The Times Australia
Mirvac Harbourside
The Times World News

.

The demise of TVNZ’s Sunday spells the end of long-form current affairs – just when we need it most

  • Written by Sarah Baker, Associate Professor, Communication Studies, Auckland University of Technology

The imminent demise of TVNZ’s Sunday[1] program demonstrates the TV current affairs genre in New Zealand is on its last legs. The death knell was sounded back in 2015 when TV3 axed[2] its nightly Campbell Live[3] program, but this latest cut appears to spell the end.

Coupled with the earlier announcement that Warner Bros. Discovery will be shutting down its Newshub operation[4] in June, the end of Sunday also represents a turning point for New Zealand’s broadcast media.

While it could be argued Sunday has not been as hard-hitting as past TV current affairs programs, these terminal signs still matter. All up, the proposals mean[5] 20 hours of news and current affairs television per week will go from local screens.

In particular, long-form television current affairs has been a vital part of the overall broadcast news menu. It has allowed deeper analysis of events and issues, and often made news in the process. Its disappearance is a watershed moment in New Zealand media.

BBC House exterior
BBC House in London: birthplace of serious TV current affairs. Getty Images

The birth of TV current affairs

The origins of long-form TV current affairs can be traced to Britain in 1953, when the BBC launched Panorama[6]. Within a few years, the show was tackling the 1956 Suez crisis, setting the tone for stories of national and international importance.

Interviews would take time, and context was given in complex stories. It was all part of the BBC’s public service broadcasting remit, set out in its charter[7], to “inform, educate and entertain”.

Read more: With the end of Newshub, the slippery slope just got steeper for NZ journalism and democracy[8]

Panorama was joined by other programs – notably ITV’s World in Action[9] and Channel 4’s Dispatches[10] – which established the form and function of TV current affairs.

Such programs helped audiences understand current events, and often held politicians and the powerful to account. To take just one example, World In Action’s investigations in the 1980s helped expose what happened to the so-called Birmingham Six[11], one of the UK’s worst miscarriages of justice.

60 years of investigations

TV current affairs arrived in New Zealand with Compass[12] in 1963, not long after the still-running Four Corners debuted on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 1961. Compass was followed by Gallery[13] in 1968.

This was the beginning of rigorous political interviews. These programs provided the opportunity for New Zealand stories to be told and seen from a New Zealand perspective.

By the 1970s, the local TV current affairs roster was well established, often dealing with controversial issues such as police brutality, industrial disputes and antiwar protests. The roster was later fleshed out with shows such as Foreign Correspondent and Eyewitness[14].

Read more: Funding public interest journalism requires creative solutions. A tax rebate for news media could work[15]

From the late 1980s, however, New Zealand broadcasting was progressively deregulated and commercialised. TVNZ became a “state-owned enterprise[16]”, directed to run like a business and turn a profit. Ultimately, a program’s success relied not only ratings, but also on whether it earned more than it cost to make.

The commercial era saw the rise of a new kind of personality-driven TV current affairs: the nightly Holmes[17] show and the weekly 60 Minutes and 20/20 (local versions of international franchises).

Critics viewed the trend towards softer and often tabloid material as representing a wholesale loss in quality. But quality long-form current affairs still survived in the form of Frontline[18] and its successor, Assignment[19].

That era lasted into the early 2000s. Sunday picked up the long-form mantle in 2002, replacing the local version of 60 Minutes.

New model needed

As broadcasting grew more commercial, research has shown[20] coverage of more serious subjects declined. At the same time, “infotainment”, human interest, celebrity and entertainment news increased.

But free-to-air broadcasting has been operating under economic constraint for decades now. With its advertising model broken by the digital economy, and viewers migrating to streaming services, expensive long-form current affairs formats have been harder to justify financially.

Public funding for current affairs, mostly via NZ On Air[21], has supported Māori and Pacific-focused programs The Hui (TV3) and Tagata Pasifika (TVNZ), as well as weekend interview show Q+A (TVNZ).

Read more: First Newshub, now TVNZ: the news funding model is broken – but this would fix it[22]

The Hui, in particular, has investigated important issues such as abuse in state care. But with its fortunes tied to Newshub’s, the show’s future is also uncertain.

While the economics of TV current affairs are changing rapidly, the kinds of issues needing coverage are more urgent than ever – climate change and the impact of artificial intelligence, to name just two.

