MTV to take on C4, Juice in NZ

MTV is rolling into town, and this time it's coming across all Kiwi. But with three national music channels already - the free-to-air C4, and Juice and J2 on Sky as well as the Auckland-city-only Alt TV - can we support all of them?

Nigel Robbins, the Singapore-based president of MTV Asia Pacific, thinks so.

"The music youth lifestyle TV space in New Zealand is not what we'd call cluttered," he says.

"I think there is room for MTV, and we have a product that's different and unique enough for us all to co-exist. What is different about MTV is that it goes beyond the music television side of things - we don't really play back-to-back music videos. Music is still the lifeblood of what we do, but it's more a youth lifestyle channel."

MTV starts in New Zealand on August 19 through Sky TV. The new channel will have 25 Auckland staff presenting a mix of homegrown and international content, and feature local presenters.

If the rival music channels are feeling nervous, they're not letting on.

C4 station manager Andrew Szusterman - whose channel relies heavily on programming from MTV America - says only time will tell if the market is big enough to support them all.

"At the end of the day it's about viewer numbers and how many households where your channel is available.

"With MTV not being free-to-air, C4 has a considerable advantage here. Their penetration level is about 50 per cent less than ours."

Daniel Wrightson, head of Juice Music Television, which has just renewed its contract with Sky, isn't worried at all. He sees Juice and MTV as "slightly different fish".

"We're a music television channel that focuses on music and developing music, which puts us in a slightly different position to MTV, which is really a music entertainment channel like C4."

Wrightson says it's a perfect opportunity for Sky to expand its youth focus. "And it complements what Juice does quite nicely."

C4's roster of MTV programmes includes reality shows Pimp My Ride!, Laguna Beach, and Meet the Barkers.

Szusterman plans to keep them, but says C4 is always on the lookout for shows that its viewers will like , whether they are from "MTV, Fox, Comedy Central, or a show made by Samuel in Greymouth".

Robbins has no problem with C4 continuing to screen MTV shows. "Ideally, we want to have our programming on every available platform, and on new media as well," he says.

During the late 90s, MTV had a short stint in New Zealand when TVNZ picked up a satellite feed from Britain.

Robbins, who has been working on the deal since 2004, says the first attempt would not have worked because the content wasn't relevant to New Zealand.

"It's got to be relevant, and you've got to start with the music. So there's got to be a good mix of homegrown.

"There's such great music in New Zealand right now, and that deserves a platform not just in New Zealand but around the world - which we can help with, too.

"You've also got to have the voice, the humour, and the resonance has to be local.

"If content from Europe, the US or elsewhere - like Newlyweds or The Osbournes - makes sense in the market then great, it can sit side by side with the homegrown content."

In the past year, C4 has resembled MTV in that it has focused more on music lifestyle with the introduction of non-music programmes such as Family Guy and Punk'd.

However, the station's marketing and promotions manager, Amanda Wilson, says the two brands are very different in terms of philosophy and style.

"We're very aware of how MTV is run and C4 will remain distinct - definitely.

"We're a New Zealand brand with a local team and the ability to respond very quickly to change.

"Supporting local artists and being in close contact and interacting with our viewers remains an important priority for us.

"We're confident we can compete with an international brand as large as MTV.

"It's the whole 'think global, act local' ethos."