Face TV

Face TV is a New Zealand public-service television station based in Auckland and associated with the charitable broadcasting organization Triangle Television. The service emerged from Triangle's earlier experience operating community and public-interest television in the Auckland region, as well as the nationwide digital service Stratos Television. Face TV was launched on 1 February 2013 after Sky Network Television offered Triangle an arrangement to relaunch Stratos under a new name. The new channel initially carried a simulcast of Triangle's existing schedule while also providing opportunities for national advertising. The station's operating model differs from that of a conventional commercially programmed broadcaster. Face TV leases airtime to volunteer and professional programme providers on a first-come, first-served basis. Those providers retain editorial control over their programmes and may include a restricted amount of advertising, generally capped at six minutes in each half-hour of broadcast. Triangle has presented this structure as a way of widening access to television production and reducing the ability of a single individual, political organization, or commercial interest to control the station's editorial agenda. The service therefore occupies a position between community television, public-service broadcasting, and a platform for independent programme makers. Face TV's programming has included local and regional material, news, cultural programming, foreign-language newscasts, sport, religious broadcasts, international programming, and special event coverage. Examples of special broadcasts associated with the station and its predecessor services include election-result programming from Radio New Zealand, the APRA Silver Scroll Awards, selected cricket and Australian rules football, Eurovision Song Contest coverage, Oceania Football Confederation matches, the Vatican's Midnight Mass, and the Korean drama Jewel in the Palace. The breadth of this schedule reflects the station's role as a carriage and programming platform rather than a tightly unified entertainment brand. Before the nationwide Face TV service, Triangle operated a non-commercial regional television station in Auckland using a government-reserved analogue UHF channel. Transmission was carried from sites including Waiatarua, Pinehill, and Remuera. Triangle also operated a Wellington service from August 2006 until March 2009 using an IP link supplied by Kordia. The Auckland and Wellington operations shared facilities, resources, and portions of their regional and cultural output. Triangle's earlier nationwide project, Stratos Television, operated from 2007 to 2011 on Freeview, Sky, and TelstraClear cable. Stratos was designed as a free-to-air, 24-hour news and culture channel, but it closed on 23 December 2011 after the cost of Freeview carriage became difficult to sustain. The fee structure was linked to audience ratings, meaning that increased viewership could also increase distribution charges. Face TV subsequently provided a new route for Triangle's national public-service television ambitions, initially through Sky carriage from February 2013. Following New Zealand's analogue switch-off in December 2013, the station's distribution environment changed, and Face TV was identified as a Sky-distributed service rather than an Auckland analogue UHF broadcaster. Face TV is supported by charitable funding bodies including the Lion Foundation and Foundation North. Its public-service identity rests on accessible airtime, locally relevant programming, cultural diversity, and editorial independence for participating providers. The available reference material does not establish the station's current ownership structure, present operating status, or a later corporate successor, so those details remain unconfirmed.

Face TV developed from Triangle Television's community-broadcasting work in New Zealand. Triangle operated an Auckland television service on a government-owned analogue UHF channel reserved for non-commercial regional broadcasting. Transmissions used sites at Waiatarua, Pinehill, and Remuera, allowing the organization to provide locally focused programming in the Auckland area. Triangle also operated a Wellington service between 25 August 2006 and 31 March 2009. That service was operated from Auckland using an IP connection supplied by Kordia, and the two regional operations shared facilities, technical resources, and a portion of their news, regional, and cultural programming. Triangle expanded its ambitions with Stratos Television, a nationwide digital channel operating from 2007 to 2011. Stratos was available through Freeview, Sky, and TelstraClear cable, and was conceived as a free-to-air, 24-hour public-broadcasting service centered on news and culture. Its growth created a financial difficulty: Freeview carriage charges were tied to ratings, so increased audience share could produce higher distribution fees. Triangle closed Stratos on 23 December 2011 after funding became insufficient to support the service. On 23 November 2012, Sky offered Triangle an undisclosed arrangement to relaunch the national service under the Face TV name. Face TV began broadcasting on 1 February 2013. Unlike Stratos, the new service initially simulcast Triangle's existing schedule while offering national advertising options. Its launch gave Triangle a renewed national outlet for community, cultural, and independent programming. Face TV's structure was based on leased airtime rather than a fully centralized commissioning model. Volunteer and professional programme providers could obtain broadcast slots on a first-come, first-served basis. Providers retained editorial control of their own programmes and were allowed a limited amount of commercial content, with advertising restricted to a maximum of six minutes per half-hour. Triangle described these arrangements as safeguards against control by a single person or group pursuing a particular agenda. The channel's output has encompassed English-language and foreign-language news, regional and cultural programmes, sports, religious broadcasts, international entertainment, and one-off public-interest events. Its documented special coverage includes Radio New Zealand's 2017 election-results programme, the APRA Silver Scroll Awards, selected cricket, Australian rules football, Eurovision Song Contest broadcasts, Oceania Football Confederation events, the Vatican's Midnight Mass, and the drama Jewel in the Palace. This mix illustrates Face TV's function as a broad public-service carriage platform rather than a narrowly defined genre channel. The December 2013 completion of New Zealand's analogue switch-off marked an important distribution change. Triangle's earlier Auckland UHF service had depended on a reserved analogue channel, while Face TV was carried through Sky in the post-analogue environment. The available sources do not confirm Face TV's current operating status, ownership, executive leadership, or any subsequent rebranding, so those fields remain unverified.

