Cue TV to Close

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thekiwi

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#171012 1-Apr-2015 21:43

One of the country's longest-running regional TV broadcasters is going off the air for good.

Invercargill-based Cue TV will cease transmission in 10 days' time after 19 years of reporting the news.

It has long been a training ground for young crews, but there is still a future for some staff.

Cue TV says a lack of support from Southland businesses has forced it to pull the plug on its broadcast operations.

"Sentiment doesn't pay invoices, and unfortunately it had to be a pragmatic approach," says Cue TV managing director Tom Conroy. "If there is a regret, it is that Southland will lose this facility."

The station launched in 1996 as Mercury Television, broadcasting local news and other programming to the Invercargill market.

myfullflavour

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#1275787 1-Apr-2015 23:12

Regional TV struggles to capture share of local advertising dollars, dominated by Mediaworks & NZME, along with the local papers.

This is not the first and certainly won't be the last regional operator to go out of business.

old3eyes

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#1275856 2-Apr-2015 08:45

I used to watch them on the sat feed while I had it . They had a some quite good old TV programs and movies. Unfortunately regional TV can't afford to get of the OTA platform due to Freeview pricing.

Regards,

Old3eyes

mm1352000

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#1276011 2-Apr-2015 11:41

I was going to say the same thing (about Freeview pricing).
Then I went looking for the actual costs. Best I could find was this:
http://www.freeviewnz.tv/help-support/faqs/information-for-broadcasters.aspx

That code of practice may be out of date (last updated September 2011), but $2500 per year for a regional-only broadcaster with gross revenue less than $500 000 doesn't seem so steep. The near national broadcaster fees seem more unreasonable.

With CUE being on the satellite, perhaps they were classed as a near national broadcaster?

Behodar

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#1276062 2-Apr-2015 13:14

That $2500 is just for the privilege of being listed in the Freeview Guide and being available on Freeview-approved units. The actual transmission costs are separate (presumably paid to Optus).

SepticSceptic

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#1276082 2-Apr-2015 13:30

myfullflavour: Regional TV struggles to capture share of local advertising dollars, dominated by Mediaworks & NZME, along with the local papers..

I quite liked the CUE adverts, they were rather "quaint" and mostly watchable, (almost Nitflux-style..) and without the gloss and in yer face style of current mainstream advertising.

mm1352000

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#1276087 2-Apr-2015 13:36

Behodar: That $2500 is just for the privilege of being listed in the Freeview Guide and being available on Freeview-approved units.

Yes, I'm aware of that. I was just responding to old3eyes who specified "Freeview pricing".

Behodar: The actual transmission costs are separate (presumably paid to Optus).

I could well be wrong, but I think either Kordia and/or TVNZ leases the satellite transponder space... either directly from Optus, or possibly as a sub-lease from Sky... and broadcasters pay Kordia and/or TVNZ.

...and I think Kordia or JDA handle the terrestrial broadcast platform.

lchiu7

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#1277380 5-Apr-2015 11:02

Well despite not being as professionally produced as the UK version, I did enjoy watching their version of University Challenge as 1)I could root for my alma mater and 2)I could answer more of the questions!

Since they have a 3 year contract to produce the show and Prime I presume has agreed to screen it for the next 2 more seasons, I hope they can continue to make the show.

I never actually watched Cue TV itself - not one of the channels in my favourite list in the EPG!

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