TV One

This afternoon TV3 is airing live coverage of the Budget but TV One is showing Cookery School with a ticker at the bottom giving updates.

Is this adequate coverage from our state broadcaster?

Both TV One and TV3 are sticking with breaking news coverage of the explosions at the Boston Marathon this morning.

Breakfast has scrapped its planned schedule with Rawdon Christie and Toni Street presenting coverage. Rawdon Christie has tweeted saying TV One will be staying with live coverage past 9am.

TV3 has rolling coverage hosted by Rachel Smalley, with pictures from the Fox News feed.

Amanda Gillies just tweeted confirming that TV3 will continue its coverage through until at least 9.30am. Continue reading »

Every year around this time the TV networks in New Zealand roll out their new season packages, giving us a glimpse as to what lies ahead for the following year.  Head of TV One and TV2, Jeff Latch described TVNZ’s 2013 new season as offering “a stronger and more exciting range of programmes than ever before”. I beg to differ.

In the 50 plus years of television in New Zealand, does he honestly believe that statement?  There is no new hit like a Grey’s Anatomy or Desperate Housewives so I’m not sure what he’s referring to at all.

Latch also believes “the strong local programme line-up, the new and returning News and Current Affairs programming and the extensive showcase of outstanding international content means that TVNZ will continue to deliver the nation’s most watched content”.  But as we know, most watched does not equate to best. Continue reading »

This is an ad campaign that Mediaworks TV are currently running.  While TVNZ are pimping their upcoming series of New Zealand’s Got Talent to advertisers, Mediaworks is trying to convince them that The X Factor is their ticket to better results.

While The X Factor may be a better format, as we’ve seen time and time again in New Zealand, having a great show doesn’t necessarily mean viewers will change the channel.

Mediaworks will tell us, and the advertisers, that they’re delivering more eyeballs in that coveted 25-54 demographic while the reality is that more Kiwis will watch a dressed up and dancing pooch on TV One.

While they may have the X Factor, after all these years, no one seems to have the talent to oust TV One and TV 2 as the preferred channels for viewing.

A “serial complainer” has successfully had a Broadcasting Standards Authority ruling overturned, meaning he will no longer have to pay a $50 fine for making too many complaints.

Wellington man Donald McDonald submitted a complaint to the BSA regarding an item on One News that incorrectly stated that a supernova was 240 light years away, instead of 240 million light years.

The BSA rejected the complaint, saying it was “peripheral” to the news item and issued a $50 fine to McDonald as deterrent against making “frivolous and trivial” complaints.

McDonald is known a prolific complainer, with his complaints alone making up five per cent of TV One’s complaints. Continue reading »

TVNZ will launch a ‘plus one’ channel on the frequency now occupied by TVNZ 7, from July 1 2012.

The new channel will be an exact duplicate of TV ONE, broadcast an hour later.

Changing viewer habits have seen time-shifted channels develop as an internationally-established method of meeting viewer demands for greater flexibility – especially with News and Current Affairs.  Long working hours, shift work and traffic problems have had an impact on the numbers able to watch the evening news in its traditional time slot, and there is now an identifiable global trend towards time-shifting by consumers. Continue reading »

Last night, Mils Muliaina became the second All Black to play 100 tests.  1.8 million people tuned in to watch the All Blacks beat Argentina 33 to 10 in an exciting match but when it came to the presentation, none of the networks aired it, instead, running their own commentary, dissecting the game.

Outrage has erupted online with many fans angry and disappointed at the broadcasters disrespect to one of New Zealand rugby’s champions.  On the All Blacks official site, fans were fuming over the decision to ignore the presentation.  And, of course, a Facebook page has been started.

Sky Television has responded saying the broadcaster had other obligations which forced them to cut away from the speech.

Head of corporate communications, Kirsty Way, said:

”Unfortunately we had other filming obligations as part of our host broadcast obligations for post-match interviews,” she said this morning.

”We were not able to show Mils’ speech at that time. The post-match interviews were to take place at the same time and that’s what we were set up to do.”

Now that we’re at the knockout stages of the 2011 Rugby World Cup, Sky Sport, One, 3 and Maori Television are all screening the games.  The only other time this tends to happen is party political broadcasts or some cunning commercial.

Given this is the case, it is interesting to flick between the channels to check what the quality is like.

We’re watching the games on a 103″ screen which really shows up the quality when it’s blown up this big.  We had been watching on Sky until we decided to have a flick between the channels only to find how poor the broadcast quality on Sky Sports HD is.  Considering subscribers pay a premium for Sky Sports and another premium for HD, it is somewhat surprising to find how inferior it is to both TV One and TV 3.  

Of TV One and TV 3, TV One’s picture quality is much sharper.  Unfortunately for Maori Television, they’re the only broadcaster who isn’t showing the games in HD.  

Based on what we’ve observed, we rank the picture quality in the following order:

1. TV One
2. TV 3
3. Sky Sport 1
4. Maori Television

What observations have you made about the broadcast quality? 

Put the bubbles on ice and pull up a comfy chair as TV ONE has everything you need to celebrate New Year’s Eve in style in ONE’s Countdown To New Year at 8pm featuring the Freshly Squeezed Talent Contest. 

