| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Media |
| Founded | 2004 |
| Headquarters | Auckland, New Zealand |
| Area served | New Zealand |
| Owner(s) | Ironbridge Capital |
| Divisions | Radio (10 networks) Television (TV3/FOUR) Interactive (18 websites) |
| Website | mediaworks.co.nz |
MediaWorks New Zealand is a New Zealand-based television, radio and interactive media company entirely owned by the Ironbridge Capital group. It owns and operates 3 News, TV3, FOUR and C4, ten radio networks, eighteen websites and three non-networked radio stations.
In 2004, CanWest Global Communications combined television company TV3 Network Services and radio company RadioWorks to form the new MediaWorks company. On 29 July 2004, 30% of this new company was sold on the NZSX. Three years later, in July 2007, CanWest sold its stake of the company to Ironbridge Capital, a group of Australian investors, who subsequently obtained the remaining 30% from other investors.[1] MediaWorks is significantly larger than any of its other investments.
Controversy erupted over a $43 million loan guarantee made by the Government to MediaWorks, with critics citing Communications Minister Steven Joyce's conflict of interest as past managing director of the company's RadioWorks division.[2]
Contents |
MediaWorks 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 CanWest 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. 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 MediaWorks offices in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Melbourne, Sydney and Hamilton. There are 3 News bureaus in the TV3 Headquarters in Auckland and MediaWorks offices in Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin, with news staff working out of other offices as needed.
| Network | Type | Target audience | Launches/relaunches | Availability | News content |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TV3 | General entertainment, News, Sport | 25-54 | 1989, 1998, 2011 | By VHF, terrestrial, free satellite, satellite or cable. | 3 News bulletins |
| TV3 +1 | TV3 time-delayed by one hour | 25-54 | 2009, 2011 | By terrestrial or free satellite. | Delayed 3 News bulletins |
| FOUR | Youth TV, General entertainment, Kids | 18-49 | 2011 | By VHF, terrestrial, free satellite, satellite or cable. | No news content |
| C4 | Music TV | 15-39 | 1997, 2003, 2010, 2011 | By terrestrial, free satellite. | No news content |
MediaWorks inherited most of its radio stations from its namesake RadioWorks, 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/Radioworks Group. In 1999 Radio Pacific and Radio Otago merged to form the publicly listed company RadioWorks; this included the growing networks of The Edge, The Rock and Solid Gold. Between 2000 and 2001 CanWest purchased RadioWorks, 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, MediaWorks 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, MediaWorks have rolled out new networks Radio Live and Kiwi FM, converted Radio Pacific to LiveSport, and purchased networks Mai FM and George FM. MediaWorks owns Times FM in Orewa, Coromandel FM on the Coromandel Peninsula and Radio Dunedin in Otago.[1]
All MediaWorks owned and affiliated stations read or carry Radio Live News updates hourly or half hourly during their weekday breakfast programmes. Most also carry pre-recorded news and sports updates hourly at other times. Radio Live News took over from the RadioWorks news service, Global News, with the launch of Radio Live in 2005.
| Network | Type | Target audience | Original station | News updates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Breeze | Easy listening | 40-59 female | The Breeze Wellington in 1993 | Half hourly in breakfast; hourly |
| LiveSport | Sports talk | 40+ male | Radio Pacific Auckland in 1978 | Half hourly in breakfast |
| The Edge | Pop/Rock, R&B/top 40 | Under 35 | The Edge Hamilton in 1994 | Half hourly in breakfast |
| Kiwi FM | New Zealand music | 18-49 | Channel Z Wellington in 1996 | Hourly |
| George FM | Dance music | 25-39 | George FM Auckland in 1998 | Hourly in breakfast and drive |
| Mai FM | Urban music | Under 35 years | Mai FM Auckland in 1992 | Half hourly in breakfast,; hourly |
| More FM | AC/Pop | 25-44 female | More FM Wellington in 1991 | Half hourly in breakfast; hourly |
| Radio Live | Talk radio | 35-54 | Radio Pacific Auckland in 1978 | 3 daily news hours; hourly; as breaking |
| The Rock | Rock music | under 44 male | The Rock Hamilton in 1992 | Half hourly in breakfast; hourly |
| The Sound | Classic rock/Oldies | 35-59 | Solid Gold Auckland in 1997 | Half hourly in breakfast; hourly |
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 programmes. 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.