According to TVNZ, closing Sunday is still only a proposal[23]. If there is any room for negotiation, then, the broadcaster should seriously consider any viable alternative.

One option might be to retain a core team of investigative journalists and to develop a new model to deliver their stories, perhaps online and through the TVNZ+ digital platform. Because to lose what remains of TV current affairs will be a serious loss to journalism and to New Zealand.

References

  1. ^ Sunday (www.nzonscreen.com)
  2. ^ TV3 axed (www.nzherald.co.nz)
  3. ^ Campbell Live (www.nzonscreen.com)
  4. ^ shutting down its Newshub operation (www.rnz.co.nz)
  5. ^ proposals mean (thespinoff.co.nz)
  6. ^ Panorama (www.bbc.co.uk)
  7. ^ charter (www.bbc.com)
  8. ^ With the end of Newshub, the slippery slope just got steeper for NZ journalism and democracy (theconversation.com)
  9. ^ World in Action (www.screenonline.org.uk)
  10. ^ Dispatches (www.channel4.com)
  11. ^ Birmingham Six (www.theguardian.com)
  12. ^ Compass (www.nzonscreen.com)
  13. ^ Gallery (www.nzonscreen.com)
  14. ^ Eyewitness (www.nzonscreen.com)
  15. ^ Funding public interest journalism requires creative solutions. A tax rebate for news media could work (theconversation.com)
  16. ^ state-owned enterprise (teara.govt.nz)
  17. ^ Holmes (www.nzonscreen.com)
  18. ^ Frontline (www.nzonscreen.com)
  19. ^ Assignment (www.nzonscreen.com)
  20. ^ research has shown (openrepository.aut.ac.nz)
  21. ^ NZ On Air (www.nzonair.govt.nz)
  22. ^ First Newshub, now TVNZ: the news funding model is broken – but this would fix it (theconversation.com)
  23. ^ only a proposal (www.rnz.co.nz)

Read more https://theconversation.com/the-demise-of-tvnzs-sunday-spells-the-end-of-long-form-current-affairs-just-when-we-need-it-most-225461

Mirvac Harbourside

Times Magazine

YepAI Joins Victoria's AI Trade Mission to Singapore for Big Data & AI World Asia 2025

YepAI, a Melbourne-based leader in enterprise artificial intelligence solutions, announced today...

Building a Strong Online Presence with Katoomba Web Design

Katoomba web design is more than just creating a website that looks good—it’s about building an onli...

September Sunset Polo

International Polo Tour To Bridge Historic Sport, Life-Changing Philanthropy, and Breath-Taking Beau...

5 Ways Microsoft Fabric Simplifies Your Data Analytics Workflow

In today's data-driven world, businesses are constantly seeking ways to streamline their data anal...

7 Questions to Ask Before You Sign IT Support Companies in Sydney

Choosing an IT partner can feel like buying an insurance policy you hope you never need. The right c...

Choosing the Right Legal Aid Lawyer in Sutherland Shire: Key Considerations

Legal aid services play an essential role in ensuring access to justice for all. For people in t...

The Times Features

Macquarie Bank Democratises Agentic AI, Scaling Customer Innovation with Gemini Enterprise

Macquarie’s Banking and Financial Services group (Macquarie Bank), in collaboration with Google ...

Do kids really need vitamin supplements?

Walk down the health aisle of any supermarket and you’ll see shelves lined with brightly packa...

Why is it so shameful to have missing or damaged teeth?

When your teeth and gums are in good condition, you might not even notice their impact on your...

Australian travellers at risk of ATM fee rip-offs according to new data from Wise

Wise, the global technology company building the smartest way to spend and manage money internat...

Does ‘fasted’ cardio help you lose weight? Here’s the science

Every few years, the concept of fasted exercise training pops up all over social media. Faste...

How Music and Culture Are Shaping Family Road Trips in Australia

School holiday season is here, and Aussies aren’t just hitting the road - they’re following the musi...

The Role of Spinal Physiotherapy in Recovery and Long-Term Wellbeing

Back pain and spinal conditions are among the most common reasons people seek medical support, oft...

Italian Lamb Ragu Recipe: The Best Ragù di Agnello for Pasta

Ciao! It’s Friday night, and the weekend is calling for a little Italian magic. What’s better than t...

It’s OK to use paracetamol in pregnancy. Here’s what the science says about the link with autism

United States President Donald Trump has urged pregnant women[1] to avoid paracetamol except in ...