24 April 2012
Tune your Freeview to Channel 12 and find Choice TV!
This Saturday, April 28, will see the launch of Choice TV on the Freeview HD digital platform. It will be New Zealand’s
first broad appeal Free-To-Air TV channel launched in more than a decade.
Choice TV will broadcast an exciting range of programmes twenty fours a day, seven days a week. Each week night will
feature shows based around a different theme:
• Monday night is Our World with shows like “The Vanishing Antarctic” and travel related programming.
• Tuesday its Property and Design with programmes like “Superior Interiors with Kelly Hoppen.”
• Wednesday is The Great Outdoors, catering for blokes with motoring shows and fishing shows like “Fishing Expedition Amazonia.”
• Thursday is Food serving up visual treats like “Luke Nguyen’s Greater Mekong.”
• Friday’s Home and Garden theme gets the viewers primed with exciting projects to do over the weekend with shows like “Ty Pennington’s Home for
the Brave.”
And on the weekends it’s going to be pure entertainment fun. Kick starting this Saturday night will be the highly
regarded BBC action drama “The Deep.” Starring Minnie Driver and James Nesbitt, this two part mini-series was a ratings
success in the UK attracting 5 million viewers.
Choice TV programmer Julia Baylis is excited about the array of programmes on offer. “The majority of programmes being
screened have never seen here before and I’m confident there will be a show for everyone on Choice TV. There’ll be shows
for homeowners and gardeners, passionate cooks, travel nuts and even the testosterone charged men who love their cars,
hunting and fishing. And on the weekends, we’re going to be catering to those people who look forward to some laughter,
tears and excitement on the box,” says Baylis.
For a highlights package of the shows Choice TV will be screening, visit the channel trailer on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8hvmZQMenM=player_embedded
And Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YourChoiceTV
The channel will be available to all households with either a Freeview box or a Freeview capable TV in those areas of
the country that are covered by Kordia transmitters – at the moment that’s around 80-85% of the country.
For people wondering whether they need to tune their Freeview boxes or Freeview capable TV, channel manager Alex
Breingan advises, “Some equipment will automatically detect the new channel on 12, while others will need to rescan
their TV channels, which is a very simple process.”
For viewers outside the range of Kordia transmitters Choice TV is currently negotiating to broadcast via a satellite
channel.
Choice TV’s management is made up of highly experienced industry experts Julia Baylis, Alex Breingan and Vincent Burke,
Laurie Clarke, Juanita Edwards and Brian Holland who are all from Top Shelf Productions.
About Choice TV’s management team:
Julia Baylis, Choice TV Programmer. Julia has spent the past 5 years as Head of Programming and Acquisitions for Living Channel and Food TV. Before this
Julia spent 8 years with TVNZ in the programming area of the national broadcaster; the majority of her time as Head of
Programming for TV2.
Alex Breingan, Choice TV Channel Manager. Alex is former Channel Manager for Sky TV’s Food TV and Living Channel. Prior to this Alex spent 15 years in radio
including Mediawork’s Radio Operations Manager and Assistant Programme Director for both More FM and RadioLIVE. He began
his career in the mid 1990’s in UK commercial radio and later as a producer at the BBC before moving to NZ in 2002.
Vincent Burke established Top Shelf Productions in 1988 and has made ground breaking documentary and factual programming including
iconic series like “Target,” “What’s Really In Our Food?” “Immigrant Nation,” “Frontier of Dreams” and “Media 7.”
Laurie Clarke has been with Top Shelf as executive producer, producer and director since 2002. Prior to that he worked as a current
affairs producer with TV3 and in various TV roles in Australia with the ABC and commercial networks.
Juanita Edwards is Business Manager for Choice TV. Previously Juanita was Associate Producer of Top Shelf Productions’ successful
consumer series “Target.” She has also worked for several production companies as production manager.
Brian Holland is Head of Development for Top Shelf Productions where he has developed series such as “Media7” and “The Kitchen Job,”
and developed and produced “Cook Kids Cooking,” “The Sitting” and “The Nutters Club.” Prior to this he served for 12
years as a programmer at Television New Zealand.
ENDS