Nothing new in One News, commentators say

The all-new One News is little changed on the old format, media experts said today.

Judy Bailey's replacements Simon Dallow and Wendy Petrie presented the show as a team for the first time last night.

University of Canterbury lecturer Jim Tully said Dallow and Petrie were, as he had anticipated them to be, giving a straight presentation.

"They are competent and credible replacements for the old guard and most people will feel comfortable," he said.

However, there had been no radical change in tone or content in the news, which was where One News needed to make changes to win the battle against TV3, he said.

Mr Tully said it would not be known for months what the impact of the new-look format would be on the audience but said competition could only be a positive thing for the audience.

"Where there is competition, the audience should benefit and hopefully the change in content won't be just about who has the better set or wardrobe."

The different channels now had the opportunity to work different angles on stories and cover different issues, he said.

"TV3 has nurtured a different audience in a different demographic to One and, after years of TV3 being a cinderella, finally has sufficient audience and critical mass to take on One News with the launch of their breakfast and midday programmes."

New Zealand Listener TV writer Fiona Rae said while there were clear changes, there was nothing shocking about the debut of the new-look One News.

Rae told Newstalk ZB that TVNZ appeared to have admitted defeat in its return to two news anchors and a sitting sports reader.

The show was trying to be less stuffy by introducing the familiar faces of Dallow and Petrie, she said.

Chats with the presenters from sport and Close Up made for a more relaxed atmosphere, she said.

Head of the New Zealand Broadcasting School Paul Norris said people should not have been expecting too much different or new.

"They looked clean and crisp and the presentation was reasonably pacey," he told Radio New Zealand's Morning Report.

On most nights the news content of One News and TV3 was the same but it was too early to tell what impact the launch would have on the ratings.

"What we are in for is a very close battle between the two networks for that crucial younger demographic."

Media commentator Jane Bowron said new ads promoting the programme were self-gazing and referred once again to the problem at TVNZ.

Dallow and Petrie looked plausible together and wholesome but the promised new set wasn't really there, she said.

"There was no real evidence of anything except an orange satellite dish at the beginning."

The impact of former Fashion Quarterly beauty editor Trudi Brewer, who had been hired to help revamp the One News look, was evident though, she said.

"Both Wendy and Simon wearing pinstripes, looked ridiculously cute, they looked like they'd been to a Winston Peters impersonation party."

- NZPA