A sad day for Newshub just got worse – Paddy Gower has missed out on funding for a new season of his TV show; Sam Hayes and Mike McRoberts’ farewell interview; Six things to watch for in new 6pm TV battle; A big night at Beacons Awards; Former editor reflects
Media Insider: Newshub closure – Paddy Gower show misses out on NZ on Air funding; Samantha Hayes and Mike McRoberts’ farewell interview; Beacon Awards winners
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Warner Bros Discovery New Zealand boss Juliet Peterson said: “We understand that [in] every NZ on Air funding round, scores of applications are considered and not all can be accepted.
“We are disappointed to see Paddy Gower Has Issues has not been funded this round.
“We believe in Paddy, and his commitment to stellar journalism and the stories that matter to New Zealanders, and along with the rest of the country, will look forward to seeing him back on screens in the future.”
Just what that future is remains unclear, with Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) already signalling it won’t back local shows, unless it has a third party funding almost the full cost of production.
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NZ on Air has been approached for a specific comment about the Gower show, but in the meantime has released details of what it has funded - 19 new and returning non-fiction projects, including Country Calendar, What Now?, the Local Democracy Reporting programme, a new data series for TVNZ, and several comedic and te ao Māori shows.
There is good news for Warner Bros Discovery and Three, with comedian Guy Williams receiving almost $1 million in funding for a new six-part comedy series New Zealand Tomorrow, a spinoff of his New Zealand Today series.
Total funding for this round of non-fiction content comes to just under $17 million.
“While Paddy Gower Has Issues was assessed strongly it was a relatively high-cost production for the number of episodes compared to other content,” said an NZ on Air spokeswoman.
“We also need to balance the slate in terms of the amount of funding going to content on each platform. We have conveyed to WBD that we would be happy to consider an application for Paddy Gower Has Issues again in a future funding round.”
The Government funding agency has also announced today that it is funding TVNZ’s Shortland Street to the tune of $3 million from its separate scripted budget. Along with a screen production rebate of 40%, TVNZ’s costs for producing Shortland Street have likely fallen dramatically, into the low single-figure millions.
Gower learned of the decision about his show just hours before his beloved newsroom closes for good.
While many of Newshub’s marquee names have confirmed new roles - Samantha Hayes and Jenna Lynch are switching to Stuff; Mike McRoberts to NBR and Ryan Bridge and Michael Morrah to NZME – Gower’s name has been missing from any boastful press releases from rival media companies.
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In the background, he had been working studiously to try to stay on the network that has been his home for almost 15 years.
The NZ on Air board met on Wednesday to decide at least $25m of taxpayer funding for non-fiction, scripted and children’s screen programming.
Among the applications had been the new season of Paddy Gower Has Issues – the weekly current affairs show that Warner Bros Discovery and its eponymous star launched under their own steam last year.
While Gower’s separate, specialist documentaries have previously received NZ on Air funding, the first iteration of his current affairs series was funded by WBD.
Gower has been especially proud of the show and the unique current affairs format – a mix of light and shade content, complete with comedic sidekicks.
A new season would likely have cost just over $1m, covering a range of personnel and production factors.
In a piece for the Newshub website this week, Gower did not mention any future plans.
But he paid tribute to his colleagues and the newsroom he’d made home for almost 15 years. “So 3 News/Newshub has become a home for me. I have gone from being scared to start at TV3 to being scared to leave. What does the world outside hold for me? Will I ever feel the same again? Where will I go if I can’t go home?”
Despite NZ on Air’s decision, Gower will have little trouble finding work – he has been appearing as a commentator on Newstalk ZB and he hosted a RNZ show on the recent King’s Birthday long weekend. He’s also on the speaking circuit, just put his biography to bed and he volunteers many hours to causes and charities close to his heart.
Most media companies, I’m certain, would find budget and a role for Gower.
Earlier, NZ on Air chief executive Cameron Harland told Media Insider that funding announcements would be staggered from today.
As well as high interest in the fate of shows such as Gower’s, this latest funding round places a significant new focus on NZ on Air as media and production companies feel the pinch.
Harland said the standard of applications was high, with competition for a limited amount of funding “intense”.
About 40% of applications would be successful – “a continuation of significant over-subscription against funds available”.
“Notably, we are starting to see applications for shows that traditionally did not require our support, placing our funds under even more pressure.”
NZ on Air, as it has required in recent years, has a focus on a digital-first approach.
