Triangle Television on Track for Wellington in Early August

Triangle Television Wellington is right on target to broadcast live to the capital city in early August.

The free-to-air channel, which has been operating successfully in Auckland for almost eight years, is thrilled with the tremendous response it has so far received from Wellingtonians.

Triangle Wellington will be unique to the area and will offer a variety of local content together with international news, information and entertainment programmes.

The licence to broadcast in Wellington was granted in 2004, and Triangle Television has been working since then to ensure the region will receive the greatest possible coverage. Though Wellington's geography poses major transmission problems, reception will reach most of Greater Wellington
and the Hutt region and it is expected that this will extend even further later this year when the station is included in the offerings available on the Saturn cable network.

Triangle Television Chief Executive Officer Jim Blackman says the response from Wellington so far has been outstanding: "We are delighted that, at such an early stage of its history, Triangle Television Wellington already has programme-providers whose shows are on target for screening when broadcasting begins in early August. And there are others who are working at present on programmes that will go to air later in the year. The Wellington station will be an excellent alternative to mainstream channels."

The opening line-up of local programmes will include a look at the workings of a local council in the city's life, a programme on Wellington's Baha'i community, and capital-based Kiwi Pro Wrestling.
The station will also screen some programmes that already have a proven track record on Triangle Television and are relevant to a Wellington audience. These include PlanetTV which focuses on politics, social issues and environmental matters, and 'Darpan - The Mirror' which offers insights into local topics.

Jim Blackman says the station will work with prospective Wellington programme-makers, giving them support to take their stories to air. Potential programme providers should contact Triangle Television's Station Manager, Callum MacGilvray, on 0800 874 888. Triangle expects to open a local office in the near future.

An advance launch, which marked Triangle Television's intention to start broadcasting, took place in March at Weltec City Campus and was attended by a broad representation of Wellingtonians, including members of the diplomatic community, MPs, councillors, representatives of community groups and government departments, news media and the film and television industry.

The Hon. Judith Tizard, host for the launch, underlined the important contribution that Triangle Television makes to the communities in which it broadcasts. Newspaper publisher, Michael Horton - a Triangle Television supporter since its inception in the 1990s - encouraged Wellingtonians to 'tell their story' by making programmes for screening on Triangle Television Wellington.

"I am struck by how different our well-supported advance launch in Wellington was to our somewhat tenuous one nearly eight years ago in Auckland, and that confirms for me that regional television has grown up," Jim Blackman says.

Triangle Television's main mast for Wellington will be at Kaukau on UHF Channel 40, with other transmission points at Fitzherbert (UHF Channel 41) and Baxter's Knob (UHF Channel 41).

TRIANGLE TELEVISION IS AUCKLAND'S ONLY REGIONAL, NON-COMMERCIAL TELEVISION STATION AND IS SCHEDULED TO COMMENCE BROADCASTING IN THE WELLINGTON REGION IN EARLY AUGUST 2006. THE WELLINGTON STATION WILL HAVE ITS OWN PROGRAMME SCHEDULE TO REFLECT THE DIVERSITY OF THE CAPITAL CITY. OPERATING IN THE GREATER AUCKLAND REGION AS A PUBLIC BROADCASTER SINCE AUGUST 1, 1998, TRIANGLE TELEVISION SCREENS A MIX OF LOCAL TELEVISION WITH INTERNATIONAL NEWS AND INFORMATION PROGRAMMES. THE STATION BROADCASTS TO AUCKLAND 24 HOURS A DAY AND WILL OPERATE THE SAME HOURS WHEN IT GOES TO AIR IN WELLINGTON. THE STATION IS NON-PROFIT MAKING.

ENDS

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