Palmerston North protests TVNZ item

File photo / NZ Herald

A Television New Zealand item about the image of Palmerston North has raised the ire of the city's daily newspaper.

The editor of the Manawatu Standard has lodged a formal complaint with the broadcaster over a Close Up item last Friday that used outdated file footage in a piece about the city's image problem.

Michael Cummings said the item, called "Worst Town?", lacked fairness and accuracy.

It reported on plans by the city council and Destination Manawatu to spend $262,000 promoting the city and Mr Cummings said it portrayed central city landmarks using archived footage that was, in some cases, at least five years old and shot before the central city's $24 million redevelopment.

The story also listed things to do in Palmerston North, then crossed most of them off because they were either out of season or unavailable.

TVNZ's news and current affairs manager Andi Brotherston said the broadcaster's complaint committee would convene a group of "relevant" people to investigate the use of the outdated footage.

- NZPA