'Idol' producer lands Prime job

Andrew Shaw, producer of the New Zealand Idol talent quest and the local soap Shortland Street, has been appointed programme manager of the television network Prime TV.

His appointment, effective from November, means decisions on what programmes make it to air will be made from Prime's headquarters in Albany, Auckland, for the first time.

Since the free-to-air channel launched in August 1998, programming has been handled in Australia, as the station is an offshoot of an Australian company.

Its schedule is a mixture of general entertainment, lifestyle, drama and comedy, primarily from Australia and America. Its audience share in May was 5.5 per cent of all people aged over five.

"I've been associated with New Zealand programming through my career and I think it's really important," says Shaw.

"We have to get Prime so it becomes a more significant player."

Prime chief executive officer Chris Taylor says Shaw's appointment will help the channel achieve more local content.

"It's an area we want to develop".

Prime reached 90 per cent coverage of New Zealand in the middle of last year, making it eligible to apply for programme-making subsidies from New Zealand On Air.

So far it has received NZOA money for last year's documentary Last Man Standing, about New Zealand's last World War I veteran, Bright Williams.

Later this year it will launch The Tem Show, a live variety programme starring Once Were Warriors actor Temuera Morrison.

Mr Taylor says Prime will soon start adding locally produced segments to Prime fare such as The Getaway Show travel programme.

The channel already has the rights to broadcast rugby league, including Warriors matches, and in February it launched a local news programme fronted by Suzy Aiken.

Before joining South Pacific Pictures, maker of NZ Idol, Shortland Street and the movie Whale Rider, Shaw was head of production for TV One and TV2. In his youth he was the idol of thousands of teens as presenter of TV2's youth shows.