All Newshub operations on New Zealand television channel Three are to be shut down, with the loss of 250 jobs.
The shutdown includes the company’s website, with the last planned 6pm news bulletin to air on July 5.
Owner Warner Bros Discovery said talks were ongoing with third parties to provide a pared-back news service — such as a 6pm bulletin for the Three channel. However, no deals have been reached yet.
Head of networks Glen Kyne said Warner Bros Discovery had been clear it would listen to all feedback both internal and external over the five-week consultation period.
"Our door has been open and some conversations have taken place. They’re continuing to take place in confidence but there is no deal."
He promised to let staff know immediately if any new deals could be finalised and thanked staff for their feedback.
The announcement comes after an all-staff meeting at a hall close to Newshub’s office in Auckland’s Eden Tce yesterday morning.
Newshub staff were told by Warner Bros Discovery management in February it planned to axe the entire news operation with the possible loss of up to 300 jobs from June 30.
The newsroom was losing too much money, staff were told at that time.
Since then, it is understood there have been talks between Warner Bros Discovery and media firms, including Stuff, about ways that part of the business could be preserved.
It has been suggested that could include the production of a "slimmed-down" news bulletin by a third party.
In a statement, Mr Kyne said the confirmation of the new structure was a difficult day for everyone who worked at the company and the country.
He addressed concerns about the fate of Newshub’s news library, which contains footage of news events dating back to the launch of TV3 in 1989.
"We also know that our archive has great historical significance and needs to be preserved. It is our intention to engage Nga Taonga to explore how that can happen. We envisage this will take some time to work through."
Newshub journalist and presenter Patrick Gower said staff losing their jobs deserved a lifeline and a deal needed to be secured to save the company.
He believed there was huge value in the company, both commercially and as a news organisation.
Senior journalist Michael Morrah has worked for the company for 19 years and was "absolutely devastated" by the decision.
He said 900,000 people tuned into their news programmes every week. Staff did important work on investigations and it was hard to see where that kind of work would be done now.
"Obviously devastating for myself and all of my colleagues, who put a lot of effort into trying to retain part of Newshub.
"But more so, I think terrible news for New Zealand as a whole and democracy as a whole."
Broadcasting Minister Melissa Lee is refusing to say whether Cabinet has considered any support for the media industry.
Ms Lee has been working on a Cabinet paper for at least a month, which she says is focused on ensuring New Zealand’s media industry is sustainable and modernised.
But she would not say if Cabinet had considered it.
"What I can tell you is that there is a paper and it is in train and I won’t comment on it any further."
When asked if she was acting fast enough, Ms Lee said progress may appear slow but there was a process in place.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon confirmed no tangible solutions had been brought to Cabinet by his broadcasting minister in the wake of mass job cuts in the media industry.
In response to news that 250 jobs will go at Newshub in July, Mr Luxon said the government had not received any proposals for assistance from the industry.
"What we’ve discussed is actually the macro trends that are going on within the media industry both here in New Zealand and also abroad ... and the bargaining Bill that’s going through with the digital platforms but again, you know the role of a government here is to support an industry to be able to innovate itself."
He said thoughts were with affected staff and their families at Newshub, but stressed there was no silver bullet fix.
Meanwhile, TVNZ’s current affairs programme Sunday was officially cancelled yesterday.
The confirmation comes one day after TVNZ confirmed plans to axe consumer affairs programme Fair Go, along with its noon and late night news bulletins.
