TVNZ7's blog

Episode 22 series 8

Since Media7 started in April 2008 we have delivered 207 shows covering a huge range of media related topics.

We have explored issues and arguments in the newspaper, radio, television and film industries… and in addition have ranged over the diverse and eclectic controversies that exist in the world of comic books, video gaming, blogs, science and technological writing and reporting, Maori and Pacific affairs, foreign coverage on the UK, USA, Middle East and Afghanistan, national and local politics, the shortcomings of the Parliamentary Press Gallery, journalism and media training, comedy, filthy language on the media, censorship, the BSA, the ASA, SAPAD, the NX Film Commission, the Law Reform Commission recommendations on media law etc. etc. Continue reading »

Episode 21 series 8

The success of our women’s magazines depends on their ability to speak to the hopes, fears, desires and ambitions of kiwi women.

In New Zealand the market is crowded and fiercely competitive.

NZ Women’s Weekly which celebrates 80 years of publication this week, leads a bunch of titles, which constantly seek to gazumph each other with features detailing the hatches, matches, despatches, misdemeanours and peccadilloes of local and international celebrities.

The other potent driver of magazine sales is the guilt and envy women are encouraged to feel on a range of issues from body shape and size to job satisfaction, pay parity and equality of opportunity at work. Continue reading »

For the next three weeks, Wallace and Damian will be bringing the Beehive to the barstools at The Shepherd’s Arms Speights Ale House, Tinakori Road, Thorndon. If you’re in the neighbourhood on a Wednesday from 8pm, pop in to be part of the LIVE audience.

Due to a fire at the Backbencher pub in Wellington on Thursday 7 June, which means that venue is temporarily closed for business, Back Benches will be at The Shepherd’s Arms Speights Ale House, Tinakori Road, Thorndon for the next three weeks.

Self-professed political junkies, Wallace Chapman and Damian Christie, will get to the heart of the big issues as MPs and political mavericks rub shoulders with spectators.

Back Benches is TVNZ 7’s LIVE weekly pub politics show that attempts to demystify the world of New Zealand politics by making it accessible and fun.

If you can’t make it to the The Shepherd’s Arms Speights Ale House, fear not – you can watch it LIVE on TVNZ 7, Wednesday at 9.05pm.

TVNZ 7’s art series The Sitting has raised $76,570 for the Starship Foundation through an auction of portraits of well-known New Zealanders painted by acclaimed artist Stephen Martyn Welch.

Portraits of Sir Graham Henry, Keven Mealamu, Richard O’Brien, Mark Sainsbury, Petra Bagust, George Henare, Peter Elliott, Greg Johnson, Sir Michael Hill, Sir Peter Leitch, Nikki Kaye, Jacinda Ardern, Greg Johnson, Jo Seagar, Al Brown, Siobhan Marshall, Geradine Brophy, Dick Frizzell and Otis Frizzell went under the hammer at the auction held last night at Auckland’s Pah Homestead.

All of the portraits were painted as part of the TVNZ 7 show The Sitting, in which Welch, the winner of the prestigious 2012 Adam Portraiture Award, chats with his subjects while he sketches and paints, exploring their pasts and revealing new information about them. Continue reading »

TVNZ 7 and the Ministry of Science and Innovation (MSI) have collaborated with the University of Waikato’s Science Learning Hub, to provide teachers with science and innovation resources for the second time.

Based on two local TVNZ 7 series, the resources are for the current school curriculum and relate to each episode of the second series of Ever Wondered? and each short-form Innovation Stories episode. With insightful questions and activities for students, the aim is to open the minds of students to the wonderment and magic of science and innovation. The resources are targeted at Years 5 to 10, but can be used for younger or older students. Continue reading »

The Sitting Exhibition sees portraits by award-winning artist Stephen Martyn Welch, from season two of TVNZ 7’s revealing series, on show at the Pah Homestead, TSB Bank Wallace Arts Centre from Tuesday, April 17.

On the TVNZ 7 series The Sitting, well-known New Zealanders share their stories, while seated for an intimate portrait painted by Welch. Celebrating New Zealanders from the world of the arts, theatre, film and television, food, politics, business, music and the media, guests are invited to sit for Welch at the Pah Homestead, TSB Bank Wallace Arts Centre.

Welch chats with his guests, while capturing the essence of each subject on canvas. During the conversation, exploring each guest’s past and interests, Welch often discovers information about the person that until now has never been revealed. Continue reading »

Tune in to TVNZ 7 this week to see the 20 winning films from The Outlook for Someday Sustainability Film Challenge 2011 and vote for your favourite film.

