Media Entertainments

Media Entertainments

Television

Media Works has owned TV3 and C4 since its inception in 2004. TV3 was founded in 1989 after the Fourth Labour government allowed for a private television broadcaster and Can West obtained TV3 between 1991 and 1997 after the National government loosened rules on foreign ownership. Under CanWest control, TV3 relaunched in March 1998 with a new brand and a 3 News bulletin hosted by John Campbell and Carol Hirschfeld. In 2005, Hilary Barry & Mike McRoberts became the stations news anchors. TV3 staff also launched youth station TV4 in 1997 and relaunched it as C4 in 2003 [1] and revert back to Youth TV in 2008.

Both networks operate out of Auckland City. Television advertising is sold by the Media Works offices in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Melbourne, Sydney and Hamilton. There are 3 News bureaus in the TV3 Headquarters in Auckland and Media Works offices in Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin, with news staff working out of other offices as needed.

Radio

Main article: Media Works Radio

Media Works inherited most of its radio stations from its namesake Radio Works, which was itself the result of a history of amalgamations. That history began when Radio Pacific purchased the Energy Enterprises group of local North Island stations in the 1990s and began to operate as Pacific/Radio works Group. In 1999 Radio Pacific and Radio Otago merged to form the publicly listed company Radio Works; this included the growing networks of The Edge, The Rock and Solid Gold. Between 2000 and 2001 CanWest purchased Radio Works, awaiting company restructuring before completing the year-long takeover, and moved its existing MORE FM group assets, including Channel Z and The Breeze Wellington, into the company.

Since its inception in 2004, Media Works have moved its local stations over to More FM and The Breeze network; all these stations now carry the network branding and some or all of the network's programming. At the same time, Media Works have rolled out new networks Radio Live and Kiwi FM, converted Radio Pacific to Live Sport, and purchased networks Mai FM and George FM. Media Works owns Times FM in Orewa, Coromandel FM on the Coromandel Peninsula and Radio Dunedin in Otago.

All Media Works owned and affiliated stations read or carry Radio Live News updates hourly or half hourly during their weekday breakfast programmers. Most also carry per-recorded news and sports updates hourly at other times. Radio Live News took over from the Radio Works news service, Global News, with the launch of Radio Live in 2005.

Networked stations

While most networked stations carry network programming, each station is local to a certain extent. More FM and The Breeze stations may have their own breakfast, daytime and drive programmers. Most networked stations carry local advertisements, promotions and community notices, sponsor or report from local events, provide local traffic updates and have local news and sports commentary spots.

Interactive

Media Works Interactive consists of the 3 News website, the official websites of the company's television and radio networks, and six specialist websites set up since the department was formed in 2004. The Interactive department designs, maintains and sells advertising on all eighteen websites. Most websites have a similar layout and a Media Works link bar at the top of every page.

The 3 News website is the flagship news website of Media Works, and is continuously updated by the company's journalists. It claims to have provided the first video coverage and breaking news coverage of several events, including being the first website to have posted the verdict of the retrial of David Bain in 2009.[4] It includes sections on national, world, sport, business, entertainment, politics, lifestyle, technology and odd news, as well as weather forecasts, information on 3 News programmers and a news forum. The other websites carry feeds from relevant sections.