Jesse Mulligan says the challenge of hosting new programme Seven Sharp is just the challenge he has been looking for.

Ali Mau, Greg Boyed and Jesse Mulligan will present Seven Sharp, TVNZ has revealed.

The belated inclusion of a knighthood for Paul Holmes makes this year's Honours List something very much out of the ordinary.

The name of the replacement programme for TVNZ's flagship current affairs show Close Up has been revealed.

Television New Zealand is to run more phony news stories under its The Extra Mile advertorial brand next year, writes John Drinnan.

TVNZ is moving quickly to set up a new "infotainment" show to replace Close Up as Mark Sainsbury hosts his last show tonight, industry insiders say.

Peter Jackson is said to be enthusiastic about monitoring off-set conditions for animals used in film productions, writes John Drinnan.

Paul Henry is in talks for a return to TVNZ to front the new-look Close Up programme, the Herald has been told.

"In my opinion, if you relied on free to air television, TV3's local coverage of the US election was better," writes John Drinnan.

TVNZ is considering killing its flagship current affairs show Sunday next year, having shortened it this year to make room for New Zealand's Got Talent, writes John Drinnan.

After 31 years with TVNZ, Mark Sainsbury is tipped to receive a golden handshake of more than $500,000 when Close Up ends on November 30.

He's not expecting a payout like John Hawkesby's $6.5m deal, but Mark Sainsbury is confident he will be looked after by TVNZ.

An outsider tuning in to the Valerie Adams medal ceremony could be excused for thinking Adams came from the small Pacific nation of "ANZ Bank".

Tell me again - what's the point in the Government hanging on to TVNZ?