Petrie hot tip for Judy Bailey's seat

Wendy Petrie

Newsreader Wendy Petrie is being tipped to take over as host of TV One's 6pm news as news boss Bill Ralston auditions potential replacements for Judy Bailey.

Kate Hawkesby, who co-hosts late night news show Tonight, and former netballer-turned-presenter Bernadine Oliver-Kerby, are also in the running for the coveted role.

The three have been taking turns filling in for Bailey when she is on leave, and their efforts are being treated as auditions for the role by Ralston, who critiques their performance and records the ratings when each presenter is on.

Bailey, who receives $800,000 a year to front the news, is on a one-year contract which comes up for renewal in November.

Bailey's pay, which doubled this year, triggered a backlash and accusations of a culture of extravagance when details were revealed earlier this year.

Even Prime Minister Helen Clark waded into the debate, saying she expected the board of TVNZ to hold its management executives to account over Bailey's massive salary increase.

Although TVNZ says it does not want to lose Bailey, it is understood she is unhappy at the network and is considering leaving newsreading for good at the end of the year - a scenario that would pose problems for the state broadcaster, say others in the industry.

Unitec communications lecturer Peter Thompson said although he did not believe TVNZ wanted to lose Bailey, he said it only tied her up for a year in a bid to keep flexibility in a changing current affairs world and the advent of Charter responsibilities.

TVNZ was stuck between a rock and a hard place, faced with losing millions of advertising dollars and criticism for letting top presenters go if Bailey left, and condemnation from both Government and the public if it paid the amount required to keepher, he said.

TV3 news boss Mark Jennings agreed TVNZ might find itself in a bind come November.

"Because of the situation I have no sympathy, but they are in a tricky position. They're damned if they do, damned if they don't."

TVNZ has also recently held auditions for male newsreaders, fuelling speculation that if Bailey does go, viewers will see a return to a two-host team on the 6pm news.

Agenda host and former newsreader Simon Dallow is also tipped to be in contention, while Breakfast host Paul Henry is anoutside possibility.

TVNZ chief executive Ian Fraser said Bailey was a "huge asset" to the organisation and not too much should be read into the fact it was auditioning other talent.

TVNZ was always looking at new talent, he said.

This month Mr Fraser said presenters were still important for branding of the channel and its programmes, but the day of presenters being able to hold the network to ransom on contract day had passed. Since Mr Ralston arrived at TVNZ in July 2003, he has made no secret of his aim to rid the state broadcaster of personality cults and the celebrity status endowed on many presenters.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY