Some of our top TV shows and dozens of production industry jobs are at risk as platform cutbacks loom; Duncan Garner is set for a broadcasting relaunch; The boss of 11 New Zealand production companies in receivership has set up two new film companies - in Britain; MediaWorks hacker abandons
Media Insider: Top TV shows in fight for life; Duncan Garner’s broadcasting reboot; Stripe boss sets up UK firms
MediaWorks' Duncan Garner; Paul Henry on The Traitors NZ; and Courtenay Louise on Celebrity Treasure Island.
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“It sounds like it’s over,” O’Brien said.
“We haven’t been given a chance. We’ve been on air for just a year. We were told we had the support of everyone, from the chief executive through to the board, and they have f***ed us. And we’re all going to lose our jobs. And the station is coming off air.”
Garner said: “This is betrayal.”
But while Garner lost his role on Today FM, his public anger soon dissipated as he entered negotiations and was offered a new role within MediaWorks - host of a daily podcast Duncan Garner: Editor in Chief.
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In many ways, it was an understandable move by MediaWorks. It had a lot of big, bankable names that it lost with the end of Today FM, but Garner was arguably the biggest of all.
Now, Garner’s role looks set for a reboot again, with MediaWorks planning to relaunch his weekday podcast. A job advertisement seeks a new executive producer to lead “live studio production and produce high-quality video and audio podcasts”.
On that basis, the smart money is on a new, daily video show, live-streamed each morning with a live news element. A show that can then be released as a podcast, and sliced and diced for social channels, as they do with Garner’s show now.
The job description talks of relaunching Garner’s podcast and creating and developing a live news bulletin. “Utilising the skills and journalism of the MediaWorks newsroom, this podcast will be a digital version of the hourly news bulletins that currently run across our radio brands.”
The successful applicant, says the ad, would ideally have experience in “live in-studio video and/or audio content creation” and be able to direct and produce in fast-paced, live-to-air environments.
With his television background, it makes sense to make the most of Garner. While Newstalk ZB and RNZ might not regard the new venture as a massive threat to their ratings, there is likely to be enough of a market for Garner to fashion out more of a morning audience, similar to the way The Platform’s Sean Plunket operates.
While it’s nice to see a news product evolving in these fraught times, it won’t be easy to measure the success of Garner’s show any more.
MediaWorks has just pulled out of the monthly Triton Podcast Ranker, which revealed the monthly listening numbers for New Zealand podcasts. Stuff and RNZ have also declined to be part of the ranker.
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“This is hugely disappointing news for our industry,” says NZME chief commercial officer James Butcher of MediaWorks’ withdrawal. NZME podcasts have traditionally dominated the ranker.
“Podcasting is one of the fastest growing digital mediums in the world and it’s important we have a measuring tool within our local industry to provide the relevant metrics to advertisers and media agencies, as well as allowing us to benchmark ourselves within our industry. It’s also important for the sustainability of New Zealand’s media sector to support locally produced content.”
A MediaWorks spokeswoman said: “The NZ Podcast Ranker failed to attract enough publishers to be a true representation of the NZ market. MediaWorks remains committed to growing the local podcast market and is supportive of the new digital audio reporting guidelines being established in conjunction with the RBA.”
Stripe boss sets up UK firms
The owner of a troubled Auckland production company has set up two new film companies in Britain, Media Insider has revealed this morning.
SNB Film Ltd was incorporated on February 22 and Loveday Films on December 18 - both list Alexander James Breingan as an active director, according to UK records.
Alex Breingan is also the managing director of Auckland-based Stripe Studios Ltd - it and 10 associated Stripe entities have been placed in receivership, with several production industry players saying they are owed money.
Media Insider was also in the Auckland High Court last Friday as a lawyer acting for American comedian Iliza Shlesinger successfully sought to have one of the Stripe companies liquidated. Shlesinger, who says she is owed thousands of dollars, fronted a new travel show in New Zealand - the series has yet to screen.
Breingan has not responded to multiple messages over the past several weeks.
A website for Loveday Films said the new UK company boasted a range of independent film producers.