• 2013

  Face TV launches

  [1]Face TV (New Zealand)en.wikipedia.org

  Face TV commenced service on 1 February 2013, initially simulcasting Triangle's schedule and providing national advertising options.

• 2013

  Analogue UHF broadcasting ends in the post-switch-off environment

  [1]Face TV (New Zealand)en.wikipedia.org

  Following New Zealand's analogue switch-off in December, the station's distribution was associated with Sky rather than Triangle's former Auckland analogue UHF service.

• 2012

  Sky arrangement announced for Face TV relaunch

  [1]Face TV (New Zealand)en.wikipedia.org

  Sky offered Triangle an undisclosed arrangement to relaunch the former Stratos service under the Face TV name.

• 2011

  Stratos Television closes

  [1]Face TV (New Zealand)en.wikipedia.org

  Stratos ceased broadcasting on 23 December after funding difficulties associated in part with rising ratings-linked Freeview carriage charges.

• 2007

  Stratos Television begins nationwide digital broadcasting

  [1]Face TV (New Zealand)en.wikipedia.org

  Triangle launched Stratos as a nationwide free-to-air digital news and culture service available through Freeview, Sky, and TelstraClear cable.

• 2006

  Triangle begins Wellington regional broadcasts

  [1]Face TV (New Zealand)en.wikipedia.org

  Triangle Television operated a Wellington service from 25 August 2006 using an IP link from Kordia and sharing facilities and resources with its Auckland operation.

A community-oriented, public-service television platform that provides access to broadcast airtime for independent, volunteer, and professional programme makers while carrying news, cultural, regional, multilingual, religious, and special-event content.

• Public-service television station · 2013

  Face TV

  Face TV is Triangle Television's national public-service television brand, launched in 2013 through a Sky carriage arrangement. Its schedule has combined Triangle programming with independently supplied news, cultural, regional, multilingual, religious, sports, and special-event content. The service's distinctive operating model gives programme providers editorial control and permits limited advertising within their allocated airtime.

• Digital public-service television station · 2007

  Stratos Television

  Stratos was Triangle Television's predecessor nationwide digital service. It operated from 2007 until 23 December 2011 as a free-to-air, 24-hour channel focused on news and culture. The service was distributed on Freeview, Sky, and TelstraClear cable, but closed after funding problems associated with increasing Freeview carriage costs.

• Regional community television

  Triangle Auckland television service

  Triangle's Auckland service was a regional community-television operation using a government-owned UHF channel reserved for non-commercial broadcasting. It transmitted from Waiatarua, Pinehill, and Remuera and supplied local, regional, and cultural programming before the analogue switch-off.

• 2013

  Transition from analogue regional transmission to Sky carriageStrategy

  Background

  New Zealand completed its analogue television switch-off in December 2013, ending the environment in which Triangle used a reserved Auckland UHF channel.

  Action taken

  Face TV operated in the post-analogue environment through Sky carriage rather than the former Auckland analogue transmission arrangement.

  Aftermath

  The channel's distribution became more dependent on digital and pay-television carriage, while the former analogue regional model ceased to be available.

  Source

• 2012

  Accept Sky arrangement for a Face TV relaunchStrategy

  Background

  After Stratos closed, Triangle received an offer from Sky to relaunch the service under a new name.

  Action taken

  Triangle proceeded with the Face TV brand and launched the service on 1 February 2013.

  Aftermath

  Face TV initially simulcast Triangle's schedule and added national advertising options, with Sky serving as the documented distribution platform.

  Source

• 2011

  Close Stratos TelevisionStrategy

  Background

  Stratos's nationwide growth increased its ratings-linked Freeview carriage costs, while Triangle faced funding constraints.

  Action taken

  Triangle ended Stratos Television's service on 23 December 2011.

  Aftermath

  The closure created the context for a later relaunch of Triangle's national television ambitions under the Face TV name.

  Source

1. 1Face TV (New Zealand)en.wikipedia.org
2. 2Triangle Television official websitetritv.co.nz