1989: TV3
November 26, 2021
By AHNZ
Today in history, 26 November, 1989, TV3 began broadcasting.
The State TVNZ monopoly on TV was busted, television had been was on the way to being deregulated. However, it was a far from even playing field for the new and exciting station to go up against the well-funded and entrenched TVNZ.
TV3 was required to have a high quota for local content. Too high to afford, actually, which put them on the ropes where they have been these past 30+ years.
This local content problem is currently solved by awful ‘news’ and ‘comedy’.
“In early 2002, a number of people were arrested for selling methamphetamine and importing MDMA into New Zealand; McDonald was amongst them. In 2003, he pleaded guilty to offering to supply methamphetamine and conspiracy to supply ecstasy. He admitted having been a drug addict from the age of 21, saying that he would spend around $1000 on drugs each week, and that he had even read the news while high on methamphetamine.” – ref. Wiki
Sadly for TV3 it was only a matter of 6 months before they were in receivership. Some of the blame for this can be firmly placed on the uneven playing field between themselves and their government competition. TVNZ had full access to what TV3 were going to do far in advance and were ready to counter it!
Not Deregulation Yet
“TV3 was NOT the result of deregulation of broadcasting, which didn’t happen until the following year, it followed a multi-year beauty contest for a third channel that started under the Muldoon Government. After hearings and counter-evidence, the then Broadcasting Tribunal granted the licence to TV3 holdings, but of course in the process of proving to a government tribunal, TV3 had to reveal all of the programming it would offer for its first year. This gave the state-owned TVNZ a heads-up as to how to counter TV3, and it worked, as TV3 nearly went under after less than a year, and the law had to be changed to allow 100% foreign ownership of TV broadcasters. By that time, anyone could set up TV broadcasting if they bought the frequencies to do so, and Sky was launched.” – Scott Wilson to AHNZ (2025)
“Under the old system, the right to broadcast in New Zealand was granted only after protracted submissions to the Broadcasting Tribunal. The number of radio and TV stations was strictly limited, and stations were allowed access to the airwaves only after demonstrating to the tribunal their suitability. TV3 spent years in legal battles and millions of dollars to win the right to broadcast — and, as it turns out, it will beat other private TV stations to air by only a few months.” – Checkpoint, RNZ (1990)
“The government decided in 1983 that a warrant for a third television channel should be awarded by the Broadcasting Tribunal. A change of government in 1984 delayed the hearings for the various applications, which finally began in August 1985 and concluded in February 1987.”
“In August 1987, the tribunal awarded the third channel to TV3 over several competing aspirants, including groups backed by some of New Zealand’s largest companies. After launching in November 1989, TV3 struggled commercially and went into receivership in May 1990.” – New Zealand Encyclopedia , Bateman (2005)
Some memorable shows we owe to TV3…
3 thoughts on "1989: TV3"
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Once they investigated on the basis that they represented a population. Now they investigate on the basis that represent an idea (open borders / open society/good versus evil – racist). They haven’t perceived the good in the contrary position.
Those ideas do represent a population too though, the r-selected. However, if you wanted to deepen that, it turns out that those preferences and consents might actually be falsified.