The 7pm battle of the box has focused on current affairs rivals Seven Sharp and Campbell Live, but prime-time medical soap Shortland Street has lost the biggest audience share in the past decade.
This week, TV3 announced that it was reviewing Campbell Live, drawing a flurry of public support. Friday night's average audience of 293,050 made it the third-highest rating episode for 18 months.
The move to axe the show moved Australian television host Rove McManus to tweet yesterday: "If I have to come all the way to New Zealand to knock some sense into you, @TV3nz, then so help me I will! @JohnJCampbell #SaveCampbell Live".
![John Campbell's possible dumping has fuelled a week of debate about current affairs versus entertainment in that slot. Photo / Greg Bowker](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/JCB74VZ47PGAGXJYUUXEUKIFII.jpg?auth=cac3294479214424f6bf8d6a2f2f15a3bed07b8bef635f7a674f81d3e5785cbd&width=16&height=24&quality=70&smart=true)
Campbell Live