Mediaworks Tv Shifts Focus To Investment In Local Content

Media Release
For Immediate Release
Wednesday, 30 May, 2012

Mediaworks Tv Shifts Focus To Investment In Local Content

MediaWorks TV has confirmed it will be increasing its investment in local programming in preference to renewing the company’s CBS output deal.

Long term it will see millions of extra dollars invested in locally made programmes, including some of the network’s biggest projects to date, The Block NZ (currently in production), and the local version of The X-Factor, which gained momentum this month with the appointment of Andrew Szusterman and John McDonald as project leaders.

MediaWorks Group Managing Director, Sussan Turner says the channel will build on its stellar record for local content, across drama, comedy, reality and documentary.

“TV3 has evolved to a place where our defining shows are more likely to be local – programmes like 7 Days, The Almighty Johnsons, The Block NZ, and What’s Really in Our Food?,” she says.

“Being New Zealand’s home of local content is where we want to be.”

The current arrangement with CBS expires at the end of 2012. After this time, MediaWorks will not receive new CBS programming, but will have ongoing contracts for the CBS shows currently airing on TV3 and FOUR.

“Viewers are unlikely to notice any change when the current deal comes to an end,” says Turner.

“Fans of NCIS, CSI, America’s Next Top Model and other shows will continue to find their favourite programmes onTV3, and our ongoing business with CBS will be significant for some time.”

MediaWorks NZ Limited (website: www.mediaworks.co.nz) is New Zealand’s leading private sector broadcast and online media company. Through its specialist divisions – MediaWorks TV, MediaWorks Radio and MediaWorks Interactive, it owns and operates the TV3 and FOUR television networks, national radio brands The Edge, The Rock, MORE FM, Kiwi FM, RadioLIVE, LiveSPORT, The Sound, The Breeze, George FM and Mai FM, plus several local radio stations, and a family of websites.

ENDS

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