KEY POINTS:
Television New Zealand is making no apologies for pre-recording Close Up coverage of Anzac Day last week.
The actual items were pre-recorded as were the linking clips featuring Mark Sainsbury standing in front of TVNZ's flash new screens.
TVNZ spokeswoman Megan Richards confirmed this unusual decision covering the remembrance day.
She said One News duo Simon Dallow and Wendy Petrie had broadcast from Anzac sites live so there was no need for Close Up to do the same.
TV3 confirmed that its main items were filmed in advance.
But the main linking shots featuring John Campbell at the Auckland War Memorial Museum - and linking back to the 3 News crew - were on location and live on Anzac Day.
You can see TVNZ's logic - give the crew a day off. But it seems like poor form for Anzac Day.
And what about the Close Up brand with the billboards and bus backs promising that "nobody gets you closer"?
On this occasion it seems Close Up wasn't close - it was Closed Up. TVNZ's Aussie import head of news and current affairs Anthony Flannery would not respond to several requests for an interview.
It is an odd decision given the marketing of the show and the fact that Maori TV has stolen the march on TVNZ coverage of Anzac Day in the past.
With Close Up marching ahead in the ratings this year, sometimes it might seem that the Campbell Live theme tune should become The Last Post.
But TV3 hit the right note on Anzac Day - and won the ratings for its target in the 18-49 age group.
SIGN OF THE TIMES
Fairfax changes at the Sunday Star-Times have left staff uneasy, but it's not clear yet whether they will lead to job cuts.
Some staff say the Fairfax review will contribute to double digit percentage budget cuts across the group with job losses at the Sundays while a journalist union memo obtained by the Business Herald warns changes could have a wide-ranging impact on the paper.
Fairfax CEO Joan Withers played down the review and said that as far as she was aware no numbers had been specified and the company was simply conducting business planning.
But the editorial side of Fairfax - especially its digital arm - is in the midst of a big revamp.
The company has been promoting online versions of its individual titles alongside Stuff.co.nz, though it's not clear how that online brand will be overhauled.
And then there is the Business Day website. The Fairfax managing editor of Business, David Gadd, rejected suggestions - widespread in the media world - that the Business Day online launch had been set back. He declined to discuss company plans.
SHOWBIZ CONSULTANT
TVNZ has hired former New Zealand Idol judge Paul Ellis as a consultant to ramp up its publicity department. The flamboyant Ellis - who gained a high profile after working as a top A & R man for Sony Records in New York - is expected to bring some showbiz pizzazz into the department. Ellis has recently returned from a stint as publicist for Channel 10 in Brisbane.
In the olden days, when TVNZ programming was run by John McCready and Mike Lattin, TVNZ publicity was a well-oiled machine.
But it has drifted - some say because it is being run by marketing people who don't get showbiz.
It is not clear whether Ellis' brief includes the historically troubled promotions department at TVNZ.
ODDS ON DDB
The New Zealand advertising industry holds its annual Axis awards tonight for creativity in Auckland with a trimmed back list of 55 awards - adding to the myriad other accolades that the industry awards itself each year.
These awards are always controversial with the ad companies using the honours to market themselves.
Advertising agency DDB is doing extraordinarily well with 61 finalists compared to its next biggest rival Saatchi & Saatchi on 19.
Publicis Mojo has 18 finalists, Colenso BBDO and DraftFCB have 17 and Ogilvy 12. I'll lodge my uncounted for Saatchi's "Lost Keys" for Toyota as best TV commercial.
By the way, DraftFCB has dismissed a suggestion in last week's column that it was a contender for the Placemakers ad account which went to Ogilvy.
SWEDISH JUDGES
Among overseas judges at Axis 2008 are Richard Ulfvwengren and Pontus Lowenheilm, directors of one of the top commercial film-maker outfits in the Traktor collective.
The two Swedish admen, who set up shop in Los Angeles, like the adworld here - especially that it is so unregulated compared to the US. Admen typically come here in the northern winter so they can get the light to film and get unique locations.
Among recent ads shot here is one for Mountain Dew, and one for Mini Cooper which is set at Pakiri Beach, north of Auckland.
You can see some of the Traktor collective ads at www.traktor.com. There are some real cracker ads - especially the MTV commercial featuring the Jukka Bros.
NEW CREW
Russell Brown's Media 7 producer Jill Graham confirmed she is stepping down to pursue unnamed projects at the media show's production company Top Shelf.
The programme's director and production manager are also leaving to go on their OE. Graham - who has a reputation of being one of the hardest working producers in Tellyland - is being replaced by Phil Wallington, a veteran programme maker who has worked with Top Shelf on various projects and who is also the media commentator on National Radio's Nine to Noon Show.
Graham has ensured a solid start to the series - which is shown on the Freeview platform so has a tiny number of viewers. Wallington says he does not expect any changes to the format. "Its very much Russell Brown's show," he said.
SCOOPED
Former Listener journalist, Green Party researcher and sometime music promoter Gordon Campbell has formed a relationship with the press releases website Scoop in the run-up to the election.
Campbell - who left his job with the Greens last year - said he was providing the column at a cut rate price because he was keen to get back into the journalism game for the election, but the relationship could develop beyond that.
Meanwhile the left-of-centre blogging site Public Address - which sells its advertising through Scoop - has also said it will be looking at ties.
And Campbell's other venture - music promotion outfit Galesburg that brings independent bands to Wellington - will be running an entertainment site called Werewolf through Scoop.
HERE'S TO TARG
Advertising recruitment specialist Marsden Inch is being merged with other players to make a bigger splash in the sector.
Marsden Inch frontman Peter Spencer would not name the other parties - but confirmed that former National Party president Michelle Boag might be involved in future discussions.
The new body has the unfortunate acronym TARG (sounds like a washing machine) or The Advertising Recruitment Bureau.
