By LOUISA CLEAVE
TVNZ is revamping its late news bulletin and considering a replacement for frontman Peter Williams.
It is understood TVNZ has approached Sean Plunket, co-host of Morning Report on National Radio, about the job and is also discussing moving the programme to Wellington.
Late Edition, which began in February last year, promised value-added news under the control of host Linda Clark.
She took maternity leave last November and did not return to the show.
Instead, Clark moved to National Radio's Nine to Noon programme.
Williams became the permanent host of Late Edition, but industry sources say that TVNZ chief executive Ian Fraser is unhappy with the programme and wants it to be more heavy-hitting.
Plunket yesterday declined to comment.
But industry sources say that TVNZ has approached him.
He was recently spotted in a Wellington cafe with Mr Fraser.
Heaton Dyer, TVNZ's head of news and current affairs, said he would announce programme changes when decisions were made.
"All of this is pure speculation.
"It is the time of year when speculation about programme changes in the new year is high."
Williams recently lashed out at radio programme Mediawatch following a commentary which described him as a sportscaster and lightweight news and current affairs presenter who "shouts the news at us as though it were a rugby commentary".
Williams brushed aside criticism of his performance, but in a letter to the programme took offence at being called a "sportscaster".
"I have not been either a sportscaster or a sports journalist since January 2000 and I've been a fulltime presenter and anchor for TV One News since then," he said.
"For the first two years I was the 'floater' on the roster and presented, at various times, every programme in the channel's news programme line-up except Holmes."
Williams may go in news revamp
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