Presented by actor Jared Turner, TVNZ 7 presents…The Outlook For Someday 2011 will be broadcast in five programmes, starting Monday 12 December at 6.30pm. 

The films tackle subjects ranging from pollution and deforestation to the meaning of Kaitiaki and how to be a conscious shopper. They have been made by individuals and teams ranging in age from 6 to 24 years old from Dunedin in the South to the Karikari Peninsula in the North. They were chosen from a record 153 entries, which more than 600 young people had taken part in making.

Viewers will be encouraged after each programme to vote for The Body Shop Audience Favourite. The maker(s) of the film that wins the vote will receive a laptop, while 10 randomly chosen voters will win The Body Shop vouchers. Voting closes at 5pm on Sunday 18 December at The Outlook for Someday website. www.theoutlookforsomeday.net

Now in its fifth year, The Outlook for Someday challenge is to make a short sustainability related film. It can be any genre, filmed with any camera and any length, up to five minutes. Anyone up to age 24 can enter, either individually or in a team. Earlier this year The Outlook for Someday was endorsed by UNESCO as a project of the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development.

The five programmes featuring the winning films will screen at 6.30pm each night, from Monday 12 to Friday 16 December. Each programme will also be repeated the following day at 12.30pm.

THE 20 WINNING FILMS ON TVNZ 7:

Monday 12 December, 6.30pm

• Land-River-Sea by a team from Te Kura o Matihetihe (Primary) in the Hokianga in Northland

• Kua Rahuitia Te Reo by a team from Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Rangiawhia (Primary) in Northland

• Shopping for Our Future by Susan and Andrew Wardell from the University of Otago

Tuesday 13 December, 6.30pm

• A Drop in the Ocean by Jordan Williams from Whenuakite Primary School in Whitianga, Coromandel 

• The Greedy Little Huhu Grub by a team from Renwick School (Primary) in Marlborough

• The Renewables by a team from Renwick School (Primary) in Marlborough

• Make a Tui Feeder by Hamish Hall from Kerikeri Primary School

Wednesday 14 December, 6.30pm

• Gone by Isaac Martin from Gisborne (Homeschooled)

• Too Much by a team from Manurewa, Papatoetoe and Mangere in Auckland (Homeschooled)

• A Film About Sustainabilitree by Mia Brooke and Kate Bennett from Christchurch Girls’ High School

• Enviro-Travel by a team from Point England School (Primary-Intermediate) in Auckland

Thursday 15 December, 6.30pm

• Renno by Christopher Williams from Gisborne and a graduate of the University of Waikato

• Five Ways to Help the Environment by a team from Kauri Park School (Primary) in Auckland

• Flows to the Sea by Connor Campbell and Oliver Bromfield from South Wellington Intermediate School

• Tight Knit by Zane Pocock and Loulou Callister-Brown from the University of Otago

• Good Morning Sunshine by Anna Prestidge and Aisling Rayne from Burnside High School in Christchurch

Friday 16 December, 6.30pm

• Outlook for Sumner by Sophia and Lena Hesselgrave from the University of Canterbury and Victoria University of Wellington

• Changing the Climate by Isabelle Russell and Laura Falkner of Albany Senior High School in Auckland

• If I Cannot Dance by Hilary Crombie and Charlotte Taylor from the University of Auckland

• Environmental Man by Nathan Thomas from Auckland and a graduate of AUT University

TVNZ re-launches its public service channel TVNZ 7 tomorrow, offering one destination for advertising-free programming.

TVNZ Head of Digital Channels Eric Kearley said the expanded TVNZ 7 incorporates some of the best programming from TVNZ 6, which ceases broadcast on the same day.

“The expanded TVNZ 7 will continue to offer programmes that are often difficult to see on commercial channels. It retains a commitment to quality local and international content that is challenging, diverse and educational,” Mr Kearley said

TVNZ 7 fosters learning, informs discussion and encourages debate for all New Zealanders. 

The channel will screen pre-school content, factual programmes, news and current affairs shows, documentary series, arts programmes and one-off specials.

Key programmes on TVNZ 7 from tomorrow, 1 March include:

Kidzone daily 6-8am with new episodes of local shows Kidzone With Kayne, Giggles and Pop Up, and international shows Mr Moon and Why?

Existing programmes made for TVNZ 7, such as Back Benches, Media7, Animal Academy and The Good Word.

New local programmes for TVNZ 7, such as How To Look At A Painting and Hindsight.

International Programmes new to a New Zealand audience, such as Justice, This Week with Christiane Amanpour and ABC World.

Programmes produced through strategic partnerships with organisations interested in making genuine information available to the public, such as Meet The Locals, Tales From Te Papa and Volunteer Power.

