KEY POINTS:
TVNZ is considering starting a late afternoon news programme in an effort to attract more viewers.
The state broadcaster said yesterday it was looking at new programming options for the afternoon, which could include news, game-show and lifestyle programmes.
Debate on this issue has now closed. Here is an earlier selection of Your Views:
T Dare
We do not need another news programme in the afternoon. They should get rid of the 6pm news and the 10.30pm news and have one decent news bulletin at 8.00pm when everybody can watch it (when they're not travelling home from work, making dinner or getting ready for bed) And by news I mean news, not the mind numbing garbage that passes for news these days.
Ion (Waikato)
Another great example of the day-dreaming and loss of contact with the real world of the intelligentsia in New-Zealand. The average people hold one or two job to try to pay the rent, and they could not care less about what is going on TV in the afternoon. The right place to make this survey is the rich ladies tea party houses.
Mawera
I would like to see a better quality news that reported the 'real' story, rather than what we see now that is inherently biased. News in the morning and news at night is all we need so long as it is accurately reported and not carrying a not-so-hidden agenda.
Auckland
No, I certainly would not watch an afternoon news programme, but then I don't watch the 6.00pm news either. News in this household comes from the radio, a newspaper, or the internet.
Thrash Cardiom
TVNZ should concentrate on lifting the quality and content of the news programmes they currently have rather than putting on more of the same. At one time we used to get informative news with in depth analysis of events. Nowadays we get pap and crap, often based on video content and how spectacular it is rather than on actual content. What is the point of watching so called TV news if it only informs us about mindless celebrity antic, or beat ups on trivial political events and so on. They need to lift their game, not alter the times they run it.
Kay (Canterbury)
TVNZ need to concentrate on getting a better class of properly trained presenters before worrying about anything else.
Elizabeth Bell (North Shore)
No. I never watch daytime TV.
Alan
If it was news not the rubbish which is shown daily. A news presenter with personality would help. I have switched off when the headlines are over, as they seem to consist of basketball, netball, Rugby World Cup anything but news.
CP (Auckland)
I would rather watch midday news in the weekend and public holidays. News does stop coming just because it's the weekend and public holidays.
Kiwi Lisa
Afternoon TV News is a brilliant idea. Beats silly soaps anytime of the day. So, the more news the better. However, TV should also show science programmes on a regular basis, say, 2-4 times a month. Astronomy e.g. is something most people takes a great interest in and would no doubt be popular. And there are plenty of astronomers available in eg Auckland, at the University or Auckland Astronomical Society, who can explain astronomy in terms easily understood by all. Give it a go.
Nigel Wade
I switched to TV3 news about 2 years ago, TV1 news has a "slant to it", often it seems to have an agenda. I've watched it recently and compared it to TV3, the wording used in briefings seems to imply a certain point of view. Not professional, low quality, I might as turn to Fox news if I want to be manipulated.
Colin England
I don't watch TV 'news' anyway due to it not having any actual news on it.
Christine (Hastings)
I wouldn't watch it in the afternoon. It would probably end up being a rerun of the midday news, the six news & the late news. Which always seem to be the same stories and very rarely a different aspect of the story. I have to say that for me to understand some news stories I have to flick over to TV3 to get the real depth. TVNZ's reporting at times is too brief or puffed up with extra words they lose what they are really reporting. As to the viewing times, don't start me on that! The news can be so violent and they show it at a time kids are still up! We have to tape it and watch it once the kids are in bed, at 7.30pm. We miss all the other programs that we would also like to watch, but that is TVNZ loss as it is less advertising we have to be subjected to.
Steve D
The 7 Network in OZ has news at 4.30pm so that's probably where the idea came from. TV One's News is barely watchable these days so I'd hate to see yet another dumbed-down bulletin go out in the afternoon. I get most of my news from the Herald online.
