The name is Holmes

Paul Holmes' new show on Prime will be called just that - Paul Holmes.

Prime chief executive officer Chris Taylor says the channel is more than happy to trade on the personality of the man it poached from TVNZ.

"We are not going to be apologetic for personality and listen to this line they are towing about current affairs being reporter-driven and reporter-driven only. Television is entertainment."

The war for viewers begins in earnest on February 7, when Holmes, who left for Prime in November, goes head to head with his former colleague Susan Wood, whose Close Up @ 7 programme resumed last night after a summer break.

Mr Taylor said more than 30 people were working on the show.

A Prime spokeswoman said: "He [Holmes] is going to be out on the street talking to people. He would rather be out there than just being primped up in the make-up room and put there to read other reporters' stories."