Jack Tame presented a breaking news bulletin on TVNZ 1 at 11am on Sunday, following the attempted assassination of Donald Trump. Photo / TVNZ
TVNZ’s big 6pm news bump as audiences turn to trusted mainstream media outlets for coverage of Donald Trump assassination attempt; Eden Park sponsors blacked out for All Blacks test; Ron Brierley rides again – and invests in media; Rupert Murdoch opens up in rare interview.
It took only nine days for Warner Bros Discovery’s loss of Newshub to be felt widely from a news perspective – with nothing reported on TV3 about the assassination attempt on Donald Trump until the 6pm news on Sunday, almost eight hours later.
Trump was shot at 10.11am NZT on Sunday.
Over the following hour, TVNZ, NZ Herald/Newstalk ZB, Stuff and RNZ all broke from regular programming - through TV, radio and rolling coverage on their websites – but Three’s viewers were left watching a science show, and then several hours of motorsport, with no mention of Trump at all.
Not even a breaking news bar that might point to their new news partners, Stuff.
“Our agreement with Stuff currently covers the 6pm bulletin, however, we will continue to look for ways to expand this partnership in the future where it makes sense,” said a WBD spokeswoman, in response to questions.
“Television news is a long-term game, and viewers who come specifically for breaking news bulletins do not tend to adjust their regular habits. Commercially, breaking news is very difficult to effectively monetise.”
The major news websites were quick off the mark – 1news.co.nz being the first of them to alert the unfolding incident at 10.25am, followed by RNZ and Stuff two minutes later and the NZ Herald at 10.32am.
They all set a cracking – but content-wise, cautious – pace, using live blogs, video, podcasts and incredible photography to maximum effect.
Any one of those images of a bloodied but defiant Trump from AP, Getty Images, The Washington Post or The New York Times is surely a Pulitzer Prize winner. The bravery of photographers to continue shooting, amongst the shooting, should not be underestimated.
Newstalk ZB broke into normal programming at 10.34am and RNZ National at 10.38am.
On TVNZ, Marae led with the news of the unfolding drama at 10.30am, commandeering Jack Tame who had just finished hosting Q+A half an hour earlier, to speak with Marae host Miriama Kamo.
Tame did a sterling job, backed up with the benefit of live footage from CNN. He – like the rest of the New Zealand media – adopted a careful approach, warning viewers that we knew little in those opening minutes.
It was “clearly a monumental event”, he reported.
By 11am, Tame was hosting a breaking news special himself, crossing live to TVNZ’s New York-based US correspondent Logan Church.
Website audience sessions for the NZ Herald (1.961m), Stuff (1.436m), 1News (521,402) and RNZ (327,301) were all up substantially on the previous Sunday. NZ Herald (5.668m) also went ahead of Stuff (5.497m) for the first time in a week for overall views, according to Nielsen data.
Even the now-abandoned Newshub website received 11,129 sessions.
But some of the most telling audience data came later on Sunday, for the 6pm TV news bulletins – it clearly shows viewers returning to TVNZ in droves in the aftermath of a major news story.
It has always been a source of major frustration for various TV3 owners over the years – they believe some viewers have their remote buttons rusted on to TV1.
1News’ average audience (all ages 5+) for the bulletin was 795,300, according to Nielsen Arianna data; ThreeNews’ average audience was 191,600.
For overall reach, TVNZ hit more than 1.109 million people (all 5+), whereas ThreeNews reached just over 287,000 people, according to Nielsen Arianna. It is important to note, for reach numbers, that 1News’ weekend bulletins are still an hour long; the new Stuff-produced WBD weekend bulletins are half an hour in duration.
ThreeNews spent 10 minutes on coverage of Trump at 6pm – including crossing to former Newshub US correspondent Mitch McCann – while 1News at 6 devoted the first 19 minutes of its bulletin to the assassination attempt, and then returned to Church for another two minutes later in the hour.
Despite the Sunday numbers, Warner Bros Discovery says it is “very happy” after the first week of its new-look ThreeNews.
“The consistent feedback is that it is familiar but fresh, which is exactly what we had been aiming for,” said a spokeswoman.
“As producers Stuff continue to trial different story choices, formats and interactive features, we are looking forward to seeing where ThreeNews will take audiences.”
She said the first seven days of ratings were on a similar par with the previous Newshub at 6 ratings for the second quarter (April-May-June) of the year.
Those numbers show an average audience for the bulletin of 220,486 for the first week, compared with an average bulletin audience of 224,627 in April-May-June. Average reach was 367,324 compared with 343,302 for the previous three months.
“Considering this first week for ThreeNews has been a school holiday week, when viewing typically declines (particularly for the Auckland market), this is an excellent result,” said the spokeswoman.
“Regarding this past weekend, we would always expect the middle weekend of the school holidays to have an impact on numbers as our viewers tend to travel away from home.”
Eagle-eyed Sky TV viewers would have noticed a new feature of the live All Blacks-England test coverage from Eden Park on Saturday and during the previous test match in Dunedin.
At least two Eden Park sponsors – the University of Auckland and Wet & Forget – had their advertising signs in the north stand and northeast area of the park blacked out, digitally.