“With a passionate and experienced team of producers who have between them produced over $100 million of projects, LOVEDAY Films have world-class skills, contacts, relationships and experience,” said the website.
It further said: “LOVEDAY Films is an independent film and television production company with a speciality for documentary film and unscripted television. The company is also active in the independent feature film world with a number of scripted projects in pre-production.”
Back in New Zealand, promotional material for three new Stripe shows - Hoff the Beaten Track, Izzy and Beaver’s Australian Adventure and Iliza Shlesinger: This Tastes Funny - has been removed from Stripe’s website, amid a raft of financial and legal issues.
All three television series have been shot, but face an uncertain future.
In a statement last week, BDO partner Rees Logan said: “Following a request made by the Companies Director, Rees Logan and Andrew McKay of BDO Auckland were initially appointed receivers over certain Stripe Media Group companies including two holding companies and six special purpose vehicles.
“Subsequent to the initial eight receivership appointments, the receivers have now been appointed over a further three special purpose vehicles.
“Each of the special purpose vehicles relates to shows that are in various stages of production. The receivers are undertaking an urgent assessment of the status and financial position of each of the entities before determining their next steps in relation to each of the productions.”
Media Insider can also reveal that Stripe Studios and associated companies earlier received more than $4 million in taxpayer money for five of its top-billing shows.
Stripe Studios received $4.27m for the five shows in 2022, through the New Zealand Film Commission-administered screen production rebate (SPR).
The shows that received the SPR were The Circus ($985,795) in March 2022; Great Southern Truckers ($856,425) in April; Uncharted New Zealand ($688,973) in May; Circus 2 ($1,210,483) in August; and Reunited ($529,289) in November.
The SPR was established in 2014 based on two principles: To build the domestic film industry and support the development of Kiwi creatives and to support the creation of New Zealand content and stories.
We hear...
Some Stuff staff have been told the colour palette on its new-look website is being reviewed. One insider told us the green mint is in the spotlight - I personally wouldn’t be surprised if that particular colour is consigned to the bin.
Stuff will be happy with its monthly Nielsen audience number, which shows it has held the number one spot for unique audience, although the NZ Herald site has cut into Stuff’s lead since its rival launched its new-look app and website in mid-January.
The daily Nielsen DCR numbers tell a different story from the monthly stats. On those measurements, the Herald website is number one - it’s been ahead of Stuff for both sessions every day since January 18, and ahead on views for 60 out of those 63 days.
Nielsen says the two sets of data are not like for like. “The daily metrics measure engagement, not audience,” says a spokesman. “As such, those numbers include the number of page views and sessions. The monthly metrics do measure audience - they are a measure of the number of visitors to a site per month.”
MediaWorks hacker gives up
An individual or group claiming to have hacked the details of almost 2.5 million MediaWorks customers says they’ve abandoned attempts to sell the data on the dark web - they claim they’ll now release it all for free.
They wanted $30,000 for the data but it seems no one was willing to pay. “We believe we just haven’t encountered hackers who understand how to utilise this data,” said the hacker/s in an online noticeboard message.
They say they are releasing the data for free - “allowing anyone to use it for whatever purposes they desire”.
“Enjoy the leaked data, hackers!”
In an email update to affected customers from MediaWorks chief executive Wendy Palmer yesterday, the company said from its initial investigations, “we understand the attacker was able to access the data of approximately 403,000 individuals by exploiting a previously unidentified system vulnerability”.
“MediaWorks, with the support of external experts, is currently reviewing all other IT systems and cyber security protections to identify and mitigate any other possible security vulnerabilities.”
MediaWorks said it had reported the incident to the Privacy Commissioner, police, and Cert NZ.
In line with government advice, it had not engaged with the “attacker”, but it had taken the affected database offline and moved all current competition entries to a new database.
“The types of information held in this database and accessed by the attacker include name, date of birth, gender, postal address and/or post code, email address, phone number, and in some cases images or videos that may have been submitted as part of [a competition] entry,” MediaWorks told affected customers.