Alex
What is the point of another news broadcast during that time of the day? I hate to point out the obvious but, judging by the amount of gridlock and traffic on Auckland roads around 6, it appears that the main target audience is still on its way home when the news are broadcast currently. The current news format is too long. I would suggest TV One will be able to attract a lot more viewers with a concise 30 minute national, world & business news program prior to its 8.30pm prime time slot. This would also allow parents to watch it (who often turn off due to the graphic nature of war and related items) as well as keep an audience for the 8.30 slot. It would allow for the late night slot to be shortened/cut and the 6pm news to continue to be a community/sports based news program.
Chirpi
I would like to see programmes directed at kids learning social skills etc. to help improve the current social problems with drugs and behaviour - maybe hosted with sports stars, musicians and the like - people young kids will want to watch. With changing the stars may be every month girls and boys will get to see their idols. Yes more news is good. Yes game shows can be educational so no problem with that also.
Erin
Yes, having an afternoon news would be good, then just maybe teenagers will watch it. But would that mean there would be no 6 o'clock news?
Penny (Tauranga)
News on afternoons? No I would not watch it. Hard enough to cope with the coverage given now. Less stories with more in depth coverage may improve this. Currently find TV1 coverage very frustrating as at times only one sentence is considered adequate. Also sport covered in the main news section quite unnecessary. Presenters professional. News itself very very lacking. Also far too many scream at you ads. Listen to the people if you want more viewers. How on earth you win awards is beyond me.
Harry L (Waitakere City)
How does that work? TVNZ makes a whole lot of news staff redundant and then it adds a new afternoon news programme? Sounds like a chance to fill a time slot with cheap overseas (American) coverage and pretend like it has a well resourced and experienced journalists.
Mike (Days Bay)
It won't matter when they put it on! What will matter is lifting the quality of their news broadcasts. You only have to watch the first five minutes of any TVNZ news programme and you've seen it all. The rest is mind numbing blather. More quality is what they need.
Kris
As part of the media's 'lost generation' the simple reason I don't watch TV and instead play video games or download any shows/movies of interest is simply because I am sick of watching a bunch of the same shows on different channels at the same time. Enough with the 'medical drama' followed by a 'cop drama' followed by something else equally inane. Oh what I would give for a decent documentary on just about anything as long as it is entertaining. I haven't watched a broadcast news episode for months and I must say the net is working out fine for me as everything they play on the news is old by the time they broadcast it.
Richard
I would rather TVNZ improved the quality of news items for the 6PM news, as opposed to another 30 minutes of tabloid reporting in the afternoon.
Neil (Auckland)
There is a serious lack to quality journalism in TV news these days. I no longer watch TV3 or One News as there seems to be more dribble than news on. I haven't watched the news since the coverage of Paris Hilton being released from Prison. Maybe they just assume that the majority of audience have an IQ of 50 or it's watched by monkeys.
Eric Chin
Nah man, there's enough rubbish on during the days as it is. At least Oprah is entertaining, that news is just boring.
Peter
What's the point of putting the news on at 4:30pm. Most people are still at work. I agree the programming between 5pm and 6pm needs to be improved especially on TV2. It is unfortunate that most ratings surveys seem to happen north of the Bombay Hills but there is life outside of Auckland. Maybe some of the common people should have a chance to vote on what we watch.
Natalie Simpson
We have enough news spread out through the morning every hour finishing at 12pm. It is all the same news even at 6pm. It's just like friends they keep repeating the entire series from start to finish they need to get some new and interesting shows on at this time slot.
Arron
TVNZ is a puppet of Labour and I would never watch their news. They are as independent as a housing minister who owns a portfolio of rental houses.
Duckin
TVNZ hurts itself by being lead politically to much of the so-called "white Maori" (they have their own channel) being shown reporters news weather and so on forced Maori language opening on TV One we just are being turned away from TVNZ for these reasons so it wouldn't matter what they show. Blame the so-called charter.
News watcher (Hamilton)
TV One news lacks substance, depth and quality. We are now fed a diet of young attractive (mainly blonde) or "Daniel carter lookalike" journalists fresh out of acting and journalism school serving up their empty amateurish pap. There is more fluff, air, and gap filler in the news than ever before. I watch an hour of it a feel as though I've just ate a greasy unhealthy meal. No more nourished, informed, nor satisfied.
