TV3 reception out for two days

A TV3 broadcasting equipment failure has left some Queenstown viewers without reception for at least two days.

TV3 transmission engineer Paul Aked said a broken "translator" was to blame.

"It's a big box and it's full of electronics. Some of the electronics have failed."

Mr Aked said the unit had been sent to Dunedin for repairs but he was unsure how long this would take, because parts could be required from Auckland.

It was unclear how long transmission had been out, Mr Aked said.

Queenstowners have told The Southland Times they have had reception problems for more than a week.

Many reported losing their signal completely on Wednesday night.

Mr Aked said it was unlikely the outage was linked with the earthquake in Fiordland on Wednesday.

Queenstown broadcasting technician Craig Dillon described the problem as a critical failure.

"I can't believe it's been off for so long. Something major has clearly happened."

Mr Dillon said engineers would be pulling out all the stops to get the fault repaired.

"They've probably got planes (with spare parts) being met on the tarmac."

The translator broadcast TV3 on a VHF signal in the Queenstown area, Mr Aked said.

Viewers using rooftop and set-top aerials would be unable to get a signal until the translator was restored, but Sky and Free-view customers were not affected.

- © Fairfax NZ News