Welcome back Telecom customers

Telecom has today apologised to it's customers after a huge broadband outage overnight that is still affecting the service of many people.

The entire Telecom broadband network went out last night just after 9pm and was not restored until 5am this morning. Many customers are still having trouble connecting, and those who have managed to connect are having difficulties with their email service.

Telecom says the outage was caused by a problem with a Central Auckland exchange but say they are still investigating the cause.

A Telecom spokesperson stated that: "Our call centres have had extremely heavy demand as people became aware of the issues."

What a suprise.

Goodnight Kiwi returns to TVNZ

The Goodnight Kiwi sequence used to signal the end of television transmission for the night on TVNZ. The Kiwi and his Cat companion have been absent from TVNZ's branding for 14 years but are set to return tomorrow in a series of summer idents.

The Goodnight Kiwi ran between 1980 and 1994 at the overnight shutdown of the station, but was taken off air when television began to run 24/7.

The first of the new idents will screen from tomorrow and features the Kiwi and the Cat decorating their Christmas tree. A second ident will screen between Christmas and New Years seeing them take down the tree, and a third will follow for the rest of summer featuring the pair relaxing in a pool.

The TVNZ marketing department have said that they want to see more and more of the Kiwi and Cat after this series but are not sure how this will happen just yet.

The new idents are said to keep very true to the originals, featuring similar animation styles to an updated version of the same music.

Friday Flashback: TVNZ's Goodnight Kiwi

OK, I know it's a little bit past Friday... (had a busy week) but you guys still deserve a Flashback! Here is the Goodnight Kiwi that screened on TVNZ between 1980 and 1994 signalling the end of television for the evening.

Check out the latest news on Media Fetish for the return of the Cat and Kiwi this summer!

Host and judges announced for New Zealand's Next Top Model

TV3 announced this week that Sara Tetro, one the model managers always rumoured to have a part in the series, is going to host New Zealand's Next Top Model.

Tetro will be joined on the judging panel by internationally successful model and actor Colin Mathura-Jeffree and top photographer and former model Chris Sisarich.

Sara Tetro started her company, 62 Models over 14 years ago and her business has consistently been at the top of the modelling and celebrity industry in this country.

Colin Mathura-Jeffree is a highly successful model and actor who has worked in the fashion industry for the past 17 years in New Zealand, India, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia. He has modelled for Versace and Working Style, among others and has appeared most recently on the big screen in the recently released Bollywood film Love Has No Language.

Chris Sisarich is one of Australasia’s most successful advertising and fashion photographers. He is in demand from internationally renowned brands, including Sony in Japan, Skoda in Europe and Tourism Victoria.

New Zealand's Next Top Model will be produced by Anna Lynch.

Applications are open

New Zealand's Next Top Model applicants must be between 16 and 25 years of age as of February 1, 2009 and must be at least 170cm tall to be eligible for participation in the series. The South Island model search begins in Queenstown on Monday, December 15 and the North Island starts in Wellington on Monday, January 12.

Application forms can be downloaded from the TV3 website.

Agenda cancelled

TVNZ has announced that it will be cancelling current affairs show Agenda after this season, however it may be replaced by similar show with a different title.

Executive producer Richard Harman said his production company received a letter from TVNZ stating that Anthony Flannery will be terminating Front Page Ltd's contract to produce the show on 7 December.

TVNZ have said that a replacement show under a new title will air from next year and that they are in the process of finalising the format and presenters.

Front Page Ltd were given no reason behind the ending of their contract, which will cause at least two staff members to lose their jobs.

TV3 +1 to launch on Freeview in 2009

MediaWorks have announced the launch of their first Freeview channel on 30 March 2009.

The new service will be a +1 channel, providing the exact broadcast of TV3 with a one-hour delay. This means that viewers will be able to watch shows they may not have in the past due to a schedule clash without having to go to the trouble of setting it up to be recorded. For example, 3 News will be played at 7pm on +1, and the nightly 8.30pm dramas can be watched at that time on TV3 or at 9.30pm on +1.

A +1 service was launched on the UK's version of Freeview and soon became one of their most popular channels.

"In the UK, tuning to the +1 channel averages 38% of the tuning to the main channel on the same platform and we would expect no difference in New Zealand," comments Rick Friesen, Director of Special Projects at MediaWorks.
"As the advertising content will remain the same on +1 as on the TV3, advertisers will have an extra opportunity for exposure of their products and service."

The new +1 channel will launch on Freeview channel 8 on Monday, 30 March, 2009.

Over half of New Zealand watching digital TV

A recent report commissioned by NZ On Air has announced that around 55% of New Zealand households are now watching digital television.

This figure is made up of 45% who use Sky TV and 10% who use Freeview.

The Government has said that they will announce the date they will switch off the analogue television transmission in either 2012 or when 75% of the country are watching digital television, whichever comes first.

The future of digital television is becoming more of a reality every day - you only need to flick through your latest Noel Leeming catalogue to see that a large number of new televisions are coming with FreeviewHD built in!

