Big changes underway at TVNZ Interactive

Big changes underway at TVNZ Interactive

The first stage of a major project to enable TVNZ's website to better complement and extend the programming TV ONE and TV2 offers its viewers will occur this month, (October 7).

Following an initial announcement in May, TVNZ Interactive has begun the task of designing and building a new tvnz.co.nz consumer focused website.

ONE Sport will continue to focus on being the best sports website in New Zealand - it was voted Netguide Sports website of the Year 2002. The sports team will continue producing their in-depth profiles, fixtures, latest news and video, audio commentaries and edgy game analysis. The team's biggest job for the next month is on ONE Sport's coverage of the Rugby World Cup and the World XV game.

World XV is ONE Sport's fantastic new FREE interactive rugby game that gives the user the chance to be the coach of a team of real-life world cup superstars while competing for some fantastic prizes, including a trip to the World Cup final. Mini-competitions can also be set up between friends, workmates and family to settle all those arguments about who really knows rugby once and for all!

"The launch of TVNZ's oneworldcup.nzoom.com website and its interactive rugby game World XV has generated a lot of public interest which will enable us to test elements and systems capabilities for the new tvnz.co.nz site" says Alistair Matthewson, General Manager Operations and Commercial, TVNZ Interactive.

The ONE News website is growing to include a variety of new categories including Travel, Technology, Business, Weather, Rural News and Entertainment - it was voted best News website at this year's QANTAS media awards. These changes are designed to further enhance its position as the country's top news site.

"The new online ONE News mix enables us to bring more depth to what viewers see on ONE News and our current affairs shows every night," explained Glyn Jones, Executive Producer.

A new channels unit has been established to further enhance the performance of the TV ONE and TV2 websites. Providing users with a variety of channel and star information, competitions, downloads and entertainment gossip, the sites will also have a particular focus on offering online extensions for TV ONE and TV2's top shows.

Some services and sections will go, including Home and Garden, Good Taste, Motoring and our review based sections. However, the channel websites will still provide programme-based content in those areas and ONE News will be covering entertainment, health and technology news.

Nzoomail, New Zealand's second largest free email service is now being maintained by ICONZ and travelshop has been merged with travelonline.co.nz to provide even more discounted airfares and package deals to users.

While the changes to content on the website are occurring now, work on a total new design for the website is also underway.

"We are focusing our content offering to support our on air brands. We want to engage our TV viewers and offer them the chance to interact online with some of their favourite shows and events like the Rugby World Cup," says Matthewson. "This also allows us to partner with other organisations as we recently did with ONE News providing content for Xtra's broadband channel and news service."

The new site will be complete in early 2004. At that time the site's name will also change, from nzoom.com to tvnz.co.nz.

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