“We have required a digital release of all content for several years and give priority to those projects intended for digital-first release, followed by potential secondary linear release if applicable,” said Harland.
“You will see in funding decisions, when they are announced, that they all have multiple distribution channels.”
Harland said NZ on Air, as required by law, focused its funding decisions “on audience outcomes, first and foremost”.
“However, any funding going into the sector also supports jobs in the production sector, and provides important local content at a time when local platforms are facing increasing difficulty in self-funding this content.
“We are confident that the funding decisions will demonstrate a breadth of content for many New Zealand audiences, while helping to mitigate some of the sector impacts being currently experienced.”
He was pleased NZ on Air’s budget had been retained by the Government.
“While it’s excellent that our funding has remained static this year, the demand on it is now greater. We have more projects seeking support, some of which didn’t need support previously at all, and the platforms are more constrained in how much they can contribute as licence fees, meaning we are required to pick up a larger share of the overall cost for each project.
“The changes to the SPR [screen production rebate] – firstly to allow NZ on Air funding alongside SPR and this week changing the eligible spend – have been helpful.”
Govt’s expectations of NZ on Air
The Government has made clear this week that it sees NZ on Air playing a critical role in helping sustain New Zealand’s production and media sector.
Media and Communications Minister Paul Goldsmith, at a press conference this week, specifically cited the success of journalism projects such as NZME’s Open Justice programme – a nationwide network of reporters covering the courts and justice system – and the RNZ-led Local Democracy Reporting programme, covering local councils.
In a letter to NZ on Air chair Ruth Harley in May, Goldsmith elaborated on that position.
“To state the obvious New Zealanders have far greater choice available to them on screen and speakers than in the past.
“For local content to compete for attention, it has to meet higher expectations of quality.
“I ask NZ on Air to consider supporting higher quality content rather than higher volumes. I would also like NZ on Air to consider including specific measures on audience engagement.”
He thanked the agency for supporting “my forthcoming reforms to modernise New Zealand’s media legislation”.
“I also appreciate that in the recent period of rapid change within the media sector, NZ on Air has proactively considered how to best support the local sector and I acknowledge NZ on Air’s ongoing commitment to support important factual content including current affairs and journalism.”
Harland told Media Insider: “We will be expecting some applications for returning journalism and current affairs funding in the next round.”
Sam and Mike’s last photo shoot
The live cameras and studio lights officially switch off at 7pm. Half an hour later, the website shuts down, its content frozen in time. It won’t matter if a big news story is breaking – Newshub will be no more.
Broadcasters, journalists, production staff, marketers, salespeople, and other teams who have lost their jobs at Warner Bros Discovery will travel 3km across Auckland’s Mt Eden suburb to the Morningside Tavern, for a last hurrah.
Today marks a sad, landmark moment for New Zealand media - Newshub becomes the biggest casualty, to date, of an industry facing economic and structural challenges.
Twenty Three cafe in Eden Terrace has been a favourite haunt for many Newshub staff in recent years. On Thursday afternoon, there were a fair few familiar faces there – including Amanda Gillies and Dan Lake – as Media Insider sat down with Samantha Hayes and Mike McRoberts for a farewell interview.
You can read that full interview here - certainly, the pair have been managing their time, and voices, carefully in the final week, with a nasty bug playing havoc in the Newshub newsroom.
The pair – along with almost 300 Warner Bros Discovery colleagues – have been through a frenetic, sad four months, knowing that today would eventually arrive.
Hayes says of tonight’s final bulletin: “I’ve been personally trying not to think about it.
“That’s my approach to it and what will be, will be on the final night, in terms of the emotion of it.
“In terms of what we might say, it just has to be genuine and in the moment.”
McRoberts: “I’ve had a few things rattling around in my brain. It still feels a long way away. It will be a thank you of some sort, for sure.”
They are both adamant that they will be covering the news right to the end – tonight’s show won’t be a full-on Newshub retrospective.
“We’ve got to do the news. We have always been here to do the news and we’re going to keep doing that right up until the very last minute,” says Hayes.
McRoberts: “Right up until they kick us out.”
READ MORE: Partners in prime: Hayes, McRoberts on their final news bulletin – and send-off
One Good Text
We catch up with Newshub presenter Rebecca Wright, another of the high-profile broadcasters who finishes up today.
Newshub’s farewell parties
Hundreds of people turned out for the first of two big, official farewell parties for Newshub this week.
