New web site zooms off to cyberspace

By MICHAEL FOREMAN

Television New Zealand's long expected nzoom web site went live early yesterday, in advance of an "official" launch this Sunday.

While nzoom is designed as a "portal" site, or a gateway to the rest of the web, it also includes a mixture of local and international content.

TVNZ has formed a subsidiary company of the same name to develop the nzoom site, which has also taken over responsibility for the state-owned broadcaster's internet strategy from its New Media department.

Nzoom will incorporate TVNZ's existing channel One and Two sites but the company is anxious for it to be seen as a separate entity.

"It's a web business, rather than a web site for a television business," said Simon Aimer, general manager of strategy and marketing at TVNZ.

Many of nzoom's 50 employees have also been transferred from the New Media department, which in its reduced form will now concentrate on weather graphics, subtitling and other web sites.

Nzoom's local content, including news, sports, entertainment and home and garden sections, will be partly provided by its own team of 20 journalists, but the site will also use One News, Radio New Zealand and wire services.

International content has been licensed from NBCi-owned Snap.com, including a global internet guide and a chat room.

Snap's search engine, which was originally developed in New Zealand by Christchurch-based Global Brain, will allow users to restrict their searches to local sites.

TVNZ's primary target audience for the web site are people aged between 25 and 45 with an even split between the sexes.

It expects that most visitors will be at the "family life stage" and will be "time poor."

Revenue will be earned chiefly through banner advertising and sponsorship, but nzoom will also consider revenue share deals.

Mr Aimer said that while TV One's web site, which attracts about one million visitors a month, made a small profit last year, nzoom is expected to lose money at least for the first few years.

"We are going cash flow negative this year."