Diana Campbell
Where is the Culture on TV ? There is so little it is sickening to me - no theatre, dance, classical music or even orchestral music, no opera,no jazz, ONE art show at 11.00p.m. on a Sunday night - (really that is an insult to the viewers)- no tango, flamenco, no music even from the WOMAD concerts (Thousands of people go them every time they are held even in remote Taranaki)very little of our own indigenous music (certainly more on Maori TV than anywhere else) Rarely is there a jazz concert even or a concert from overseas. We are a nation of wonderful artists in every mode and all we see is a bit of music on C4, Maori, Juice (mostly overseas pop)and art at 11.00p.m. on a Sunday night....Come on, enough of football, league, sailing, garden makeovers and house sales and cooking programmes, we have got minds and souls that need nourishment!!! Celebrate our own wonderful culture and make a channel available for the arts only especially New Zealand talent.
Dave
It matters little to me what is on when far too many loud mouthed ignorant adverts invade the screen. I just up and go - 'plenty of hobbies and things to do without second rate TV.
Roger Hawkins
TVNZ again get it wrong with a push to start the news service earlier.I note that their viewer numbers are dropping in Auckland - hardly a surprise given their propensity for stories about the health system (boring beyond belief) and "nice" stories about the lovely stuff the government is doing when in fact people want to see real news about world affairs (Iran, Middle East, Floods, etc). One obvious issue that neither channel appears to have picked up on is that very few Aucklanders are out of the jobs or cars by 6PM. If you miss the 6PM news then you either wait until 10.30 PM (Unlikely) or go to other news options (Sky TV, BBC etc - but the upside to that is that at least it is "real" news).TVNZ news lost the plot many years ago - as it tried to follow the Governments Charter - and still hasn't picked up that no one wants the pulp that they are currently serving up, at the time they are serving it.Incidentally they could have done themselves a favour by selecting Bernadine Oliver-Kirby way back then too - but with a 100 per cent strike out rate who would expect anything different.
Sharon
Working at that time, sometimes find it hard to get home for 6pm!! Aren't the "ads" leading up to 6pm news enough? It's not as though we can't find out by radio/ internet what is happening if we want to at that time. It's just more of the same, time to think of something different!
R
No I would defintely not watch it. I listen to the radio during the day.
Susan Smith
I do not bother watching TV news much on either 1 or 3 as both are lacking in substance and in critical comment. For example, at the time of the kidnapping of the two New Zealanders in Nigeria neither the news reports or Close-up offered any information regarding the causes behind the ongoing kidnappings in that part of Nigeria. Instead your coverage probably served to confirm our negative perceptions regarding black Africans. I suspect that main principle that guides your selection of items to report is less about information and more about titillation.
Ian Morine
What TVNZ needs to do, if they want to increase their viewer numbers and appeal to a wider audience, is to change their increasingly bias news coverage, particularly when it comes to political coverage - examples - Agenda on Saturday mornings and Closeup each night. I have noticed in the past few years, that they seem to have adopted the "we will make the news", rather than "we will report the news" attitude - do we elect our news reporters - no ! Example - last nights coverage of the Reserve Bank interest rate rise yesterday, TV3's coverage was totally positive for the economy, with an American economist saying NZ is just about to experience huge boom-times never seen before here, whereas on TVNZ's Closeup show the total opposite occured - they had Don Brash and Co saying we should all move to Australia (I wish he would) and Mark Sainsbury predicting doom and gloom - typical is all I can say ! TVNZ news presenters seem to think their positions are positions of power.
DonL auck
The whole afternoon show is boring.I never watch it now.Yes I would watch news programs and docos.All the channels seem to run infomercials soaps and kids programs.Boring Boring.
JR (Wellington)
I gave up watching Channel "Helen" some time ago and an extention to the party political broadcasts won't see me going back. The credibilty of TVNZ went down with State interference and State appointments. Bit like the Benson-Pope saga - support Labour or no job !