While current staff will head to the Morningside Tavern tonight, there were big numbers at the same venue on Wednesday. The midweek event attracted a range of current and former TV3 staff.
There were even some impromptu speeches from the likes of Kate Rodger, Michelle Pickles, and Clint Brown.
TVNZ Seven Sharp presenter Hilary Barry – who co-hosted TV3′s 6pm news for more than a decade – was there, her presence greatly appreciated by her former colleagues.
Everyone appears to have been well-behaved. Perhaps tonight’s occasion will be a little more... boisterous?
Six watchouts at 6pm
With the broadcasting landscape irrevocably changed after today, there are some fascinating storylines to follow over the coming days and weeks.
1. Production quality – and a first-night scoop
Just how good will be Stuff’s first night of television production? Saturday night’s 6pm news bulletin – the new Three News show – will be one of the most scrutinised media events of the year.
WBD NZ boss Juliet Peterson was clearly managing expectations as she and Stuff owner Sinead Boucher took to the stage at the Media Spotlight event at the Aotea Centre on Wednesday. They played up the metaphor of two companies in a fledgling and blossoming relationship.
“The reality is that on Saturday night you’re not going to see something that’s everything we want it to be - that will take time to grow,” Peterson told the audience.
What does Stuff have up its sleeve? Presumably, they’ll have been working on some very big stories that resonate strongly for viewers – ones that can be amplified and developed across Stuff’s digital channels through the weekend and into next week.
They’ll be striving to break some stories so strong that other media cannot ignore them.
One of the issues on Saturday will be a somewhat distracted audience – Peterson mentioned this in passing on stage.
With a live Warriors NRL game at 5pm and the new Scott Robertson-coached All Blacks playing England at 7.05pm, much of the country will be in sport mode.
2. The response from TVNZ, NZ Herald and other competitors
TVNZ and the NZ Herald will be also lining up a weekend of big stories. There’ll be much interest in how seriously TVNZ treats the new competition – that will be partly illustrated by whether it has its own big scoop tomorrow night.
I assume NZME and TVNZ are talking to one another about a potential content partnership, now that TVNZ no longer shares its video content on Stuff.
I asked TVNZ chief executive Jodi O’Donnell a couple of weeks ago if there was now a natural alignment between her company and the one that owns the Herald. “I think that’s a great question,” she smiled.
Yesterday, the Herald announced the appointment of former Newshub boss Sarah Bristow to a newly created role of head of content and strategy (video and audio) - a further signal of its intentions to ramp up in these areas.
3. Where will Newshub’s digital audience end up?
Newshub has consistently been New Zealand’s third-biggest news website – it had a monthly unique audience of more than 1.38 million people in May.
Expect a big effort from Stuff (2.17 million audience) and the NZ Herald (2.06 million audience) to lure as much of that Newshub audience to their websites. Similarly, RNZ (1.37 million) and TVNZ’s 1News (951,000) will be seeking to make up ground.
There appears to be a little bit of marketing activity. Stuff has spent money with Google to ensure its brand comes out top on the search term “Newshub closure”.
5. Ratings and advertising revenue
This will play out in coming days and weeks.
TVNZ dominates the traditional Nielsen Arianna broadcast ratings at 6pm - for the week ending June 23, for instance, 1News at Six registered an average of almost 600,000 viewers aged 5-plus – that’s about three times Newshub’s usual audience.
In the 25-54 age group, 1News at Six had an average 142,800 daily viewers that week; Newshub Live at 6 had 72,900.
Unshackled from running an expensive newsroom, Warner Bros Discovery has been offering some big cut-price advertising deals for the 6pm news bulletin for the July-September quarter – in some cases between 35%-45% off its normal rate card, according to Media Insider sources.
TVNZ is also said to be competing strongly for advertising revenue, although one senior source said its rate card concessions were in single-figure percentages.
6. Talent and staff reaction
This has still not been officially announced but it is understood Samantha Hayes won’t be on air for Stuff’s new Three News bulletin until Monday.
The talented Laura Tupou is likely to be handed the reins for tomorrow night’s first bulletin. Perhaps Hayes will make a cameo appearance, to tease the Monday night show.
While a couple of dozen Newshub specialists – including broadcasters, reporters and production staff – are moving across to Stuff, there will also be a big reliance on the digital publishing company’s existing journalists to play big roles in the new bulletin.
Many of Stuff’s journalists have embraced the new challenge of additional visual storytelling, others are concerned about the added pressures of trying to get people on camera to discuss some often sensitive topics.
