KEY POINTS:
Television viewers are switching off from political party leaders' debates, but news channels say there's no question of ousting the leaders for more popular shows.
TVNZ gave up two popular shows - Piha Rescue and The Force - to screen Monday night's debate between the leaders of six minor parties.
But the debate between the leaders of Act, the Greens, New Zealand First, the Progressives, United Future and the Maori Party drew 43 per cent fewer viewers than the same slot on Labour Weekend last year.
An average of 377,856 people watched the hour-and-a-half debate - almost 100,000 fewer than watched Shortland Street and fewer than the 417,216 who watched Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.
Seventeen per cent fewer viewers tuned in than watched the same slot a week earlier.
TV3's head of news Mark Jennings said leaders' debates were "certainly not seen as ratings winners".
However there was an element of public duty in putting them on.
He said debates between the leaders of the two main parties rated well last election, but he had hoped for slightly more viewers this time.
Media strategist Michael Carney said broadcasters had to screen leaders' debates in peak time to give voters the best chance of seeing them: "It's part of being a good corporate citizen." But ratings for the first debate between Helen Clark and John Key showed younger viewers remained "gloriously uninformed" when it came to tuning in, he said.
Mr Carney said superhero movie The Fantastic Four and Grey's Anatomy spin-off Private Practice rated very well on Monday. However the leaders did manage to outrate the Simpsons' Halloween Special.
TVNZ spokeswoman Megan Richards said the broadcaster saw the debates as a public service. Viewers expected to see events of national significance on TV One - and election debates came into that category.
The minor party leaders' debate was billed as the "kingmakers' debate" because these parties could determine the make-up of the next Government.
