One News audience elusive despite the hype

Simon Dallow and Wendy Petrie. Picture / Martin Sykes

Despite the new faces, new set design, and new ads, the ratings told the same old story on One News' first night of the news season.

Although the real success of the new One News will be told only over the long term, Monday night showed that the problematic Auckland viewers were not going to forgive whatever sin One News had committed.

More than double the 18 to 49-year-old Aucklanders chose TV3's news, despite the curiosity-induced honeymoon that usually accompanies major changes.

AGB Nielsen Media Research ratings showed that nationally, TV One was also marginally behind in TV3's target demographic of 18 to 49 year olds, and only about 30,000 viewers ahead in its own 25 to 54 demographic.

Overall, 665,300 watched One News, compared with 346,000 on 3 News.

TV3 head of news Mark Jennings said he was pleased 3 News held up in its key markets.

"They've had a lot of publicity and hype around this but had no inroads, particularly in the Auckland or metropolitan markets. So we are pleased the ratings haven't budged."

TVNZ news head Bill Ralston said viewership was so volatile that different nights were often complete reversals of each other. It would be months before anyone could make a call on whether his changes were working.

The Winter Olympics and Commonwealth Games on One would further scatter the audience around until mid-March as sport lovers went to One and sport haters left.

Mediacom media strategist Michael Carney said viewer numbers on both channels were up as people returned from holiday.

"These are tried and true, proven personalities on TVNZ who have presented the news before and are now doing it again. It's faces we've seen before doing the same old thing. So it's a bit hard to see why it's so exciting. It's not as if they're putting Marcus Lush in or anything radical."

MONDAY'S RATINGS

Aged 18 to 49, Auckland (TV3 target)
One News 32,500
3 News 66,300
(sample: 174)

25 to 54, Auckland (TV One target)
One News 39,700
3 News 63,700
(sample: 157)

National 18 to 49 (TV3 target)
One News 194,100
3 News 196,800
(sample: 481)

National 25 to 54 (TV One target)
One News 226,900
3 News 197,600
(sample: 462)

Source: AGB Nielsen Media Research.