Hosted by TV favourites Jason Gunn and Matt Gibb, the show promises glitz, glamour and a show-stopping spread of entertainment, with performances from Kiwi entertainers including, J. Williams, Che Fu, Hollie Smith, Annie Crummer and Don McGlashan, finishing with a spectacular fireworks display from the top of the Sky City Tower at midnight.

Central to the show is the Freshly Squeezed Talent Quest, a nationwide search to find fresh new Kiwi singers to perform for the first time on a national stage. There are three categories people can enter under; Male Vocal, Female Vocal, and Teen Vocal and it’s up to viewer’s votes to decide which three will win.

Today TV ONE unveils the 12 hopefuls who made it through the nationwide auditions to earn a place on the show, performing in front of an audience at Sky City.

Gunn explains what viewers can expect from the show, “as well as a couple of humorous looks back at the year that’s been, it’s also a look to the future as we showcase some incredible young New Zealand talent. Matt Gibb and I each have our favourites and both being highly competitive are very keen to see our own performers take it out.”

The 12 finalists are:

• Cruize Karaitiana, age 20, from Masterton, works in manufacturing and cites his musical influences as The Rolling Stones, U2 and Muse. Cruize will be performing the James Brown classic, ‘It’s a Man’s World’.

• Married, father of four, Dene Allen, age 30, from Invercargill, has been performing in concerts in the South Island for many years. He will be performing ‘Roadhouse Blues’ by The Doors.

• 22-year-old window cleaner, Hayden Lawrence, from Christchurch has an eclectic taste in music from soul to rock to gospel. He will be singing ‘When A Man Loves A Woman’ by Percy Sledge.

• 46 year-old married truck driver, Greg Joyce, from Ranui, Auckland will be performing a track from legendary ladies man Tom Jones, ‘She’s A Lady’.

• Papatoetoe local Stella Mitsoulis, is 25 and works in sales, she has been singing since she was 12 years old. She’ll be performing a ballad from Beyonce ‘Irreplaceable’.

• Cheryl Anderson, age 30 from Invercargill, has a three-year-old daughter and works as a records officer. Cheryl will be singing the hit song from Kiwi songstress Gin Wigmore, ‘ Oh My’.

• 26 year-old vocal tutor Jenn Shelton, from Wanaka will be front of stage for a change for her performance of Tina Turner’s classic ‘Simply The Best’.

• Married mum of two and entertainer, Olivia McBride, has been in a band for 8 years. She’s singing pop sensation Justin Bieber’s ‘Baby’.

• Ririwai Fox, age 18 from Masterton works as a wool presser, he’s been singing his whole life and will be performing Stevie Wonder’s ‘Part-time Lover’.

• 19 year-old student Anna Grahame, from Richmond in Nelson is currently attending the Excel Performing Arts School. She’ll sing the Ella Fitzgerald classic, ‘Cheek To Cheek’.

• Mahalia Simpson, age 18, from Wainoni in Christchurch is also a student and plays the guitar. Mahalia sings ‘Put Your Records On’ from Corrinne Bailey Rae.

• At 17 years old Massad Barkat-Devine, is the youngest finalist in the competition, from Epson in Auckland, Massad is a student who performed in last year’s Christmas In The Park. He sings ‘Haven’t Met You Yet’ by Michael Buble.

Fifteen-year-old flautist and Variety Gold Heart Scholarship recipient Aine Kelly-Costello will make her on-screen performance debut as part of the New Zealand Variety Show, screening on Christmas Eve.

As well as watching Aine’s stellar performance, New Zealanders will be entertained by local and international stars on Friday, 24 December at 9pm on TV ONE.

Aine has been blind since birth, and excels at playing the flute and piano as well as swimming. She has been awarded a Variety Gold Heart Scholarship by Variety – The Children’s Charity for two years running to help her fulfil her dreams. It was through Aine’s relationship with Variety, that she was given the opportunity to perform at the New Zealand Variety Show.

During the show, Kiwis can get into the Christmas spirit by donating to the two recipient charities, Variety and the Glenn Family Foundation by calling 0900 56789, visiting www.varietyshow.co.nz or texting ‘kids’ to 2447. Variety helps sick, disabled and disadvantaged kids in New Zealand to reach their full potential and the Glenn Family Foundation supports many charitable projects in both New Zealand and overseas.

The New Zealand Variety Show includes performances by international artists including Bonnie Tyler, Leo Sayer, John Paul Young (Love is in the Air), and Jay Weston, and local performers including Frankie Stevens, The Ladykillers, Shane Cortese, Tina Cross, Che Fu, Candy Lane and her Dancers, stars from Dancing with the Stars, Tim Beveridge, Elizabeth Marvelly, the All New Howard Morrison Trio, Jessie Gurunathan, 4DG Gray Bartlett, Mark Dennison, a 20 piece orchestra and a host of TVNZ personalities.

“Christmas is traditionally a time for giving and the screening of the New Zealand Variety Show is another opportunity for generous New Zealanders to show they care by donating to help kids this Christmas,” says Lorraine Taylor, CEO, Variety – The Children’s Charity.