“Importantly, the affected database did not contain passwords, identity documents, financial information, bank accounts or credit card details.”
Big TV shows at risk
A little over a month ago, one of our most successful screen production companies, Greenstone TV, celebrated its 30th birthday at a glitzy party at a central Auckland bar. The conversation and champagne flowed, the mood buoyant and boisterous at the height of summer.
Among the 300-plus guests were some of the great and good of the New Zealand production industry, including well-known faces of the small and silver screens.
A couple of weeks later, all hell broke loose.
Greenstone chief executive Rachel Antony dryly noted this week that if the 30th party were to be held today, it might feel more like a wake for the industry. “I’m so glad we did it when we did.”
In a few short weeks, Warner Bros Discovery has announced proposals which would see up to 300 job losses followed, a week later, by cost-cutting proposals at TVNZ.
While much of the media coverage in recent weeks has focused on news and current affairs cutbacks - including the proposed scrapping of Newshub and the loss of TVNZ shows such as Sunday and Fair Go - there are also major concerns about the future of local programming, including some of our biggest television shows.
At the moment, almost all of our home-grown, primetime shows are funded commercially - think Shortland St, Married at First Sight NZ, The Traitors NZ, Border Patrol, Highway Cops, Celebrity Treasure Island and The Block NZ.
The networks throw their support behind these shows, investing millions in helping have them produced and marketed.
But Warner Bros Discovery has been very clear that producers will need third-party support in future, while TVNZ has said there are “no sacred cows” with speculation of big cutbacks at the likes of Shortland St in the next 12 months.
“Big, key tentpole shows like The Block, The Traitors or Married at First Sight, New Zealand... are really, really at risk,” says South Pacific Pictures managing director Andrew Szusterman.
“It doesn’t really matter what you personally think about those shows and what they add. They are well-watched and are representative of our culture. They’re big formats and people absolutely love them. They employ thousands of freelancers.”
Rachel Antony, of Greenstone, says: “The forward-looking slate is looking really questionable. It’s feeling very uncertain. We’re based in the creation and production of local stories. And without local platforms that are robust and investing in local stories, what does that look like for us? I guess for many of us in the space of creating and telling original New Zealand stories, it’s feeling a bit existential.”
Greenstone is in production for a new season of Border Patrol - “that is fantastically positive for us” - but longer term, there is “no line of sight” on funding.
“I don’t want to scare the horses. Until we deliver a new season, until they have got budgets confirmed ... we are so used to uncertainty in the industry. But rather like the Fair Go team with extremely successful, still high-rating shows you would hope, but we’re not taking anything for granted.”
While the likes of SPP, with The Brokenwood Mysteries, and Greenstone, with My Life Is Murder, have other top-notch shows in the near future, they’re both deeply concerned about network cutbacks and the jobs of thousands of people.
NZ on Air chief executive Cameron Harland says recent announcements have “absolutely” given the funding agency pause for thought.
“We are genuinely concerned about the sector,” says Harland.
“The starting point was the concern about the lack of news and the decision that came out of Three, but then quickly followed by the changes at TVNZ, and obviously the realisation that aside from the news piece - which is in of itself a concern - there is the very real likelihood of a significant reduction in the investment in local programming. That’s a pretty significant concern.”
TVNZ and Three had traditionally invested in primetime content themselves. Shows produced a commercial return, which in turn fed the production sector. “It was commercially viable content, it was worth them funding,” says Harland. “They could get a return.”
NZ on Air was now working through what that content looked like in future, alongside the public media that the agency had traditionally funded. The agency was talking to as many broadcast and production sector leaders as possible, including the likes of Warner Bros Discovery’s New Zealand boss Glen Kyne.
“That‘s the bit that we‘re still trying to get our heads around. What is the impact going to be? And then, ultimately for us, understanding what that means for audience,” says Harland.
“We try and make balanced decisions around what we believe is in the best interests for audiences - that’s our legislative remit.
“We are definitely trying to get our head around where that balance now sits. We’ve got to imagine that it’s changed a bit. Content that we might not have funded before because we felt like it was commercially viable for a broadcaster to fund it, we may have to think slightly differently.”
