, Fair Go and two of its daily news bulletins as part of a massive overhaul of its news and current affairs portfolio.
There are reports the Midday and Tonight weekday bulletins are also being dumped as part of widespread cost-saving measures as the company cuts costs in a challenged economy.
This is sad both for news coverage in NZ, and especially for affected staff.
Im probably an example of the challenge broadcasters face. I used to watch several news bulletins a day, loved Fair Go and Sunday etc.
Today I don't even watch the 6 pm news. Not because I will dislike it, or it isn't good, but because it isn't necessary. I already know what has happened of interest that day through Twitter feeds, websites etc. Life is too busy to spend an hour in front of the television. I'll just tune in occasionally for very major stories.
So if former news junkies like me have tuned out, it is no surprise TVNZ is having to make the hard decision to close these shows. It is a pity, but the world has changed. Linear TV has a limited life span.
David Farrar runs Curia Market Research, a specialist opinion polling and research agency, and the popular Kiwiblog where this article was sourced. He previously worked in the Parliament for eight years, serving two National Party Prime Ministers and three Opposition Leaders.
Im probably an example of the challenge broadcasters face. I used to watch several news bulletins a day, loved Fair Go and Sunday etc.
Today I don't even watch the 6 pm news. Not because I will dislike it, or it isn't good, but because it isn't necessary. I already know what has happened of interest that day through Twitter feeds, websites etc. Life is too busy to spend an hour in front of the television. I'll just tune in occasionally for very major stories.
So if former news junkies like me have tuned out, it is no surprise TVNZ is having to make the hard decision to close these shows. It is a pity, but the world has changed. Linear TV has a limited life span.
David Farrar runs Curia Market Research, a specialist opinion polling and research agency, and the popular Kiwiblog where this article was sourced. He previously worked in the Parliament for eight years, serving two National Party Prime Ministers and three Opposition Leaders.
10 comments:
It’s a shame and our best wishes to the people who have lost their jobs.
Every cloud has a silver lining and it maybe the change is for the better.
No doubt the media landscape has changed, trying to clutch onto a failing model is not viable.
It’s been a pleasure watching you over the years
Do you think axing Sunday is intended as punishment ?
I too was an avid viewer of the 6 o'clock news but gave up over a year ago because it had become a fact-free pro Labour propaganda machine. Sorry that people and their families will be facing hardship but what has happened was predictable and so was avoidable, but I've heard that it's difficult to see the future if you have your head stuck up your posterior.
perhaps if they had not adopted a pro Labour pro maori stance with lots of maori twaddle, and presented news simply instead of as a "show" sufficient watchers would have kept viable.
Commercial realities. Reducing viewers, reducing advertising, change or die.
I stopped watching 6-7 years ago. Found it quite depressing to watch. I’m almost 40. Life’s just too busy. As you say, I get news on the go from other sources, click a link, read a story etc. Also really didn’t appreciate the left wing bias on display constantly being rammed down our throats. I use to spend $10k a year just on radio with NZME. After how ridiculous Covid measures got we didn’t renew the contract and shrunk our trade business. Still wondering what happened to all the Nazis/white supremacists that were reported to be active in NZ during the Covid era. Tens of thousands of them apparently…..
I just got sick of the mindless stuff on the 1news, as well as the one-eyed representation of one side only, careful selection of individuals in the public who supported the view of the interviewer/editor, John Campbell etc and the endless ads. I often watch a little on TVNZ plus where I can fastforward the adds, puff pieces and most blatant ideology but never watch live. They could easily report the news in 30 minutes if they stuck to what is important and communicated in plain english.
Sad about FairGo as it's a Kiwi institution but TBH I never actually watch it.
David, I saw a post that mentioned something along the line that Sky may acquire newshub!!
I'm sure the horse trading has started. Ie you can buy it for $1 but you have to keep employees, mgmt structure, debt etc.
This would be a terrible deal, although it depends how much sky cares about its reputation and credibility. Happy for sky to join the woke broke leftie list if they save newshub....word will spread quickly!
Even if they have deep pockets market forces soon sort you out, subscribers will tune out , plain and simple.
Does TVNZ expect viewers to support them after abusing them in so many ways ?
All the throws between reporters in the reo even when they are European, or worse still the Aussie reporter with an Arabic name.
Dallow spouting gibberish, decades of still saying that idiotic "Welcome back" in English and repeating (I assume) in te reo !!
Nobody went anywhere, so why do they constantly say it ?
It's so idiotic that no other news organizations do that in any language.
Saville delivering a paragraph of te reo to introduce the sports news - why ? Any English translation ?
English words replaced randomly with Maori words , some of them created just for the occasion.
The Maori lady news presenter with a Moko delivering with vitriol in her voice.
The weather forecast for places we haven't heard of until recently - yes, for those cities that didn't exist pre- European times. A blind person listening would have no idea what the forecast was for their location.
Anyone else noticed that Daniel Faitaua seems to have an exemption from this crap, and how proper and professional he sounds ?
An exemption for his ethnicity ?
Absolutely time for the woke team of so called newscasters to go - they are failing the people that pay them badly.
I just read something from a journo upset at facing the axe....
"Given the way the country is heading… Serious journalists are needed more now than ever before.”
I started to laugh. Actually I still am laughing as this statement from tvnz journo shows how deluded they are. However it really depends on what the word "serious" means.
From a tvnz perspective "serious" means more labour propaganda. Making up treaty bs, and speaking a language that no one understands. It means attacking Europeans, spilling vile against Israel, USA, luxon, Peter's and Seymour.
We have been asking for "serious" reporting for years now. "Serious" to me means unbiased, truthful reporting on the facts and reality.
I'm am still stunned (although I also find them incredibly disturbing) that they can not understand the predicament they find themselves in which they created.
Apparently close to 400 jobs to go at tvnz and newshub and only about 12 jobs for journos advertised. I'm still laughing and there is absolutely no sympathy at all.
Perhaps my version of "serious " reporting will be implemented with those actually worthy of a reporting job.
Post a Comment