Northern Television (New Zealand)

Northern Television was a New Zealand production company, which was also the first private company to broadcast legally on local television, by leasing airtime on the existing channels.

History

In the early years of national television, Television New Zealand was responsible for the television monopoly, which it had inherited from NZBC. On 11 December 1980, publishing company Wilson and Horton won a bid for a third television channel; this was one of the three regional television licenses granted to the newspaper industry, the other two being the Central Television Network and one for the South Island. Technical training from Australia was brought in to study transmission and frequency issues to enable its broadcasts.[1] NTV accepted the idea of leasing airtime to BCNZ, but such leases could not detract the plan to launch the third channel.[2] At the end of January 1981, the company was recruiting personnel to design its Auckland studios.[3] The Panorama Road facilities at Panorama Road were meant to be the most technologically advanced in the country at the time, and it was planning a morning programme using unused TV Two airtime. The Labour Party spokesman for broadcasting J. J. Terris was concerned by the decision.[4] Other programmes announced besides the breakfast show included game shows and similar cheap programming, preferably in the 9am to 2pm slots, which were of low priority for TVNZ.[5]

On 1 June 1981, NTV received a 31-hour tender to broadcast its programmes on the TV2 network.[6] Construction work for its NZ$5,5 million studio complex continued in August.[7]

Northern Television was authorised on 11 February 1982 to broadcast one hour of programming a day on TV One, from 11am to 12pm. The programme, Good Morning New Zealand, was set to launch in May, while NZ$850,000 had been spend on independent productions. TVNZ would be responsible for the programme and the playout due to existing corporation rules covering broadcasting standards, while NTV would produce and package the material.[8] Tina Grenville was going to be its presenter.[9]

The Northern Television studio complex was opened on 16 April 1982, costing NZ$8 million, opened by PM Muldoon.[10] The company was limited to broadcast on TV One for five hours a week (one hour a day).[11] On 5 May, an emergency meeting was held at the TVNZ premises in Auckland to show their opposition to Good Morning and restricted its promotional material.[12] It was later announced that the programme would debut on 21 June,[13] which included advertising on Fridays, which the channel forbade. TVNZ was planning to amend the law to enable such advertisements, which were provided by NTV.[14] The company renewed its bid for a private channel at the end of May.[15]

On 17 June 1982, ahead of the premiere of Good Morning, NTV was allowed to air advertisements on Friday mornings.[16] The Public Service Association submitted an attempted bid to block the launch of its television operations.[17] An agreement was reached on 18 June.[18]

The first edition of Good Morning aired on the scheduled 21 June 1982 date, replacing foreign-made cooking, comedy and fitness shows.[19] Its first edition was criticised by the press due to a lack of quality and coordination.[20] The programme was viewed by 2% of the national population on average, per monthly BCNZ surveys.[21] By December, Tina Grenville resigned, with her last live appearance being on 17 December, yet pre-recorded interviews featuring her were screened until the end of the month. The exit was not related with the low ratings Good Morning received; TVNZ renewed the programme for 1983.[22]

With a new season of Good Morning scheduled to start on 21 March 1983, the company had not found a suitable replacement by January, due to a lack of contracts.[23] A replacement, Heather Lindsay, was selected in February.[24] NTV co-operated with TBS for the production of a programme related to the Adidas City of Christchurch International Marathon in May 1983.[25]

On 21 May 1983, NTV announced that from 17 June, 11AM (formerly Good Morning) would end. The company received applications for a new breakfast programme from August.[26] It and City Television withdrew their bids in July due to the high cost of the tender.[27] Without its slot on TV One, NTV lobbied for the creation of its own television channel;[28] while withdrawing from its lease time application.[29]

In September 1983, NTV suggested the creation of a UHF channel (the existing TVNZ channels operated on the VHF band).[30] The possibility of delivering stereo broadcasts was on the cards.[31]

In May 1987, the production company was acquired by the Deco Group,[32] while its Panorama Park facilities were acquired by Sky Network Television.[33]

References

  1. ^ "Newspapers to form TV companies". The Press. 12 December 1980. p. 3.
  2. ^ "Leased time for TV welcome". The Press. 22 January 1981. p. 4.
  3. ^ "Northern Television, LTD Future Requirements". The Press. 31 January 1981. p. 55.
  4. ^ "Labour attacks proposal to launch morning TV". The Press. 5 February 1981. p. 17.
  5. ^ "TV move 'put-up job'". The Press. 20 February 1981. p. 11.
  6. ^ "TV time tenders received". The Press. 1 June 1981. p. 2.
  7. ^ "TV studio 'will continue'". The Press. 17 August 1981. p. 14.
  8. ^ "Northern TV to provide daily morning telecast". The Press. 11 February 1982. p. 1.
  9. ^ "'Tell the truth'". The Press. 26 February 1982. p. 4.
  10. ^ "P.M. opens $8M TV studio". The Press. 17 April 1982. p. 6.
  11. ^ "Why the press 'barons' have spent $8 million on TV studios". The Press. 28 April 1982. p. 27.
  12. ^ "Programme opposed". The Press. 11 May 1982. p. 7.
  13. ^ "Wilson Horton profit 32 p.c. higher". The Press. 11 May 1982. p. 18.
  14. ^ "Friday TV advts?". The Press. 15 May 1982. p. 6.
  15. ^ "Bid for private television renewed". The Press. 25 May 1982. p. 6.
  16. ^ "Northern TV allowed advts on Fridays". The Press. 18 June 1982. p. 3.
  17. ^ "Bid to block TV show". The Press. 18 June 1982. p. 4.
  18. ^ "Northern's TV show to screen". The Press. 19 June 1982. p. 1.
  19. ^ "Northern TV's show overcomes problems". The Press. 22 June 1982. p. 3.
  20. ^ "Now it's Claytons TV". The Press. 22 June 1982. p. 19.
  21. ^ "'Good Morning!' audience". The Press. 4 October 1982. p. 22.
  22. ^ "Tina quits 'Good Morning!'". The Press. 7 December 1982. p. 21.
  23. ^ "No replacement yet for Tina Grenville". The Press. 18 January 1983. p. 15.
  24. ^ "New hostess for morning show". The Press. 12 February 1983. p. 11.
  25. ^ "Marathon attracts Japanese TV". The Press. 17 May 1983. p. 26.
  26. ^ "Final 11 a.m.' in June". The Press. 21 May 1983. p. 8.
  27. ^ "Costs force private TV tenderers to drop out". The Press. 16 July 1983. p. 1.
  28. ^ "Northern touts TV channel". The Press. 1 August 1983. p. 2.
  29. ^ "Two TV contenders withdraw application". The Press. 4 August 1983. p. 6.
  30. ^ "Northern TV makes bid for UHF". The Press. 26 September 1983. p. 4.
  31. ^ "Stereo TV possible". The Press. 12 October 1983. p. 14.
  32. ^ "Deco forms ITV". The Press. 26 November 1988. p. 30.
  33. ^ "Sky television unveils plans for network". The Press. 22 February 1989. p. 8.
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