But NZ on Air also had finite budgets. “It’s a delicate balance.”
“I think the important thing is for us to be talking - really trying to understand where the broadcasters are at and where the production companies are at. And then try and navigate a way forward. Part of it is also getting some money out the door.”
NZ on Air certainly seems to be listening to industry concerns that there needs to be a reset for now, away from funding lots of smaller, niche projects.
The agency released funding criteria this week for its new round of funding.
Much of the $25 million in this latest “Tahi” round will be focused on bigger projects offering decent production sector jobs.
The latest funding criteria document states: “We recognise the profound significance of the current and ongoing upheaval within our sector. These changes are having sector-wide impacts on content creation and job opportunities. The guidelines for Round Tahi have been crafted to address the current landscape in ways that will have the highest impact and production sector support during this critical period while also delivering outcomes for audiences.”
Harland picks up the point: “There is absolutely an acknowledgement that maybe funding slightly bigger things with a bit more ambition that can obviously still deliver to audience but also provides jobs and employment for the production community.”
NZ on Air is especially keen on projects that can also be paired up with the Government’s screen production rebate (SPR).
Without wanting to sound “too Pollyanna”, Harland says, he sees this as an opportunity amongst the myriad industry challenges.
Whereas in the past NZ on Air might have $7m that could fund two premium projects a year, that money could now stretch to about six projects, with the rebate and international money alongside.
“It means we have budgets that are working harder... it’s a significant opportunity.”
Harland later follows up with statistics to support his view.
“Across the last year and a half - we’ve invested or are looking to invest partial funding in around 13-14 projects. It’s looking positive that around 8-9 of these will likely go ahead and close their financing within the deadlines given and go into production. If that happens, over $17m from NZ on Air will have triggered $60m out of the market and rebate for local production with over 500 jobs set to be created as a result.”
Meanwhile, NZ on Air also balances its scripted funding with factual funding, supporting the likes of TVNZ with funding for Q+A. It had set aside $1m for Newshub Nation this year, but with that money likely to stay in NZ on Air’s hands, I raise the hypothetical question of why it can’t be redirected to, say, Sunday.
Harland is a big supporter of current affairs - and indeed Sunday - but says without any application, it’s hard to say how NZ on Air would address such a specific scenario.
He throws the challenge back to the news industry. “What are the new models? What are the other opportunities that might be there that can ensure that news is still relevant? What’s an innovative way of creating news content that isn’t the same way as it’s been done before?”
Andrew Szusterman and Kelly Martin of SPP fear some production companies won’t survive the next few months.
Szusterman warns that many production industry freelancers - much like medical nurses - would venture to Australia for opportunities. “They already are, to be perfectly honest.”
They and Greenstone’s Rachel Antony say that would have a flow-on effect for bigger-scale productions. Television shows acted as a nursery or training ground for people to build their skills up to eventually work on a James Cameron or Peter Jackson blockbuster. “At some point, we’re not going to be able to feed that system.”
Martin reminisces about Kiwi shows such as Bro Town and Seven Days, that helped launch some of New Zealand’s biggest names.
She believes it is critical TVNZ and Three continue to screen local shows, “because otherwise they may just as well be Netflix or Amazon or Apple”.
“There’s no point of difference otherwise. And it’s really important as a society that we protect that.”
As Media Insider reported recently, Martin and Szusterman believe a wider and fundamental overhaul of the Broadcasting Act is required in New Zealand.
“The Broadcasting Act was last updated in 1989 and is no longer fit for purpose,” says Szusterman.
“We now have a range of international options like Netflix and Amazon Prime [which] are taking eyeballs from the likes of TVNZ and TV3 and not making any commitment to NZ stories.”
With TVNZ operating as a commercial business - and no official charter in place for local content since 2011 - there is little requirement for it to fund local productions or even news.
The TVNZ Act specifies: “The functions of TVNZ are to be a successful national television and digital media company providing a range of content and services on a choice of delivery platforms and maintaining its commercial performance.”
