Author Radio New Zealand

Broadcaster MediaWorks is cutting key local TV comedies. Mediawatch says It’s a further sign of the company’s deepening problems and wider troubles in free-to-air television, and is also a headache for the broadcasting funding agency New Zealand On Air.

New Zealand Rugby is to take a 5 percent stake in Sky as it unveils a new broadcast deal.

Spark Sport says it has broadcast rights to NZ Cricket fixtures from April 2020 with TVNZ as free to air partner.

Sky Network Television will fight to hold on to the broadcast rights for Super Rugby and The Rugby Championship for five more years at a cost of more than $235 million.

People point the finger at politicians, platforms and the news media for the spread of fake news and misinformation, but an expert tells Mediawatch the PR industry’s role usually goes under the radar – and an ethics upgrade is urgent.

Anyone in New Zealand who looks at extremist content on Facebook will in the future be directed to websites helping people to leave hate groups.

Sky Television has been fined $4000 for showing extensive footage of the 15 March terrorist attacks taken from the alleged gunman’s livestream.

Once upon a time our major media companies and telcos were none of each others’ business. Now they are all up in each others’ business because of ‘convergence’ driven by digital technology and the internet. TVNZ’s board told the government it won’t be getting a return in this crowded market and this week media bosses told Mediawatch the big players can’t all survive in it much longer.

The Greens have been forced into a swift apology and backdown on an attack ad they ran against the National Party leader Simon Bridges.

Instagram will test the removal of ‘likes’ from New Zealand-based users’ content from today.

‘Freedom in Broadcasting without Harm’ is the newly-stated mission of our most powerful media watchdog. The BSA is also asking if broadcasting standards need to change after the Christchurch mosque attacks. This could be controversial against the backdrop of increased angst about hate speech and freedom of expression these days.

Within 50 years, the dead are expected to outnumber the living on Facebook. Max Towle asks if being ‘friends’ with our deceased loved ones helps or hinders the grieving process.

Scientists say that 5G is safe, but a small, vocal group of people insist it causes cancer. Susan Strongman speaks to two of the rollout’s most rowdy opponents.

Labour came to power promising big boosts to public broadcasting but last week’s Budget offered only stop-gap increases “pending major policy decisions.”

Facebook is tightening its rules around live-streaming in direct response to the Christchurch terror attack.

Major New Zealand news organisations, including RNZ, have agreed to protocols for covering the trial of the person charged for the Christchurch mosque attacks.

The New Zealand Herald’s publisher NZME has announced digital subscriptions will be available from next week. Online readers will have to pay $5 a week for everything the Herald has to offer.

Sky Network Television’s former chief executive John Fellet is stepping down from the board, following other executives out the door.

Facebook is extending its ban on hate speech to prohibit the promotion and support of white nationalism and separatism.