It took a while, but Kevin Kenrick, a well-known New Zealand business figure who has held a number of leadership roles with Lion Nathan, Telecom New Zealand, and most recently, House of Travel, has been named as the new chief executive of TVNZ and will take up the position in the middle of May.
When we asked TVNZ’s head of digital Eric Kearley in early November whether TVNZ was working with Sky and would launch a set-top box before the digital switchover, he flat out said no. But last night Sky and TVNZ brought out the big PR guns and officially launched “New Zealand’s worst kept secret”, Igloo, the mid-play TV network that offers both pay and free-to-air channels. And while there’s plenty to shout about with the new offer, there are still questions lingering about its modus operandi and whether MediaWorks will play nice.
Sky and Television New Zealand have confirmed they are indeed launching a joint pay TV service. Not wanting to say we told you so or anything, but we predicted this weeks ago. TVNZ will be taking 49 percent of a new pay TV platform called Igloo – with Sky holding the majority 51 percent, effectively freezing out the competition.
On the back of some solid advertising revenue increases, TVNZ has reported underlying earnings of $32 million for the financial year ended 30 June 2011, a $19.8 million or 164 percent increase on the previous financial year. And across town, Sky also announced impressive financial results and subscriber numbers.
The goals have been achieved and the speculation was correct: public broadcasting is largely deemed a ‘nice to have’ by the current Government. And, having already turned TVNZ6 into a commercial youth station, TVNZ7 is next on the chopping block after it missed out on the next round of funding.
TVNZ’s half-year numbers have been released and while the national broadcaster is understandably chuffed with a 136 percent increase in operating earnings for the six months to December, there are also a couple of fairly big wounds to lick after a $14.8 million TiVo misfire and an 18 percent drop in taxpayer equity.
Part of Paul Henry’s broadcasting appeal is that he usually treads a very thin line. But he well and truly crossed that line yesterday after suggesting to Prime Minister John Key on Breakfast that Governor General Sir Anand Satyanand’s successor should look and sound more like a New Zealander. And TVNZ chief executive Rick Ellis has taken action over his comments, suspending Henry without pay until October 18.
Turns out TV isn’t dead: in the middle of what TVNZ chief executive Rick Ellis calls “the media industry’s greatest international downturn”, the national broadcaster has reported underlying earnings of $12.9 million for the financial year to 30 June, a $2.8 million (28 percent) increase on the previous financial year.
TVNZ Ondemand is coming to a PlayStation3 (PS3) near you, with gamers now able to watch TVNZ programmes through their consoles in their living rooms, rather than through their computers in a dark hovel surrounded by empty chip packets and coke cans.
Indie agencies face a “major threat” and some inside large agencies claim it’s the “biggest issue to face advertising agencies for a long, long time”.
Battle lines are forming in what could be an industry-defining move by TVNZ to review its pricing and commission structures.
Major accredited agencies have …