North & South’s My Space hit TVNZ Heartland’s screens last month. And now ACP and TVNZ have announced another broadcast/print media hybrid with a slightly longer name: Entertaining in Style with The Australian Women’s Weekly.
When we chatted with ACP’s publisher of premium and specialist titles Lisa Ralph about the North & South joint venture, she said it was a classic win-win for both parties. For TVNZ, which is looking for ways to create different types of content more efficiently, a lot of the research had already been done so it shortened the programme’s development time. And for ACP, it was a good way to raise the profile of the magazine.
Judging by this follow-up deal with The Australian Women’s Weekly, which is the country’s top selling monthly mag with average net paid circulation of 77,665, Heartland channel manager Philippa Mossman obviously agrees and says being able to join forces with the magazine’s style experts is hugely beneficial. Although, given the explicitly patriotic bent of the TVNZ pay-TV channel, having the word ‘Australian’ in the programme listings does seem a little strange.
“Through our partnership, we have the opportunity to extend into print, which is fantastic for building a greater sponsorship package and placing our brand into the desirable magazine environment,” Mossman says.
Hosted by Sarah Bradley, the show revolves around four Kiwi family occasions where The Australian Women’s Weekly experts— including celebrity cook Jo Seagar, interior stylist Melissa Greenough and fashion expert Anna Caselberg—help to plan and prepare for the event to make it both stylish and memorable.
Throughout the series, viewers will get to see the event transform from planning to actualisation. Highlights and recipes from each episode will appear within editorial features inside the magazine’s June and July issues.
“It’s a big thrill seeing our magazine’s most popular contributors and content come alive on the screen,” says editor Fiona Fraser. “In TVNZ’s expert hands, the show is warm, engaging, and the stories we tell are truly captivating.”
The show premieres on Sunday 3 June at 7.30pm on TVNZ Heartland and features in June’s issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly.
