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".