| Market/location | The Breeze | LiveSport | The Edge | George FM | Kiwi | Radio Live | Mai FM | More FM | The Rock | The Sound |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northland | tba | 95.2 92.4 94.8 | 94.0 | 106.8 | --- | 90.6 95.6 | 97.8 | 91.6 | 90.0 | 107.3 |
| Auckland | 93.4 | 1476AM | 94.2 | 96.8 | 102.2 | 100.6 702AM 93.0 | 88.6 | 91.8 | 90.2 | 93.8 |
| Waikato | 99.4 | 954AM | 97.8 | 107.3 | --- | 100.2 | --- | 92.2 | 93.0 | 93.8 |
| Coromandel | 96.6 91.7 90.0 | --- | --- | 90.3 | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Tauranga | 95.8 | 873AM | 99.8 | 107.3 | --- | 1107AM | --- | 93.4 | 94.2 | 92.5 |
| Whakatane | --- | 94.5FM | --- | --- | --- | 92.1FM | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Rotorua | 91.9 | 1548AM | 99.9 | 105.9 | --- | 1107AM | --- | 95.9 | 92.7 | 91.1 |
| Taupo | 99.1 | 91.1FM | 89.1 | 106.3 | --- | 99.1 | --- | 93.5 | 94.3 | 99.9 |
| Gisborne | tba | 1485AM | 99.7 | ---- | --- | 94.8 | --- | 89.9 98.9 | 94.1 94.1 | 96.2 |
| Hawke's Bay | 97.5 | 549AM | 98.3 | 106.3 | --- | 1368AM | 105.5 | 92.7 | 95.1 | 91.9 |
| Taranaki | 92.4 | 97.2 | 94.0 | 106.8 | --- | 89.2 | --- | 93.2 | 95.6 | 98.0 |
| Ohakune | --- | --- | --- | 106.7 | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wanganui | tba | 828AM | 100.8 | --- | --- | 96.0 | --- | 92.8 | 95.2 | 91.9 |
| Manawatu | 98.6 | 828AM | 93.0 | 107.4 | --- | 93.8 | --- | 92.2 | 95.4 | 94.6 |
| Wairarapa | 99.8 | 91.1 | --- | --- | --- | 98.1 | --- | 89.3 | 94.9 | 93.3 |
| Kapiti Coast | 99.6 | 93.5 | 97.3 | --- | --- | 99.0 | --- | 90.2 | 91.9 | 94.3 |
| Wellington | 94.1 98.1 891AM | 711AM | 91.7 | 106.7 | 102.1 | 98.7 1233AM | --- | 94.7 100 | 96.3 | 97.5 |
| Nelson | 97.8 | 990AM | 89.0 | 107.5 | --- | 96.2 | --- | 93.0 | 94.6 | 98.6 |
| Marlborough | 96.1 98.5 | 105.7 | 104.9 | --- | --- | 95.3 | --- | 92.9 94.5 90.3 | 91.3 | --- |
| Westport | --- | 93.3 | --- | --- | --- | 90.1 | --- | --- | --- | 95.7 |
| Greymouth | --- | 89.1 93.9 | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 97.1 |
| Hokitika | --- | 89.1 | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 91.9 |
| Ashburton | --- | 1071AM | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 97.3 | --- |
| Christchurch | 94.5 | 1260AM | 95.3 | 106.9 | 102.5 | 99.3 738AM | 88.9 | 92.1 | 93.7 | 92.9 |
| Timaru | tba | 1242AM | 95.5 | --- | --- | 89.9 | --- | --- | 91.5 | 97.1 |
| Oamaru | --- | 89.6 | 96.0 | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 94.4 | 99.2 |
| Alexandra | --- | 107.1 | --- | --- | --- | 95.9 | --- | --- | --- | 93.5 |
| Dunedin | 98.2 | 1206AM | 91.8 | 107.7 | --- | 96.6 | --- | 97.4 | 93.4 | 90.2 |
| Central Otago | 96.7 | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 90.3 94.3 | 98.3 | --- |
| Queenstown and Wanaka | 92.0 96.8 | 93.6 104.2 | 95.2 98.6 | 107.3 | --- | 91.2 | --- | 99.2 99.4 | 100.0 | 97.6 1179AM |
| Southland | 91.6 | 1224AM | 97.2 | 107.6 | --- | 94.0 | --- | 89.2 | 90.8 | 98.0 |
| Network | Type | Target audience | Market and location | News updates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big River Radio | Adult contemporary | 25-54 | Otago: Balclutha since 1992 | Hourly |
| Coromandel FM | Hot AC | Coromandel Peninsula: Thames since 1992 | Hourly | |
| Radio Dunedin | Otago: Dunedin since 1922 | Hourly | ||
| Times FM | Adult contemporary | 25-54 | Rodney: Orewa since 2002[3] | Hourly |
MediaWorks 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 MediaWorks link bar at the top of every page.
The 3 News website is the flagship news website of MediaWorks, 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 programmes and a news forum. The other websites carry feeds from relevant sections.
| Website Name | Primary purpose | Target audience | News content |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3news.co.nz | Website of 3 News | 18-54 | Articles, videos, audio clips from 3 News, Radio Live and affiliates |
| tv3.co.nz | Website of TV3 | 18-49 | Feed of 3 News |
| adsearch.co.nz | Ads-on-demand from MediaWorks clients | 20-40 | None |
| thebreeze.co.nz | Website of The Breeze | 40-60 female | Feed of 3 News |
| four.co.nz | Website of Four | 15-39 | None |
| theedge.co.nz | Website of The Edge | 18-34 female | Feed of 3 News, in-house music news |
| georgefm.co.nz | Website of George FM | 25-39 | None |
| thesound.co.nz | Website of The Sound | 35-59 male | Feed of 3 News |
| radiolive.co.nz | News and general website of Radio Live | 35+ male | Feed of 3 News |
| livesport.co.nz | Website of LiveSport | 18-49 | Sports feed from 3 News |
| kiwifm.co.nz | Website of Kiwi FM | 18-30 male | Feed of 3 News |
| maifm.co.nz | Website of Mai FM | 15-30 male | Feed of 3 News |
| morefm.co.nz | Website of More FM | 25-44 female | Feed of 3 News |
| mymobizone.co.nz | Mobile content provider | 10-34 | 3 News videos for mobile download |
| nzsport.co.nz | Listings for sports clubs, results, cancellations | 10+ | Sports feed of 3 News |
| therock.co.nz | Website of The Rock | 20-44 male | In-house music news |
| undertheradar.co.nz | Music and ticket retailing website | 18-30 male | In-house music news |
| vouchermate.co.nz | Print and mobile voucher website | All ages | None |
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