Bailey's absence fails to harm TVNZ ratings

TVNZ's gamble to replace highly paid newsreader Judy Bailey with younger blood appears to be working.

The latest television ratings indicate Bailey's current absence from the OneNews desk has had little impact on viewer share.

Bailey took a month's holiday after the announcement her $800,000-a-year contract would not be renewed.

Agenda host Simon Dallow has been reading the weekday 6pm news since October 10.

AGB Nielsen figures indicate he has been matching, and in some cases improving on, Bailey's audience in the 25-54 age market.

Dallow has stated his interest in assuming the job full time and is considered a front-runner for the position, which becomes vacant at the end of the year.

TVNZ head of news and current affairs Bill Ralston has instituted major changes since his appointment in 2003, including the departure of many on-air personalities, such as Bailey, an 18-year veteran.

He has also signalled a possible return to the two-person anchor format, speaking highly of both Dallow and Tonight host Kate Hawkesby. Hawkesby will front OneNews for the week before Bailey's return, with features reporter Sasha McNeill stepping in on Tonight.

OneNews has been losing younger viewers. Some media experts believe Dallow - once voted the sexiest man on television in a magazine poll - could arrest the slide.

TV One has steadily lost audience to rival TV3 in Auckland since last year, particularly among females aged 25 to 54.

Margaret Henley, media lecturer at the University of Auckland, said the ratings improvement was not dramatic "but it's certainly consolidating". She said it was still too early to tell if it would pay off.