Andrew
The so called 'news' on both major channels is simply rubbish, the content lacks substance and the presentation is boring. So why would you bother repeating the same dribble in the afternoon.The day they featured a bear climbing into a hammock filmed by amatuer video on the 6 oclock news there was no longer any point in watching.
Jo Marshall
Afternoon news yes, but please no programmes like the dumb ones we have at night. What about good English drama and comedy. Interesting documentaries and a decent movie without unncessary violence and foul language. I hardly ever watch T.V. once the news is finished. On the odd occasion when there is a decent drama such as " Judge John Deed" or a decent movie then I tape them. Has anyone ever thought of showing a repeat of a brilliant Frnch comedy shown many years ago called " Clochmerle " Not sure if I spelt it right but we have seen so many repeats of the same programmes over and over when there are other comedy's worthy of at least one repeat.
Bob (Hokitika)
It will only be the same old news from lunch time.Try a decent movie or similar.
Jill (Albany)
Great idea to have news, magazine programmes mid to late afternoon..as long as news is interesting news not the same old boring repeated stuff they dish up
at present. I often watch the news from Australiaand they seem to find much better general content that we can come up with. Programmes such as Taste New Zealand with Peta Mathias, Home and Garden are great to watch at that time of day because thats the age range that are generally home and wanting some light entertainment.
I. KleineDeters
Contemplating an earlier news programme at 4.30 is silly.People are coming home from work, coping with tired kids, getting the evening meal ready etc.Even 6 pm is too early.Many countries is Europe have the right idea and have the news at 8pm when the chores are done.Tv3's news is much better and comprehensive, so no wonder they are losing to TV1, although both channels have a small village attitude and tend to show trivial items and far too much sport during the general news that belongs to the sports section.
J Harper
Who on earth gets to watch late afternoon news? Most of us aren't even home in time to watch 6.00pm news.I continue to hope for a later news broadcast - not so late as the 10.30, but at least after most folks get home. Why oh why do the two channels have to try to outdo each other at the same time of evening. Why don't they stagger their news broadcasts into two different time slots so they provide a service for all comers. Remember that word, guys? Service.
John
The trouble with all media is they think they know what we should be viewing/ reading /listening to. The content of News is often very inane and simply not news. Too often the media is trying to create news. Too much effort goes into sensationalising and distorting items of news. How often do we witness news items change as the real facts emerge on various issues? Far too often. I suggest most viewers consider the integrity of news organisations with extreme sceptism. I wonder how TVNZ & TV3 News would stack up if BBC World was on at 6pm at night? We certainly do not enjoy the news format being Yankified!! Finally, why is it necessary to have so many presenters? One presenter should easily be able to handle the news, including sport & the weather. (Huge savings). For heaven's sake, it is all autocued anyway and the news items have been pre-recorded. We is it necessary to have live crossings to a journalist out in the country for a friendly chat with each other on usually non-newsworthy topics. Perhaps some research into viewers' likes & dislikes would be a start.
Trimmy (Napier)
If they put on a late afternoon news bulletin it would mean that the viewer would then have a pretty good idea whether to watch the 6pm TV1 News to get an expanded version of the same news or to go to TV3 to get new and different new items.
Wayne
What is this penchant for more and more news programmes? The ones we have are shallow, concentrate on violence and devoid of quality journalism.If TVNZ truly wished to get more viewers then please give us decent programming.The endless parade of reality shows means our TV set is off unless the DVD player is on!
Cara Hill
News I believe is currently at the right time of night. Even for those who get home from work early, I wouldn't say they'd immediately want to sit down and watch news, six is an appropriate news time, what would be the point of a lead up news? Just more money wasted. The follow up at ten is good for those who missed the news. I personally go on the internet and use my cell phone for news. Why don't you make TV1 commercial free, that would attract more viewers. Aot of people are turning to TV3 because Campbell live is on after it and he's very entertaining and easy to watch.