We reported yesterday that One News recorded July as a month of tremendous growth - comparing it with July 2007, around 25,000 viewers left 3 News to watch the TVNZ bulletin.However this boost for One News happened to coincide with TV3's Home & Away taking a two week break. Australia's Channel 7 plan to take Home & Away off air during the Olympics, so TV3 took the soap opera off air during the school holidays to ensure they have enough episodes to continue running the show throughout the duration the Games.
The 5.30pm lead in of Home & Away has always been a key factor in pulling viewers to 3 News, and TV3 chief operating officer Rick Friesen says their news audience always tends to slide when the show is off-air.
AGB Nielsen figures for the 5.30pm slot before the news showed TV3 dropped from having 46% of weekday viewers in its key demographic of 18 to 49 year-olds a year ago to having under 37% last month. TV One's Wheel of Fortune benefited, almost doubling its share of the same viewers to just under 25%.
It will be interesting to see whether or not the ratings for 3 News will increase again now that Home & Away has returned. The NZ Herald added today that viewers often turn to TVNZ during events of national importance, so with the Olympic Games and NZ Election coming up TV3 may have to wait a few months for the Aussie soap to continue working it's magic.
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