Flagship TV news continues to slide

It's not just the old folks grumbling - latest ratings show younger adults are also continuing to switch away from TVNZ's flagship news show.

After a week of complaints about ads and programmes, sparked by an open letter from 31 self-styled "old pensioners", AGB Nielsen Media Research figures reveal the relaunch of One News on January 23 has done nothing yet to halt its prolonged slide against rival TV3.

The hit One News has taken in Auckland is dramatic - it slipped from having 49 per cent of all Auckland viewers this time last year, to attracting just 38.2 per cent this year.

The average audience share for the two channels since January 23 has TV3 breathing down One's neck among 25 to 54-year-old viewers - TV One's target audience.

Since January 23 and the launch of the new line-up, TV3 made further ground on their rivals.

One News slipped to 40 per cent of the 25 to 54-year-olds, down from the 41 per cent share it held at the end of 2005, and well down on the same period from 2005, when it held 50 per cent of the group. 3 News moved up to take a 35 per cent share after ending the year on 32 per cent.

In TV3's demographic of 18 to 49-year-olds, the networks were head-to-head nationally, but TV3 was well ahead in Auckland - taking 40 per cent of the audience compared to One News' 26 per cent.

TV3 had also won over the 25 to 54-year-old Aucklanders - with 42 per cent to One News' 30 per cent.

The figures spell an almost complete reversal of the channels' fortunes in January last year, and show just how hard hit TVNZ has been by the off-screen misfortunes that have plagued it through the year.

TV3 news head Mark Jennings said it was encouraging that TV3 was still rising, despite the relaunch on TV One and a new marketing campaign: "We were slightly nervous when Judy Bailey left, because we knew there was significant dissatisfaction with her salary. But we have also seen now that she had her own strong following and some of those people have definitely come over to join us."

TVNZ head of news Bill Ralston said viewer patterns were muddled, partly because of the summer and the Winter Olympics on TV One.

He expected people to move between channels and had not expected to see the fruits of his changes until mid-year.

Campbell Live, which began last March, is ahead of its TVNZ rival Close Up by 22 per cent to 18 per cent among Aucklanders aged 18 to 49.

TVNZ can take some solace in TV2's start to the year, largely courtesy of Shortland Street which has been watched by about 40 per cent of viewers in the 18 to 49 and 25 to 54 demographics in the past two weeks.

TV One's share of the peak time audience has slipped from 37 per cent in January 2005 to 34 per cent last month.