Choice TV

Choice TV is a privately owned, national free-to-air television channel in New Zealand and has been on air since 2012. The channel features programs on topics such as: property renovation, home and garden, food, travel, adventure, fishing, entertainment, comedy, and drama. Formerly owned by MediaWorks New Zealand, the channel and its sister network HGTV New Zealand were acquired by Discovery, Inc. in 2019.
History.
Choice TV was launched on 28 April 2012, at 5 p.m. It was created and co-founded by Alex Breingan, Julia Baylis, Laurie Clarke and Vincent Burke. The name Choice TV was originally thought up by producer Rachel Hart. It is broadcast nationally on the Freeview digital TV network Channel 12 and on Sky Channel 24.
Vodafone also carries the channel for their IPTV subscribers. According to the Nielsen ratings, the channel's four-week cumulative audience is about 1.8 million people since January 2014 - New Zealand's population being 4.8 million.
The January 2013 season began with exclusive content including ITV Granada's "Jonathan Ross Show" and Sony Pictures Television's made-for-TV movie series "Jesse Stone," starring Tom Selleck. During March 2013, Sony Pictures Television aired the short-lived ABC sitcom "Mr. Sunshine" and the daytime drama "Days of Our Lives", which had been discontinued by TVNZ two years earlier when its contract with Sony Pictures expired. "Days of Our Lives" picks up from the 2011 season (season 47), one and half seasons behind the then-current United States' NBC season. TVNZ had previously been more than five years behind the United States's programming. From April to August 2013, re-runs of the Sony Pictures Television 1996 drama "Early Edition" aired weekdays and was then replaced by the ITV Granada show "Wild at Heart". The show "Being Erica," distributed by BBC Worldwide and produced by CBC, began airing on Saturday, 10 August 2013. From September 2013, Choice TV started playing the second season of the Australian TV comedy "Twenty Something".
"Days of Our Lives" went on a summer hiatus until 10 February 2014, just before the end of season 47. The last few episodes aired on Friday, 20 December 2013 and Sunday, 22 December 2013. On 25 April 2014, Choice TV announced that they would suspend their decision to order more seasons of "Days of Our Lives". "Being Erica"s second season premiered on 23 January 2014 in the daytime weekday slot while "Days of Our Lives" was off-air. "Vexed"s second season premiered in late March 2014 for New Zealand viewers. Choice TV also began playing "Better Man" in late May 2014.
In November 2014, Canada's Blue Ant Media bought a majority stake in Choice TV, marking the group's first international expansion.
In November 2015, Choice TV launched a video on demand service.
In late 2019, the channel was acquired by Discovery, Inc., along with sister network HGTV New Zealand.>https://www.hgtv.co.nz/#!/page/325/about-us</ref>
Content.
The Choice TV line-up includes programs from the UK's BBC Worldwide, ITV Granada, Verve Productions, Zodiak Media, the Australian SBS, ABC, Fremantle Australia, as well as productions from Sony Pictures Television.
Together with Top Shelf Productions, Choice TV developed a local series which aired in the spring of 2014 on the channel's Thursday Food Night.
From 17 October 2014, Choice TV aired their own New Zealand gardening show, "Get Growing", as well as a program called "Cook the Books", which first aired on 30 October 2014.
Programming.
The prime time programming slot (7:30–10:30pm) features a different daily theme: 
Additionally, Choice TV produces several television shows:
Brunch.
In September 2012, Choice TV aired its own TV morning show called "Brunch" with April Ieremia and former All Black rugby player Josh Kronfeld hosting.
The first season finished on 21 December 2012 with a total of 65 episodes but was not renewed.