It says TVNZ must provide high-quality content on three fronts:
- Is relevant to, and enjoyed and valued by, New Zealand audiences; and
- Encompasses both New Zealand and international content and reflects Māori perspectives.
- TVNZ’s services must include the provision of channels that are free of charge and available to audiences throughout New Zealand.
Martin: “Our Governments have kicked the can down the road for years; we are doing nothing to protect New Zealand’s voice.”
The pair believe streamers such as Netflix and Amazon have a responsibility to play in contributing to the New Zealand production industry.
Imagine, says Szusterman, if McDonald’s decided one day not to use local beef in its hamburgers. “The farmers would be in an uproar. We all know that. And there are some similarities to [when] the internationals come in with all their content and give nothing back.”
Says Martin: “The production community is resilient. We’re resilient people who are used to not ducking and diving but moving and working out how to get our own businesses going. We just we need these things set so that people can actually do their jobs and get stuff made.”
Rachel Antony says local producers are looking for a level playing field. With 90 cents in every digital dollar of advertising going offshore to the tech giants such as Facebook and Google, it was difficult for local platforms to compete. Meanwhile, international streamers such as Netflix and Amazon had little New Zealand content and no commitment to local programming.
“This is about the market needing to work appropriately. It’s not about us competing with each other and how much more money we need from NZ On Air. We need to think about how we generate more revenue in order to create more meaningful content and locally created IP.”
The tech giants and streamers were relying on government indifference, paying little in tax or other relevant industry fees.
Antony was wary of an incorrect perception in some quarters that the production sector was “a bunch of artsy folks who are clueless about the real world, with our hands out looking for a grant”.
“We’re really committed to a vibrant local creative sector. We all pay tax and employ people and are committed to telling our stories. If we don’t tell our stories, no one is going to.”
Antony remembers looking around the room at the 30th birthday party last month.
“I looked around the room at a bunch of amazing young people. They are so smart and engaged and talented and I was thinking, I hope that they will have careers that have been as interesting and varied and rewarding as mine has been. I can’t honestly tell them right now what that looks like.
“As a sector, we’re so agile and responsive and able to innovate. But the environment we’re working in is just so unstable and off-kilter at the moment ... it’s really hard to be able to think what that [future] looks like.”
One Good Text
This week we converse with another of the New Zealand production industry’s legends, Phil Smith, the founder and owner of Great Southern Television.
Massive ad contract gets crunchy
It is described as the “largest media procurement in New Zealand history” - hundreds of millions of dollars of advertising assets across Auckland Transport’s (AT) network.
The various contracts to run and maintain advertisements on buses, bus shelters and other transport infrastructure around Auckland are up for grabs, and it’s getting to the crunch point.
Successful bidders were expected to be announced by now; AT says it’s still on track “to deliver the new out-of-home media contracts by January 2025″.
“We are planning to issue the RFP [request for proposal] in April 2024, with contracts awarded in quarter three this calendar year and new contracts starting in January 2025,” says AT media partnerships and experience lead Simon Soulsby.
Those in the running include oOh!media, MediaWorks, Lumo, Go Media and JCDecaux. There is said to be a sixth contender, but this has not been confirmed.
Media Insider understands AT and oOh!media - which has the existing contract for bus shelters - are discussing the valuation of those assets, as they come to the end of their long-running contract.
OOh!media actually owns the bus shelters - it obviously wants to retain the highly lucrative contract but the parties also need to agree on the value of the assets.
“Because we are in the midst of the procurement process and commercial negotiations for the end of contract terms with both our media incumbents, we are not able to share any legal or commercial information relevant to this procurement process,” says Soulsby.
I questioned AT and oOh!media about what would happen to oOh!media’s assets if the company misses out to a competitor. Could it rip up all the bus shelters, a scenario that unfolded in recent years with JCDecaux in Sydney?
“There are a number of different potential outcomes from the wider procurement process that would have implications for bus shelters and other media assets across the public transport network,” says Soulsby.
