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According to the NZ Television Broadcasters Council (NZTBC), for the six months period to June 2004, television advertising revenues increase 9% ($24 million) against the same period in 2003 for national broadcasters. It also claimed that national broadcasters spending for the three months to June 2004 was $153 million, a 17% increase on the previous three months to March 2004.

In contrast, figures collected by Nielson Media Research actually showed a downturn in advertising revenue.

Table 2 – Television viewing patterns – 2004

Demographic Time spent viewing per day (minutes) Potential audience size

All people 5+ 173 3,737,000

05 to 14 year olds 131 616,000

15 to 24 year olds 109 516,000

25 to 39 year olds 181 896,000

40 to 54 year olds 179 860,000

55 to 69 year olds 197 507,000

70+ year olds 270 343,000

(Source: Paul Budde Communication based on AC Nielsen New Zealand)

In 2004 New Zealanders spent 173 minutes on average per day, viewing live Television from 2am to 2am. By comparison, in 1992 New Zealanders spent 161 minutes viewing, according to AC Nielsen New Zealand.

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Regional stations include:

• Channel 7 Taranaki – UHF Channel 41in the Taranaki region;

• CTV – Christchurch Television – Christchurch’s UHF 44;

• CH50 – Dunedin’s Channel 9 – UHF Channel 50;

• FTN – Family Television Network;

• GTV – Geyser Television – UHF (Rotorua);

• HBTV – Hawke’s Bay Television;

• CH7 – Mainland Television;

• Shine TV – Channel 56 UHF Canterbury and SKY Digital – Channel 99;

• Southland TV – VHF – Invercargill & Nationwide on SKY Digital – Channel 90;

• TRI-TV – Triangle Television – a non-commercial, community TV station serving the Auckland area on UHF Channel 41;

• UHF Channel 61 – Taupo.

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1. INDUSTRY OVERVIEW

New Zealand is well served by radio broadcasting, and the industry remains profitable. There are several national stations, as well as numerous regional and city-based operations vying for market share.

Table 1 – Radio broadcasting statistics – 2005

Service Statistics

Radio broadcast stations 418

Radio receivers 3,750,000

(Source: Paul Budde Communication based on industry sources)

Of the 418 radio stations the breakdown is: AM 124, FM 290, and shortwave 4.

The current radio broadcasting sector consists of:

• Radio New Zealand, the public radio service;

• two major private owners of radio networks;

• other private stations;

• a publicly-funded pilot Pacific radio service;

• Niu FM;

• a series of non-profit community stations;

• Sky Digital Music: 12 digital music channels.

• a network of 25 Kiwi radio stations throughout the country.

2. RADIO BROADCASTING PARENT COMPANIES

• Gisborne Media Ltd (GML) – Owners and operators of two local Gisborne stations;

• Port FM Music Network – 98 Port FM Timaru, MacKenzie 94FM MacKenzie Country, Whitestone 100FM Oamaru & Mid Canterbury’s 95 & 99 Fox FM Ashburton;

• Radio Bay Of Plenty Ltd – owners and operators of: 1XX – 90.5FM, 1242AM (Bay of Plenty), 93.0FM (Ohope Beach) & 92.9FM (Te Puke) and Bayrock 97-7FM & 99-3FM;

• Radio New Zealand – broadcasts over three nationwide networks: National Radio, Concert FM and the AM network;

• Rhema Broadcasting Group Inc (RBG) – Radio Rhema, Life FM and Southern Star;

• The Radio Network (TRN) – owners and operators of: Newstalk ZB, Classic Hits, ZM, Radio Sport, Radio Hauraki, Easy Listening i; local stations Cool Blue FM and JO 1530; and IRN News network news service;

• The RadioWorks New Zealand Ltd (TRW) – owners and operators of Radio Pacific, Solid Gold FM, The Rock and The Edge and several provincial and local radio stations.

