News

A Critic article entitled ‘Local TV station Channel 39 is “Essentially Dead” – NZ on Air CEO’  was based on outdated information. While the statements quoted were correct, they did not reflect the changes Channel 39 had made to transform from a TV broadcaster to an online video news network. According to Matthew Holridge of Allied Press: “Allied Press acknowledges that NZ on Air's funding strategy changed from supporting the traditional linear regional broadcast channels such as Channel 39.  Allied Press launched a new multi-channel video news offering called 'The South Today' in September 2016. Daily video news, gathered from our existing print journalists from Ashburton south, and 3 dedicated full time video news reporters based in Dunedin, Queenstown and Invercargill, is delivered online via various Allied Press websites (including Channel 39) and social media pages.  This video news was funded with the grateful support of NZ on Air in order that it achieves its vision for the growth of regional online video news, which we fully support.”