Australians in prime spot to snag most popular TV shows

BY DAVID FISHER

The country's best-loved shows could be snaffled by Prime Television as Australian's leading Nine Network lends its muscle to the broadcasting war.

They include a New Zealand version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and NZ Idol, which has slipped from TVNZ's grasp.


The Nine Network could also secure the rights to top-rating shows such as the CSI series, 60 Minutes, Sex and the City, McLeod's Daughters and The Apprentice.

Prime also has free-to-air coverage of the Warriors, Wimbledon, major golf tournaments and is understood to be close to securing a major one-day cricket deal.


Prime chief executive Chris Taylor said the muscle of the Australian network would secure better television for New Zealanders.

"Distributors would have to think really long and hard about who they keep happy. Do they want to keep TVNZ, the NZ broadcaster, happy, or do they want to keep the Nine Network in Australia happy?"

Advertising agency executives have greeted Prime's evening line-up enthusiastically. Among the new shows is Deadwood - a huge hit in the United States and a coup for Prime. Speculation the channel will scoop NZ Idol stems from a perceived weakness in TNVZ's commissioning unit and the strength of Prime's programming manager Andrew Shaw. TVNZ allowed its option on NZ Idol to expire, and Mr Shaw developed the show while at South Pacific Pictures.


An expert in the television programming said TVNZ did not have anyone in programming with hands-on experience.

The head of the department, AnneMarie Duff, and most of the staff had marketing backgrounds. "TVNZ thinks they can put anybody in there, that it doesn't take special skills or passion."

Prime is considering making a New Zealand edition of one of its highest rating shows, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, and also has increased funding from NZ On Air to produce local programmes. Interrogation, its first drama, has already been shot and work is soon to begin on a documentary called Extraordinary Kiwis. Prime director and Nine Network news boss John Westacott said of the new Holmes show: "We expect to produce a better quality programme than is being produced on TVNZ."

He said Prime would be spending "a damn sight more" than TVNZ did on the Holmes programme. The Herald On Sunday understands its budget is around $20 million a year.

Mr Westacott said Prime would have reporters and camera crews across the country, and invest in the research support needed for a strong news organisation.

TVNZ chief executive Ian Fraser defended his schedulers. "I have 120 per cent confidence in AnneMarie Duff and her team." He conceded that it was a new team with marketing experience but said "any suggestion these guys won't bring home the bacon is an expression of competitive fear".

- THE HERALD ON SUNDAY