When the news division of Warner Bros. turns out the lights tonight, it’s the end of an era.
Or, an era. The simple truth is TV3 news never quite cut it and the history of fiscal dysfunction is the major reason why.
Some of it was their own doing. Some of it was the unluckiness of who owns you, why they own you and whether they are as invested as they might have been in different circumstances.
TV3 never really got off the ground properly.
They did a lot of good things. They brought genuine competition to the market, shook up the presentation and reportage of news a bit and discovered some very good personality-based talent. But at no time did they do what really needed to be done.
Rate.
They never toppled the main player in TV1. They made a dent or two. When they focused on specific demographics they made some big dents. But it never quite crossed the line in terms of the zeitgeist.
They never changed the landscape to the point where they were the champions or the kings of the hill.
They always remained the plucky little competitor, even years after that moniker became absurd, given they’ve been around the place for decades.
You can only run the "new kid in town" line for so long.
Of course it’s a credit to TVNZ who held them off. Not that they will be celebrating. The same way Newstalk ZB didn’t celebrate when we saw off a series of radio stations set up and designed to take us down or out.
Competition is a good thing and as of tonight, although Stuff will to a degree be taking over, it won't be the same. It doesn’t have the resource or the level of televisual expertise.
We wish them well of course. The landscape, in terms of terrestrial television, is shocking so all are more than welcome to keep the dream alive.
But media is a brutal business that became even more brutal with the internet and streaming and the world shrinking. You either get an audience and monetise it, or you don't.
It's sad, but emotion never paid the bills.
Mike Hosking is a New Zealand television and radio broadcaster. He currently hosts The Mike Hosking Breakfast show on NewstalkZB on weekday mornings - where this article was sourced.
TV3 never really got off the ground properly.
They did a lot of good things. They brought genuine competition to the market, shook up the presentation and reportage of news a bit and discovered some very good personality-based talent. But at no time did they do what really needed to be done.
Rate.
They never toppled the main player in TV1. They made a dent or two. When they focused on specific demographics they made some big dents. But it never quite crossed the line in terms of the zeitgeist.
They never changed the landscape to the point where they were the champions or the kings of the hill.
They always remained the plucky little competitor, even years after that moniker became absurd, given they’ve been around the place for decades.
You can only run the "new kid in town" line for so long.
Of course it’s a credit to TVNZ who held them off. Not that they will be celebrating. The same way Newstalk ZB didn’t celebrate when we saw off a series of radio stations set up and designed to take us down or out.
Competition is a good thing and as of tonight, although Stuff will to a degree be taking over, it won't be the same. It doesn’t have the resource or the level of televisual expertise.
We wish them well of course. The landscape, in terms of terrestrial television, is shocking so all are more than welcome to keep the dream alive.
But media is a brutal business that became even more brutal with the internet and streaming and the world shrinking. You either get an audience and monetise it, or you don't.
It's sad, but emotion never paid the bills.
Mike Hosking is a New Zealand television and radio broadcaster. He currently hosts The Mike Hosking Breakfast show on NewstalkZB on weekday mornings - where this article was sourced.
6 comments:
Did they ever play new kid on the block? Or was it always playing little brother trying to our do the big sibling at the same thing?
They could have easily moved away from the sickly sweet, left leaning sibling and tried to fill the big audience that was left alone. Central, open for debate and interested in facts rather than preaching, the church of TV1 was more than enough for most.
But they didn't, so don't let the door hit you on the way out. Services that tell their customers what they want will never make it, no matter how sad their preachers look.
It seems to me that TV3 never succeeded simply because they never challenged TV1.
They followed every fad and fashion with enthusiasm, staffed their newsroom with sheilas (of both sexes) instead of hard newspeople and ignored the proven fact that people, everywhere, are generally conservative.
To get those people to change, particularly those willing and able to spend their money on advertisers' products which is, of course, the whole purpose of commercial television, a new player needs to offer something new, something exciting and above all, something better.
TV3 missed all.
Instead of challenging TV1, TV3 just offered an alternative TV1, slightly woker, slightly lefter but basically the same.
FWIW, I'll not be crying in my beer tonight.
The closing down of TV3's Newshub is no loss at all as far as I am concerned.
They took the King’s Shilling and obligingly turned a blind eye to the blatant Maori coup which was unfolding throughout the last term of Ardern’s government.
Good riddance!
More like the end of an error.
If another racist news outlet closes down, NZ will be better off.
Oh bugger, Stuff is going to take over - they are even more ,and openly racist (they don't even try to hide it) - do they get to double dip in the PIJF trough ?
Time Luxon to pull the plug on all PIJF financing of all these organizations who are blatently committing sedition.
Oh no , the previous Labour Govt removed sedition from our laws.
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