ℕ𝕖𝕨𝕤𝕙𝕦𝕓 𝕟𝕖𝕨𝕤𝕣𝕠𝕠𝕞 𝕗𝕒𝕔𝕖𝕤 𝕔𝕝𝕠𝕤𝕦𝕣𝕖 𝕚𝕟 𝕎𝕒𝕣𝕟𝕖𝕣 𝔹𝕣𝕠𝕤. 𝔻𝕚𝕤𝕔𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕪 𝕡𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕠𝕤𝕒𝕝

𝕆𝕟𝕖 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕥𝕣𝕪'𝕤 𝕞𝕒𝕛𝕠𝕣 𝕟𝕖𝕨𝕤𝕣𝕠𝕠𝕞𝕤 𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 𝕔𝕝𝕠𝕤𝕖, 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕜𝕤 𝕥𝕠 𝕒 𝕔𝕠𝕝𝕝𝕒𝕡𝕤𝕖 𝕚𝕟 𝕋𝕍 𝕒𝕕𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕥𝕚𝕤𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕣𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕟𝕦𝕖 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝕚𝕟 𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕙𝕒𝕓𝕚𝕥𝕤.

N

ewshub's parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) is proposing to shut down all Newshub's operations on June 30, including its flagship 6pm bulletin presented by Samantha Hayes and Mike McRoberts.

The end of news production is part of a wider proposal that would dramatically reduce the amount of local content seen on Three and its streaming platform, ThreeNow.

.

.

If confirmed, the decision would end nearly 35 years of news broadcasts on Three. It would also see the closure of Newshub's online operation, which is currently New Zealand's third-largest news website.

Around 200 journalists, producers, editors, camera operators and associated staff could lose their jobs, in a move which would leave state-owned TVNZ with a near-monopoly on TV news production.

An unknown number of other positions across the wider company would also go.

WBD ANZ staff were given the news at a Wednesday morning meeting in Auckland fronted by the head of WBD's Asia Pacific operations, James Gibbons, who flew in from Singapore this week.

Gibbons pointed to a dramatic and sustained fall in television advertising as a reason for the proposal.

"Advertising revenue... has disappeared far more quickly than our ability to manage this reduction, and to drive the business to profitability. We simply cannot afford to produce news in-house. This doesn't mean news isn't valuable. We just haven't found a way to make it work financially here in New Zealand."

Speaking to staff this morning, Glen Kyne, the head of the New Zealand operation, said the current environment means “we cannot go on as we have.”

.

.

“It is so difficult to fathom that proposing these changes is necessary. “We all know that Newshub has been such an important and central part of who we are at TV3 since day one. “We also know that Newshub is a crucial part of a functioning fourth estate in New Zealand as a whole”, said Kyne

The Newshub closure would be part of a proposed wider shakeup of WBD's ANZ operations. If confirmed, WBD ANZ would scrap much of its local productions. It would focus on its streaming platform ThreeNow, as audiences continue to leave traditional free-to-air television in droves.

WBD says it is now entering into a consultation period with affected staff, with a final decision expected in early April.  

.