Since 1989 NZ On Air has measured local free-to-air television content. This report includes Prime TV local content figures for the first time.

Key trends

  • The addition of Prime to the survey means that local content in 2005 increased by 603 hours (to 7026), compared with 2004 figures.
  • Excluding Prime TV, local content remained relatively stable, with 6455 hours of local content on TV One, TV2 and TV3 (compared with 6423 in 2004).
  • These hours mean that local content accounted for 32.7% of the 6am to midnight broadcast hours in 2005 (excluding Prime), compared with 32.6% in 2004. When you include Prime, local content as a percentage of total broadcast hours from 6am to midnight falls to 26.7%.
  • Prime time local content increased in 2005: from 1860 hours in 2004 to 1937 in 2005 (excluding Prime). Including Prime, the total prime time local content hours in 2005 topped the 2000 milestone, and reached 2070.
  • Total first-run local content hours declined slightly in 2005 (excluding Prime), from 5231 in 2004 to 5184. Adding in Prime, the total first-run local content on New Zealand screens reached 5684.
  • TV One screened 54% local content for the hours 6am to midnight, compared with 51.6% in 2004. This brings TV One’s average hours of local content in this time period over the three years from 2003-2005 to 53.4%.
  • TV2 screened 23.1% local content for the hours 6am to midnight, compared with 24.3% in 2004. This gives TV2 an average of 23.9% local content for this time period, for the three years from 2003-2005.
  • TV3 screened 21% local content for the hours 6am to midnight, compared with 21.6% in 2004. TV3’s three year average for local content in this timeslot is 21%.
  • Prime TV, included for the first time, screened 8.7% local content for the hours 6am to midnight.