Timely primetime repeats of ‘special interest’ programmes originally commissioned for off-peak on TV ONE, such as Rural Delivery, Marae and Asia Downunder.

News bulletins including a short bulletin on the hour every hour from 8am, and a full hour of news at 8pm.

TVNZ 6 and TVNZ 7, launched in 2007 and 2008, were publicly funded channels to encourage Freeview uptake and move New Zealanders to digital television.

Last year the Government agreed to the TVNZ 6 frequency being commercialised and funded from advertising and TVNZ 7 continuing to be public funded until the end of June 2012.

TVNZ will launch a new commercial youth focussed channel, named “U”, on the freed-up frequency on 13 March.

From tomorrow 1 March, TVNZ 7 is available on Freeview/TiVo channel 7 and SKY/Telstra channel 77

In what is a first for the TED conferences, New Zealand’s own TEDx event will be streamed live in partnership with TVNZ 7 on Sunday 26 September, from 10am, with highlights of the event broadcast on TVNZ 7 at a later date. 

Devoted to ideas worth spreading, the annual TED conferences have a global following, and this month Auckland will host its own TEDx event (x stands for independently run).

The collaboration between Richard Hollingum, owner of the rights to host TEDx in New Zealand, and TVNZ 7, the inspirational and innovative ideas presented at this gathering, will be shared over the internet in real time at www.tvnz.co.nz/tvnz7. Simply click on the TEDx link on the TVNZ 7 home page for more details.

Previously TED has prevented live streaming of its renowned talks due to its status as a not-for-profit and its philosophy to promote ideas as opposed to commerce. This world-first arrangement has been struck due to the non-commercial nature of TVNZ 7.

Hollingum, the Director of Doing from the Department of Doing, is a firm believer that an idea is not any idea until it’s done.

“This year’s TEDxAuckland talks are focused on two very powerful words – ‘What If?’”

He explains, “Gathering to be inspired by great ideas is one thing, but where it really starts to get interesting, and exciting, is when we can start to put those ideas into action and begin to see real change and progress.”

TVNZ 7′s Channel Manager Philippa Mossman sees a natural fit.

“TVNZ 7 is about different perspectives and sharing ideas, about informing and inspiring. We are thrilled to be able to bring TEDx Auckland to our viewers, both through the live streaming of the actual event and through the programmes,” says Mossman.

In keeping with the TED format, the day will bring together people from three worlds; Technology, Entertainment, and Design, featuring 15 talks, performances and other multimedia surprises from fascinating thinkers and doers, each lasting no longer than 18 minutes. Richard and his team have been dedicated to putting together an unrivalled spectrum of speakers for the day, which promises to deliver a rich and memorable experience.

For more information and speaker line-ups, visit www.tedxauckland.co.nz. For more information on TVNZ 7 (available through Freeview channel 7 and SKY channel 97), visit www.tvnz.co.nz/tvnz7.

TVNZ 7 and The Science Learning Hub through the University of Waikato have collaborated to provide schools, teachers and students with science and technology resources for the current curriculum based on two local series on TVNZ 7, Ever Wondered? and Science Made Simple. 

The resources pertain to each episode of Ever Wondered? and each Science Made Simple interstitial, and pose questions and activities for students, targeted at Years 5 to 10. The aim is to open the minds of students to the wonderment and magic of science and technology.

Philippa Mossman, Channel Manager for TVNZ 7, is delighted that TVNZ is once again able to provide valuable resources to education providers.

“We are very proud of the quality of our local science programmes. These education resources give us the wonderful opportunity to take these programmes from the television screen into the classroom to help make learning about science and technology fun.”

The Science Learning Hub’s Director Professor Alister Jones is also thrilled to be involved in the production of resources for New Zealand students.

“We see this collaboration as an opportunity to engage young New Zealanders in learning about the science and technology which occurs in New Zealand.”

Ever Wondered? is hosted by MacDiarmid Young Scientist of the Year 2009, Dr John Watt, and comprises ten 30-minute episodes. Produced in conjunction with the Royal Society of New Zealand, it answers challenging scientific questions as Dr Watt talks to Kiwi scientists and researchers and joins in on high-tech and hair-raising experiments.

Science Made Simple is a series of fifteen one minute animated programmes, narrated by TVNZ’s own Karen Olsen. Each episode demystifies commonly used, but little understood, scientific and technological terms including Nanotechnology, Bioengineering, Quantum Physics, Thermodynamics and Black Holes.

Teachers can register their interest for the free resources at TVNZ’s website tvnz.co.nz/everwondered by 31 October. All registered parties will receive a set of DVDs and information about corresponding downloadable materials.