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Over in New Zealand, it has been announced the WBD have announced that Newshub will be closing down in a few months, and news programming on Three will cease.

Warner Bros. Discovery has today commenced consultation on a proposed remodelling and restructure of its ANZ free-to-air business in New Zealand.The proposal includes the closure of all Newshub’s multiplatform news operations and output, and new local programming would only be in collaboration with local funding bodies and other partners.

James Gibbons, President, Asia Pacific, Warner Bros. Discovery says this is not a proposal the business arrived at easily.

“We are acutely aware of our position in the local media landscape and what this means for our people, and for the country as a whole.

“There was no single trigger that caused this, rather it was a combination of negative events in New Zealand and globally. The impacts of the economic downturn have been severe, and the bounce back has not materialised as expected.

“Advertising revenue in New Zealand has disappeared far more quickly than our ability to manage this reduction, and to drive the business to profitability.“Everyone can see that the media sector, here in New Zealand, and around the world is facing some very tough circumstances. While Warner Bros. Discovery is a large global media company, each business is managed on its ability to sustain itself within the market it operates in. Subsidising losses for ongoing years indefinitely is not sustainable.

Understandably, this news is going down very badly. If the plans proceed in their current form, the only TV news will be from either TVNZ, and a single daily bulletin on Sky Open.