In their place were digital renditions of the All Blacks logo.
Eden Park confirmed New Zealand Rugby (NZR) had introduced “a new commercial overlay for all venues hosting All Blacks matches”.
Knowing the importance of the sponsorships for the park’s income – and future – I am sure there have been lots of background discussions.
After all, Eden Park works extremely hard to secure these partnerships.
Part of the attraction of the sponsorships is exposure to domestic and international TV audiences – this was specifically cited in a document when the University of Auckland signed its new sponsorship deal earlier this year. It talked of brand signage at big sporting events “including extensive national and international TV coverage and online streaming”.
Everyone’s putting a lovely PR spin on the new digital signs and saying it’s all fine – and fair enough.
Eden Park chief executive Nick Sautner issued a statement highlighting the importance of the park’s sponsors and partners, including assisting with $30 million in venue upgrades over the past three years.
“Eden Park’s icon partner programme plays an integral role in the delivery of a diverse range of events and their contribution is critical to the ongoing sustainability of the stadium.
“NZ Rugby has introduced a new commercial overlay for all venues hosting All Blacks matches. Eden Park acknowledges the importance of this content and is committed to working with our partners to continue offering a world-class experience for everyone who attends an event at Eden Park.”
Auckland University spokeswoman Alison Oldridge said the university was “aware of this arrangement when entering into our agreement with Eden Park as it’s a clause in our contract”.
Oldridge said the university was comfortable with its brand exposure and said that it had a “fantastic” partnership with Eden Park.
“When the signage locations outlined in our contract are unavailable, Eden Park works with us to find a suitable alternative. For Saturday’s game, we activated other signage including in the West Stand.”
She said the brand continued to have TV visibility.
However, a review of the Sky replay shows this was minimal at best – and certainly far less than what it would have been.
Wet & Forget group chief marketing officer Sarah Koppens said: “Details of our relationship with Eden Park, both commercially and in terms of the dialogue with them, is confidential so I’m unable to respond to your comments... except to say that we communicate openly and regularly with each other. Our partnership is a collaborative one.”
I can see all sides of the issue; I can imagine NZR itself will be looking to possibly use these spaces in future for its own sponsors.
NZR chief communications officer Paul Stevens said: “NZR delivers a consistent digital overlay programme across all New Zealand venues for All Blacks matches, as seen on domestic and international broadcast feeds.
“This is standard practice globally for sporting fixtures, major events, and tournaments. NZR is also always looking for new ways to improve the fan experience and has been working collaboratively with venue partners to display NZR brand and sponsor signage in new areas.”
At 86, Ron Brierley is back in the media business – as an investor at least.
The Australian Financial Review reports the disgraced longtime New Zealand corporate raider – released from prison in early 2022 after being convicted the previous year for possessing child abuse material – bought 300,000 shares in Seven West Media.
But having purchased them for 40c a pop more than a year ago, he’s seen the value of his investment fall from A$120,000 to A$54,000, with the shares closing at 18c yesterday.
Brierley once owned 28.8 per cent of Herald publisher Wilson & Horton – shares acquired in an aggressive and unwelcome corporate raid – before the publishing company found a new investor in Sir Tony O’Reilly’s Independent News & Media.
The AFR posed several reasons why Brierley might be investing in media again.
“One potential reason is that he sees a bargain,” wrote AFR columnist Mark Di Stefano.
“Like its rivals News Corp and Nine Entertainment... Seven West Media’s share price has been tanking from what some brave faces are calling a cyclical trough in the ad market. Others may more soberly describe it as a longer-term structural downturn.
“Another (unlikelier but much more fun) motive is that Brierley wants to rekindle his swashbuckler heyday as a terroriser and ally of media moguls. Look out, Ron rides again!”
Media mogul Rupert Murdoch believes the last printed newspapers may roll off the presses before 2040.
In an interview with Sky Australia boss Paul Whittaker, to mark the 60th anniversary of The Australian newspaper, Murdoch, 93, was asked how much longer printed newspapers might be viable.
“Fifteen years, with a lot of luck,” said the chairman emeritus of News Corp.
Murdoch spoke of his admiration for The Australian, the national newspaper he created in 1964 to showcase political and business journalism – and to compete fiercely against parochial Fairfax mastheads The Age and Sydney Morning Herald.
“I love it; I’m proud of it,” Murdoch said of the newspaper. “It had a great effect on Australia.”
Murdoch praised – and castigated – a number of politicians during the interview. He said he admired former Australian Prime Minister John Howard - describing him as a transformative leader – and took a swipe at Malcolm Turnbull, who has been campaigning for an inquiry into Murdoch’s Australian media empire.
“Malcolm’s nuts, and he’s paranoid,” Murdoch said. “He didn’t like the fact that we supported Tony Abbott versus him. That’s all.”
On climate change, he said: “I’m not a climate denier. I might be a sceptic of some of the things that are said. But you’re going to have blackout. The cost of living will go up all over the world.”
He spoke of the best advice from his mother Elisabeth, who died in 2012 – “tell the truth” – and what he learned from his father Keith, who died in 1952: “Be curious... always.”
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.
'I can imagine people being outraged that TVNZ signed a deal with me.'