The new bulletin will undoubtedly have an impact on its daily journalistic workflows – it will be interesting to see if it becomes an embraced and key component of its newsgathering, or a distraction.
At a time when the nzherald.co.nz is so close to Stuff in monthly digital audience numbers, Stuff can ill afford a distraction.
There will be a fair few nerves all around.
Eric Young’s personal farewell
It was pretty special to be in one of the NZME studios this week to watch a true professional, Eric Young, speak to camera, reading verbatim his beautifully written column that appears on nzherald.co.nz today.
Young is employed by Sky TV but works out of Newshub’s Flower St newsroom and studio each day – the same place he started his television career 35 years ago.
Tonight, he reads his final Sky TV News First bulletin at 5.30pm.
The bulletin is produced by Newshub - it and Young are casualties of the closure.
Young’s wife Michelle and their 4-year-old son Alfie will be at Flower St tonight, watching Young’s final bulletin. “He’ll be wondering how daddy can be smiling if he’s also crying,” writes Young.
He further writes that newsrooms have always “rated highly in my mental list of favourite places”.
“That sense you’re at the heart of things. A single remove from the world’s great events.
“But as with all the best workplaces, there’s a secret sauce.
“He tangata, he tangata, he tangata.
“And the people who’ve called 3 Flower St home over the years are some of the best.”
READ AND WATCH ERIC YOUNG HERE
Beacons winners
A huge night for the advertising and marketing industry, with a slew of amazing gold and silver winners at the annual Beacon Awards.
They’re always one of the most raucous media events of the year – hopefully, the hangovers are not too serious today.
Congratulations to PHD, named media agency of the year, and FCB for its best-in-show win for its work on the AMP Investars campaign.
Go Media was named sales team of the year.
And here at NZME, we’re celebrating being named media business of the year, for the second consecutive year.
“Winning media business of the year again underscores the dedication and strategic vision of our team,” said NZME chief executive Michael Boggs.
“It reflects our hard work, talent, and the effectiveness of NZME’s comprehensive strategy in delivering high-quality content to nine in every 10 Kiwis.”
BIG WINNERS
Best in show: FCB for AMP Investars
Media agency of the year: PHD
Media business of the year: NZME
Sales team of the year: Go Media
Inspiring individual award: Charlotte Lobo, MBM
Gold winners:
Retail/etail: PHD, for Foodstuffs’ The Adternship
Consumer durables: Together for Colorsteel’s Roof ID
Best use of technology: FCB for AMP Investars
Best communications strategy: Spark Foundry for Samsung Electronics’ Flip Your Perspective
Best use of data: Together for Brightr’s Turning Bad Data into Good Data
Creative media idea: FCB for AMP Investars
Most effective: Spark Foundry for Samsung Electronics’ Flip Your Perspective
Best collaboration: PHD, for Foodstuffs’ The Adternship
Sunday News memories
Former Sunday News editor Alan Hitchens has been in touch this week, upon learning of the news of Stuff’s plan to close the Sunday newspaper later this month.
Hitchens is sad about the pending closure of the title after 61 years.
“Sunday News was my most enjoyable and interesting editorships during the 70s. It really was ‘The People’s Paper’. I had the pleasure of working with some of the country’s best journalists. It was a fun place to work, ask any of the old team who are still around!
“My favourite front page from the 70s Sunday mayhem: ‘Big Norm, You’re Our Man’ published in the lead-up to the ′72 election. Circulation increased by thousands that Sunday.”
Two other front pages sprang to mind, said Hitchens.
One carried the headline “Bullsh.. Oops, We Almost Said It” - in response to feminist Germaine Greer’s use of the word bullshit in public.
“The editorial under the heading was critical of police action against Greer,” said Hitchens.
Another front page splash read: “Hair, Don’t Ban It”
“This was the paper’s stand against court action trying to ban the stage show. Judy McGregor was assigned to bring controversial parson Bob Lowe from Christchurch to watch a rehearsal of the show. He loved it! The show went ahead. I was charged with contempt of court. Well-known media lawyer Jimmy Dunn managed to persuade the Supreme Court of my innocence.”
Editor-at-Large Shayne Currie is one of New Zealand’s most experienced senior journalists and media leaders. He has held executive and senior editorial roles at NZME including Managing Editor, NZ Herald Editor and Herald on Sunday Editor and has a small shareholding in NZME.
