Dark day for NZ media brings a political dilemma into focus

Dark day for NZ media brings a political dilemma into focus
The lights are going out at Newshub. (Image: Getty)
Daniel Dunkley
Back in 2022, in headier times, staff at Discovery NZ were optimistic about their owner’s merger with entertainment giant Warner Media. Hopes were high the deal would bring extra firepower to the Discovery channels, including Three, and brands like Newshub after years of austerity under private equity-backed MediaWorks.How naive those hopes were. Yesterday, Warner Bros. Discovery, as the parent group is now known, pulled the trigger on Newshub, its news broadcasting brand, and much of its free-to-air TV business, retrenching into a &ldquo...

More Opinion

War on Nature v Going for Growth
Opinion

Pattrick Smellie: War on Nature v Going for Growth

Some big environmental eggs were broken this week to 'go for growth'.

Pattrick Smellie 07 Nov 2025
A blueprint to beat our economic malaise
Opinion

Peter Griffin: A blueprint to beat our economic malaise

NZ must trade talk for execution and invest in talent to escape its economic woes. 

Peter Griffin 05 Nov 2025
KiwiSaver: Why side-pockets are out
Opinion

David Chaplin: KiwiSaver: Why side-pockets are out

Government scraps KiwiSaver reforms, keeps only disclosure tweak.

David Chaplin 04 Nov 2025
The politics of whose capital gets taxed
Opinion

Dileepa Fonseka: The politics of whose capital gets taxed

Politically, there are now 'good' capital gains and 'bad'.

Dileepa Fonseka 03 Nov 2025