“AT remains committed to delivering great outcomes and experiences for our customers when they use public transport as well as generating vital revenue to help reduce the burden on ratepayers for running our services.”
OOh!media general manager Nick Vile said: “All I can say is that our team is 100 per cent committed to submitting a best-possible pitch and I am confident that the best solutions will be realised through what will be a fair and equitable RFP process.”
He wouldn’t comment on the valuation of existing infrastructure.
“As previously mentioned, we cannot discuss confidential commercial matters linked to any current contract or any RFP process including the upcoming AT Media Partner RFP.
“We have a longstanding partnership with Auckland Transport and throughout that partnership both parties have always had a solutions-focused approach to resolving any contractual matters.
“Given the legacy of this contract it would seem a sensible approach to have lawyers help construct key principles, as you would expect for any commercial negotiation.
“Again we have a longstanding partnership with AT which we value very highly, and as such we are working through potential transition plans pragmatically with them, which are reflective of all possible outcomes come the end of the term of our existing contract.”
Soulsby said there were various scenarios for the new contracts.
“There are five different asset portfolios and these could be awarded to five media partners, one media partner or anything in between. Our focus is on delivering a great experience for our customers as well as bringing in strong revenue to help offset our operating costs.
“Although the RFP milestone is later than originally planned, we do not anticipate that this will affect the go-live date for the new contracts. It is great to see that there is ongoing interest in this procurement, which is the largest media procurement in New Zealand history. We look forward to sharing more information when we can.”
Happy birthday, Media Insider
This column marks the first birthday of Media Insider. My thanks to everyone who reads, contributes to, and debates the myriad issues and topics across the journalism, marketing and advertising industries. Media Insider will soon be published, officially, twice a week. More details on that very soon.
Brent Impey’s new role
One of New Zealand’s most respected media leaders has been appointed chair of the advisory board of the Thompson Spencer agency.
Former MediaWorks CEO and director and former NZ Rugby chair Brent Impey “will play a pivotal role in helping guide the business as it continues to execute its strategy to deliver innovative advertising services to its New Zealand and international clients”, Thompson Spencer said in a statement last night.
“I’ve had the pleasure of working with Brent on two dynamic boards over the last few years and have always admired his deep understanding of the role of advertising in helping brands create meaningful connections with their communities,” said Thompson Spencer co-founder Wendy Thompson.
Impey is also a director of Devon Funds Management, chair to Pacific Cooperation Broadcasting and chair of Fiji Drua Rugby.
Thompson Spencer co-founder and group chief executive Melanie Spencer said: “The past year has been one of significant change and extensive growth for our business. Brent brings a real ‘been there and done that’ experience to our business, which we can tap into as we integrate our existing brands and continue to grow.”
GroupM appointments
GroupM has today announced a new round of senior leadership appointments.
Megan Smith has been appointed managing partner for EssenceMediacom, responsible for the client leadership team and “enhancing levels of client focus, operations and delivery across the agency”.
Smith moves from Hearts & Science where she was chief client officer. In her 25-year career, she has also held client leadership roles at OMD and Carat and has also previously worked at TVNZ.
“There’s a real buzz about GroupM currently and I’m thrilled to be coming on board to work with Zac [Stephenson] and the EssenceMediacom team to strengthen our relationships, build our team’s skills and ensure we’re bringing our clients ideas that are shaping the next era of media.”
Meanwhile, GroupM has also announced Hannah Joseph (nee Rowley) has been promoted to managing partner of Mindshare. Joseph has been client service leader for Mindshare for the past two years leading the rollout of the Good Growth Proposition. Over the past 12 months, she has successfully won and retained a number of key clients, including Unilever.
Joseph says: “I’m thrilled to take on this new role within the business. There are a lot of exciting things on the horizon for the Mindshare team and our clients, and I’m looking forward to continuing to grow the agency and build our culture underpinned by our Good Growth philosophy.”
The appointments follow several significant hires for GroupM in recent months, with Emily Scovell and Dom Dipple joining to lead strategy, and Christophe Spencer taking on an expanded remit as chief product officer, reflecting renewed energy within the group.
- 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.