Battle of the bosses

The war of words between rivals 3 News and One News has once again hit the media. TV3 news boss Mark Jennings is slamming a trip taken by TVNZ news boss Anthony Flannery and two other senior employees across the US, Canada, Britain, Norway and Spain.

The trip was supposedly a fact-finding event, but Jennings says it is too extravagant in the current economic crisis when other media companies are laying off staff.

Jennings also suggested the trip was to find a new set for One News, something that TVNZ spokesperson Megan Richards denied.

The trip-frowning was reported by John Drinnan in his NZ Herald column, in which he also stated that the trip raised many eyebrows in the TVNZ newsroom.

Megan Richards assured Drinnan that the budget for the trip was "prudent and conservative".

Tony Veitch may return to radio

Disgraced broadcaster Tony Veitch may be returning to broadcasting sooner than some would have expected.

Vetich has been in discussions with Mitch Harris, head of B-Sport and RadioLive, regarding possible employment with B-Sport as a journalist.

Harris has said he would not have Veitch in a main presenting role, but says he believes him to be a very good journalist and would love to have him reporting for the station.

Harris told the NZ Herald that he has not made any particular offers to Veitch just yet, but is remaining in constant contact with him. He also added that he feels "a bit sorry for him".

Tony Veitch resigned from The Radio Network and his One News presenting role at TVNZ after being charged with six counts of assault on his former partner Kristen Dunne-Powell and one of injuring with reckless disregard.

B-Sport boss Mitch Harris will have to take into consideration whether or not he would hire Veitch before the court charges were dealt with or not.

TV3 fans slow to interact

First of all, I must say that the new TV3 website is fantastic! It is much easier on the eye than the previous one, and it seems a lot smoother to navigate.

However, one thing I have noticed is that people have been somewhat shy when it comes to the new forum feature. It looks as though majority of the topics in the forum have only received one or two replies so far, with the exception of the "New TV3 website" topic getting 16 replies. TV3 even changed the title of the section from "Forum" to "3 Interact" - I'm assuming to make it sound more appealing.

I think the forum is a fantastic idea, and I highly recommend getting involved in the conversation at tv3.co.nz. If you want to rant about something you don't like or rave about something you love, then there is no better place to do so than the TV3 website itself.

The reason for this is that it is probably the only place constantly being checked by TV3 staff - meaning your comments may actually influence things at the network!

Happy interacting TV3 viewers!

Friday Flashback: Mikey Havoc and Newsboy

Media Fetish recently featured a piece on Jeremy Wells (a.k.a. Newsboy) being harassed in Gore over comments he made in the late 90s - Wells used to refer to Gore as the "gay capital of New Zealand". In this flashback we not only revisit the Havoc and Newsboy show but also get to see one of Jeremy Wells' comments on Gore.

Brooke Shields says TV3's Lipstick Jungle is NOT cancelled

Rumours began spreading around the internet and gossip magazines last week that TV3's Lipstick Jungle had been cancelled after two seasons, however one of the shows lead stars has now come out to say that those were false.

Brooke Shields (who plays Wendy Healy) says that because My Own Worst Enemy was cancelled due to low ratings many people also falsely thought the same of Lipstick Jungle.

"They're not breaking down the sets. We're still working. We still have more to do, so it’s erroneously presented that we've been canceled, thank God. Our bosses are saying, 'You're not canceled, don't worry.' We're just trying to figure out how to make this make sense," Shields told reporters.

Shields says the NBC network in the US was inundated with mail from fans of the show who were horrified to read the rumours.

"It's been insane. I thinking that the public outcry has been crazy, and it's kind of wonderful."

However despite this news, Lipstick Jungle has been falling in the ratings, and while even Brooke Shields herself admits this she also points out that these ratings could increase if people watched the show live instead of recording it.

"I mean, we're basically No. 1 if you look at DVR. And you look at all that. So the public is watching it. The problem that they have is it's not the same day live."

One of the other stars of the show, Kim Raver (who plays Nico Reilly), has also denied that the show has already been cancelled.

"I think on Monday there are emergency meetings as to what's going to go on. But I know the executives are really pushing it and believe in it," said Raver.

These rumours could be just what the show needs to somewhat scare fans into watching the show live instead of recording it, because as Brooke Shields says - "advertisers don't want you fast forwarding commercials."

New Zealand's Next Top Model confirmed by TV3

TV3 released a press statement today confirming that they will produce a local version of America's Next Top Model.

More information will be released New Zealand's Next Top Model soon, but the press release did reveal that the show will feature 13 contestants - a number that has changed from season to season on the American version of the contest.

Kelly Martin, TV3’s Director of Programming, said that "Top Model is a hugely successful format around the world and we’re delighted to be able to bring New Zealand audiences their own version of the show."

Details about applications and auditions for New Zealand's Next Top Model will be made available on tv3.co.nz in coming weeks.

Jeremy Wells harassed in Gore

Eating Media Lunch host Jeremy Wells was in Gore last weekend to provide coverage for the One News election special when he was accosted by 15 men at a petrol station over remarks he made in the 90s.

In 1999 Wells and Mikey Havoc described Gore as the "gay capital of New Zealand", and apparently the citizens of the South Island town don't forget those kinds of things easily.

