KEY POINTS:
Another TVNZ Olympic slip-up, which meant only Freeview viewers could watch boardsailor Tom Ashley win New Zealand's third gold medal, has left viewers seething.
The RS:X regatta screened live on TVNZ Sport Extra (Freeview) while the 6pm One News continued on TV One.
Even after Ashley had beaten Julian Bontemps of France and Nick Dempsey from Great Britain at about 6.55pm, commentator Peter Williams spoke to broadcaster Wendy Petrie live from Beijing but did not have the final result.
Meanwhile, rival 3 News had already announced the golden win.
TV One showed a full replay of the race at 7.30pm after Close Up instead of screening the scheduled men's kayaking K1 1000m semifinals in which Athens silver medallist Ben Fouhy was competing. The race was followed by Ashley's medal ceremony.
Fouhy's race, in which he placed second, played from 8.30pm, an hour after schedule.
About 124,000 New Zealanders have Freeview.
When announcing the four Olympic coverage channels in June (including two online channels), TVNZ's head of sport Murray Needham promised: "TV One will have all the big Olympic moments," while the other channels, which have 24-hour Olympic coverage, "are where viewers will be able spend extended periods of time watching individual sports, including some of the Games' most popular events as well as spectacular sports that rarely screen".
One emailer to nzherald.co.nz today asked: "How did the official Games channel, TV1, get itself scooped by five or 10 minutes by TV3 news tonight on boardsailor Tom Ashley's gold medal win?
"Who at TV1 decided to leave Peter Williams in Beijing continue to provide readers with Games news from earlier in the day at the same time TV3 were reporting Ashley had won gold?
"Surely heads must roll when TV1 have pumped so much money and sent so many staff to Beijing? TV3 must be laughing their heads off."
Other viewers took their frustration online to criticise the state broadcaster last night.
One person wrote on TVNZ's Beijing messageboard: "Way to go Tom Ashley!!! Thank god I have freeview, TV One you are hopeless!!!"
Another sarcastically wrote: "Would have loved to have seen the race live along with the majority of NZ ... but I guess TV One thought Close Up was far more important, or that everyone has Freeview."
And on a Trade Me thread someone wrote: "Saw absolutely NO coverage of any of the leadup events to Tom Ashley's race - yet had to sit through some dancing horses today (is it 'dressage' or summit).
"TVNZ - very poor coverage!!!"
TVNZ did not return Herald calls last night.
