Canterbury Television (CTV) will end its television broadcast next month as changing viewing habits force it to shift focus to digital platforms.
Star Media, which owns CTV, has confirmed there will be 13 job losses as a result.
It is possible some of those made redundant could find other roles in the company, says Star Media general manager Steve McCaughan.
"The reason we're moving to digital is two-fold - the cost of the traditional TV platform has become unsustainable, and secondly we're competing for people viewing screens in different manners," Mr McCaughan says.
"A high amount of screen time is now being spent on mobile devices, tablets, PC and so on, and not as much time is being spent on the traditional TV set."
The local television channel produces daily half-hour news bulletins at 5:30pm.
Mr McCaughan says the station isn't closing - it's just moving to a digital platform.
CTV celebrated its 25th anniversary earlier this year, and staff are taking the news hard, Mr McCaughan says.
"It's tough for the team. They're dedicated to CTV in its traditional format, and when you go through change like this it's always a shock."
But Mr McCaughan says they understand the commercial realities the company faces.
Other media will also be affected by the changes.
Students of the New Zealand Broadcasting School use CTV broadcasts as a platform to produce and deliver news bulletins as part of their course.
The school's head Tony Simons says that will mean they too will lose all television broadcasts and will move to an online presence.
"We're going to lose that broadcast platform," he says.
"We'll have to simulate that in an online environment."
Mr Simons recognises that CTV was a Canterbury icon.
"As a television broadcaster CTV has been around a long time," he says.
"[It's] sad for local television because it is one of the few remaining local TV channels in the country."
He admits that the changes are just a sign that media is moving in another direction.
"This is probably just a sign of the times, audience are moving away from traditional broadcasts to online," he says.
"Media companies are having to move with them."
CTV's last television broadcast on Freeview will be on December 16, with the offering switching to a web-based platform from December 19.
Newshub.