A TV insider told the NZ Herald that the group of young men began to harass Wells and other One News staff at a petrol station before following them back to the Scenic Circle Hotel.

The insider told the Herald that the men were verbally abusing Wells as well as trying to punch him.

"Jeremy kept appeasing them and saying things like 'It was just a bit of comedy, chill out' but they were yelling back 'you fucking homo' and things like that."

The TVNZ crew were then trapped in their room and when the group of men still continued to harass them after 90 minutes the police had to be called to the hotel.

The mob must have been pretty upset by the comments to remember them almost ten years later, AND to have the stamina to yell at Wells for an entire hour and a half!

Friday Flashback: RTR Countdown 1983

Back by popular demand... It's the Friday Flashback!

This is one of the early versions of TVNZ's RTR Countdown, this episode screened in 1983. The graphics and sounds in this clip are pretty much everything your mind would associate with the 80's... I think it's awesome.

Hannah Hodson resigns from TVNZ following Pink interview

One News Australian correspondent Hannah Hodson resigned from TVNZ on Friday efective immediately following the infamous interview with American pop star Pink.

Hodson is rumoured to have physically fought Pink's management for possession of the tape recording after they decided the interview needed to end.

The media reported that they wanted to stop the interview when Hannah Hodson began questioning Pink over the firing of her sister, who used to work for the singer. TVNZ spokeswoman Megan Richards is now denying this part of the incident.

"Her sister was mentioned in cordial terms. There was no challenge made about her employment," Richards told the NZ Herald.

Pink told C4 in an interview that took place straight after the one with TVNZ that Hannah Hodson was "insane".

"She lost her marbles somewhere between there and here ... Her sister used to work for me. Her sister no longer works for me. I was really polite too, it was really hard."

Rumours are now circulating the internet that Hannah Hodson had been drunk at the time of the interview.

Hodson was asked to resign from 3 News in 2004 after revealing to the police the 111 staff member who leaked the transcript of the call with missing Aucklander Iraena Asher.

The sun is shining on TV3

The surprise arrival of Oliver Driver on TV3's struggling Sunrise show has proved a hit, according to the latest ratings.

Driver's pairing with Carly Flynn helped boost last month's average audience in the show's target 18-49 demographic by 23 per cent nationwide and by 50 per cent in Auckland. The total audience in the same demographic increased by 18 per cent, from 52,200 to 61,600.

But its TV One rival, Breakfast still led the October ratings, with the 18-49 audience up 30 per cent on last year, and an average audience of more than 130,000 viewers.

In the 6pm slot, 3 News continued to outperform One News in the 18-49 demographic with nearly a third of the audience share.

But One News remained most popular in the 25-54 demographic, with a year-on-year increase of nearly 8 per cent, compared to a 14 per cent drop for 3 News.

TV One's Close Up made gains in its target 25-54 demographic, with a 12 per cent increase on last year. Mark Sainsbury and his team also outshone Campbell Live in the 18-49 sector, rising more than 26 per cent.

Source: NZ Herald

90210 moving from TV3 to C4

Teen drama 90210 will be moved from TV3 to C4 as of next week screening at the same time of Wednesday 7.30pm.

It will be replaced on TV3 by factual show Ice Road Truckers.

We can presume this move was made due to lower ratings, however I had previously heard from a few people that the network was pleased with the ratings. Perhaps they felt the content of the show was better suited to the youth-oriented C4.

Freeview to launch digital recorder

Freeview launched it's own digital recorder box last night that will be available in stores before Christmas.

The new service is to be called MyFreeview - obviously so consumers will realise it is basically Freeview's own version of MySky.

A Zinwell set top box was demonstrated at the launch last night, running the minimum specification of two tuners and a 250GB hard drive, allowing about 80 hours of recording. Other brands of Freeview digital recorders are expected to be launched in 2009.

The box will feature the ability to watch one channel while recording two others, live pausing, and 1/2 and 1/4 speed playback - the latter being probably the only difference to MySky.

TVNZ staff threatened over Hannah Hodson & Pink tape

An anonymous source has revealed to Media Fetish in a previous post that the interview tape physically fought over by One News reporter Hannah Hodson and Pink's management ended up in the possession of TVNZ.

The source stated that many TVNZ staff members then watched the tape but have been threatened with loosing their job by the state broadcaster in order to keep them from speaking out over the details of what exactly happened.

There is no news yet on the future employment of Hannah Hodson.

Hannah Hodson incident still being investigated

TVNZ confirmed to the media today that an investigation into the incident between One News reporter Hannah Hodson and pop star Pink is still continuing. A spokeswoman has stated that she is unsure how long the process will take at this stage.

Australian correspondent Hannah Hodson was asked to return to New Zealand to discuss her employment with TVNZ bosses after being involved in a physical fight with Pink's management.

The fight began after Hodson had grilled Pink about the firing of her sister, who once worked as an assistant to the singer. Pink and her management demanded the interview tape and then physically fought with the One News reporter and cameraman. It is not known who ended up with possession of the tape.