Television was first introduced in New Zealand by the then New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation (NZBC) in 1960. Initially, programming was done on a regional basis, with different services broadcasting from the main cities, Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. It was not until 1969 that the first live network news bulletin was broadcast. However, all programming and scheduling is now done in Auckland. Colour television was introduced in 1975, along with a second TV channel.
Most programming, apart from news and current affairs and Maori language programming, is acquired from either the United States, the United Kingdom, or Australia. However, TVNZ does produce its own nature documentaries, while the soap opera Shortland Street is shown around the world, although it has not found success in neighbouring Australia.
The main channel is called TV One, which has a mix of family entertainment, and documentaries, as well as news and current affairs. TV One also complements its own news coverage with carriage of BBC World overnight. The second channel, TV2, is aimed at a younger audience, with soap operas, music videos, and Hollywood movies.
Between 1995 and 1997, TVNZ operated a chain of regional TV stations under the 'Horizon Pacific' brand name, which also carried BBC World, as well as its own documentary programming. This was replaced by a local 'free to air' version of the music video channel MTV, but this was also dropped in 1998. Both TV One and TV2 are available via digital satellite on Sky Network Television.
In 2000, the Labour government attempted to restructure TVNZ as a public service broadcaster, after accusations that the broadcaster was becoming too commercialised, and introduced a Charter, similar to that of the BBC.