National Channels
- Notes
- Channel reception is standard-definition only unless otherwise specified.
- High-definition availability on pay television may require an HD ticket to be received - those without the ticket receive standard definition, even if the receiver is HD-capable.
- Major centres means Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Napier/Hastings, the Wellington metropolitan area, Christchurch and Dunedin.
- Cable television company Vodafone offers the option of free-to-air or pay TV channels, but not both. Not all channels on the free-to-air are available on the pay TV package.
- Analogue television has been switched off in Hawke's Bay and the South Island. It is still available in the remainder of the North Island until 29 September 2013 for the lower half of the island, and 1 December 2013 for the upper half.
| Name | Owner | Launch | Content | Audio | Notes | Availability | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Analogue terrestrial (PAL-B/G) | Digital terrestrial (DVB-T) | Satellite (DVB-S) | Cable (DVB-C) | |||||||
| Free-to-air | Pay TV | |||||||||
| Freeview high priority/bit rate nationwide channels (1 to 19) | ||||||||||
| TV ONE | TVNZ (govt.) | 1 June 1960 | News, sport, drama, food, comedy, life style, public-service. | English | New Zealand's first television channel. Was on a local basis until 1969. Amalgamated into one channel on 1 April 1975. | until 1 December 2013 | Yes (HD) | Yes | Yes (HD) | Yes (HD) |
| TV2 | TVNZ (govt.) | 1 June 1975 | Drama, comedy sitcom, comedy (other), children, youth, culture, other entertainment. | English | Started off as South Pacific Television | until 1 December 2013 | Yes (HD) | Yes | Yes (HD) | Yes (HD) |
| TV3 | MediaWorks NZ (corp.) | 26 November 1989 | News, sport, drama, comedy, culture, other entertainment | English | Started off as NZ's first private TV network, sold off to Canadian and, later, Australian interests. Currently in recievership | until 1 December 2013 | Yes (HD) | Yes | Yes (HD) | Yes (HD) |
| FOUR | MediaWorks NZ (corp.) | 1997 | Children, youth, music, comedy, entertainment. | English | Launched as 4 in 1997, became music video C4 in 2003, reverted in 2008, renamed to FOUR in 2011. | until 1 December 2013 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Prime | SKY Network Television (corp.) | 30 August 1998 | Other entertainment, culture, food, news, sport. | English | Started off as an Australian-owned network of regional stations before being sold to Sky TV in 2006 | until 1 December 2013 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| ChoiceTV | Top TV Limited | 28 April 2012 | Life style, other entertainment, documentary. | English | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| TVNZ U | TVNZ (govt.) | 13 March 2011 | Youth, music, reality, gaming. | English | Replaced TVNZ 6 | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| TV One Plus 1 | TVNZ (govt.) | 1 July 2012 | TV One hour delayed | English | Replaced TVNZ 7 | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| TV3 Plus 1 | MediaWorks NZ (corp.) | 30 March 2009 | TV3 hour delayed | English | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| C4 | MediaWorks NZ (corp.) | 20 May 2010 | Music | English | Started in 2010 called C4 2 as digital only jukebox version of FOUR's previous C4 channel. | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| The Shopping Channel | The Shopping Channel Ltd. | 1 October 2012 | Product demonstration | English | 24 hours | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Trackside | New Zealand Racing Board (govt.) | 1992 | Horse and dog racing | English | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Sommet Sports | 18 April 2013 | Sports | English | No | Yes | No | No | Free-to-air package only | ||
| Freeview low priority/bit rate nationwide channels (20 to 29) | ||||||||||
| Parliament TV | Kordia (distributor, govt.) | 9 October 2007 | Live coverage of the New Zealand parliamentary sessions | English | It broadcasts only when parliament is sitting | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Māori Television | Māori Television Service (govt.) | 28 March 2004 | Māori and English | until 1 December 2013 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| Te Reo | Māori Television Service (govt.) | 2008 | Māori | It is the only 100% Maori-language channel. | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| CTV8 | World TV Ltd (corp.) | 13 August 2007 | Imported general entertainment and news | Mandarin and Cantonese | Auckland only | Major centres only | No | No | No | |
| TV9 | World TV (corp.) | 1 February 2012 | Local and international Chinese programming | English | Yes | No | No | No | ||
| Shine TV | Rhema Broadcasting Group (corp.) | 1 December 2002 | Christian programming | English | No | Auckland only | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| CUE | Mercury TV Ltd. (corp.) | 1996 | Mainly distance learning, local news and sport. | English | Formerly Mercury Television and later Southland TV. | No | Southland only | Yes | Yes | No |
| Name | Owner | Launch | Content | Audio | Notes | Availability | ||||
| Analogue (VHF band II-FM/MW-AM) | Digital terrestrial (DVB-T) | Satellite (DVB-S) | Cable (DVB-C) | |||||||
| Free-to-air | Pay TV | |||||||||
| Freeview high priority nationwide audio only channels (50 to 69) | ||||||||||
| Radio New Zealand National | Radio New Zealand (govt.) | 1925 | News/talk-back | English | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Radio New Zealand Concert | Radio New Zealand (govt.) | N/A | classical | music | New Zealand's only commercial free music channel. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Freeview low priority nationwide audio only channels (70 to 79) | ||||||||||
| George FM | MediaWorks NZ (corp.) | 1998 | dance | music | Started off as a Auckland only station, sold off to Canadian and, later, Australian interests. | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Base FM | MediaWorks NZ (corp.) | 2008 | hip hop | music | Split from George FM. | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
Read more about this topic: List Of Free-to-air TV Channels In New Zealand
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