3. OTHER NATIONAL RADIO STATIONS

• AM Network – broadcasts the New Zealand Parliament on the air live;

• b.NET – a collective group of stations broadcast by students from the Universities or Polytechnics around New Zealand, including 95bFM, The Generator 89FM, The Most 92.3FM, Active 89FM, RDU 98.3FM, Radio 1 91FM;

• Classic Hits – Radio Northland – Whangarei, Kaitaia, Kaikohe, 97FM Auckland, 98.6 ZHFM Hamilton, 95 BOP FM Tauranga, 97FM Geyserland Rotorua, 89FM Bay City Radio – Hawke’s Bay, 90FM Taranaki, 97.8 ZAFM Palmerston North, 90FM Wellington, 90FM Nelson, 98FM Christchurch, 89FM Dunedin 98.8ZAFM Invercargill;

• Easy Listening I – Easy listening adult contemporary; Auckland 98.2FM, Tauranga 99.0FM, Hawke’s Bay 90.3FM, 1593AM Christchurch;

• Life FM – Christian rock format, available throughout New Zealand;

• More FM – format is adult contemporary, middle of the road;

• New Zealand’s Rhema Network – a 30+ frequency network (AM/FM) focusing on Christian music and programming;

• Newstalk ZB – nationwide and local/regional talkback plus some live sports commentary;

• Radio Hauraki – classic rock; 99.0FM Auckland, 96.0FM Hamilton, 89.0FM Tauranga, 94.3FM Rotorua, 98.9FM Gisborne, 91.9FM Taupo, 99.9FM Hawke’s Bay, 97.2FM Taranaki, 1017AM Christchurch, 1125AM Dunedin, 93.2FM Invercargill;

• Radio Pacific – format includes news, information, nationwide talkback and racing commentary;

• Radio Sport – sports commentary and sports talkback;

• Southern Star Network – Christian music;

• The Edge – contemporary hit radio, based in Auckland and available throughout New Zealand;

• The Rock – Album Rock, owned by The RadioWorks;

• Tourist Information FM.

4. RADIO NEW ZEALAND

Radio New Zealand [www.radionz.co.nz] is a Crown entity established under the Radio New Zealand Act 1995.

Radio New Zealand broadcasts over three nationwide networks;

• National Radio;

• Concert FM;

• The AM network which relays Parliamentary proceedings.

Radio New Zealand International (RNZI) is an overseas shortwave service, broadcasting to the South Pacific and beyond, while Radio New Zealand News and Current Affairs provides news and current affairs information.

In September 2005 Radio New Zealand was progressing with public tests of its audio streaming service. The streams include National Radio, Concert FM, and Radio NZ International and are run at speeds of 16,48 and 64Kb/s.

5. CANWEST RADIOWORKS NZ

RadioWorks has a network of over 100 stations, broadcasting throughout New Zealand, with different networks targeting different audiences. Total weekly audience in 2005 was over 1.21 million listeners. RadioWorks also has New Zealand’s number one Radio Station – The Edge – with over 421,700 listeners tuning in each week in 2005.

5.1 NETWORK BRANDS

RadioWorks’ six Network Brands – The Edge, Kiwi, The Rock, Solid Gold, Radio Live and Radio Pacific – operate centrally from premises in Auckland. Network programs are distributed from Auckland, with each geographic operation inserting local commercials into pre-defined time slots. These brands rely upon RadioWorks’ Network Centre in Auckland for group management, content production, technical engineering, national marketing and promotions and news production.

Advertising agency campaigns are sold by The Radio Bureau (TRB). National direct advertising is sold by the RadioWorks’ National Sales Team. Local time slots are sold by the RadioWorks’ local sales teams around the country.

5.2 LOCAL RADIO STATIONS

RadioWorks’ local radio product, More FM, broadcasts in 21 areas throughout the country with live, local announcers and a strong promotional presence in each market. The Breeze broadcasts in Waikato, The Coromandel, Manawatu, Wellington, Kapiti Coast, Christchurch and Dunedin and are also local stations within their respective RadioWorks operations.

5.3 COMPANY HISTORY

The CanWest Global Group commenced its New Zealand radio operations with the acquisition of the More FM Group in 1997. The Group increased its radio presence in 2000 when it acquired a 72% stake in the then NZSX-listed RadioWorks New Zealand Ltd, with the remaining 28% of RadioWorks New Zealand Ltd acquired in 2001.

By 2005 the operations of the More FM Group and RadioWorks New Zealand Ltd were integrated, with the RadioWorks name being adopted as the umbrella brand.

CanWest MediaWorks acquired the radio and television businesses of the CanWest Global Group – RadioWorks and TVWorks in July 2004. In 2005 RadioWorks acquired a further two independent media companies in Gisborne and The Coromandel, and was operating out of 22 markets around the country.

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