MF Friday Flashback: 1994 Lotto Draw

This Lotto draw hosted by Hilary Timmins and Grant Kereama screened on TV2 in 1994.

The Home & Away effect

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.

Triangle TV celebrates 10 years

To celebrate 10 years of broadcasting in Auckland this August, Triangle TV are planning to plant thousands of pohutukawa trees near Home Bay on Motutapu Island in the Hauraki Gulf.

Triangle CEO Jim Blackman says he is proud to spearhead a gift of 2000 pohutukawas to the people of Auckland. "The Triangle Television trees will provide shade and beauty for future generations of visitors and campers on Motutapu and, once again, in the height of summer, Home Bay will abound with crimson."

"Instead of the typical social function we decided to give back to the community that has supported us so well over the years," he says.

The whole of Motutapu island is undergoing a long-term regeneration process thanks to the efforts ofthe Department of Conservation, Motutapu Restoration Trust, and volunteers andsupporters – including Triangle TV.

Everyone is invited to support the project with a donation of $50 – the cost of buying, planting and maintaining a pohutukawa tree.

Triangle also operate the digital channel Stratos on Freeview and Sky.

One News records nine months of growth

According to data collected by AGB Nielsen Media Research, ONE News at 6pm was watched by an average of 651,400 viewers (5+) each night in July 2008, making it the TVNZ bulletin's ninth consecutive month of year-on-year growth.

TVNZ report that their 6pm bulletin was watched by 43% more viewer than the 373,100 who watched 3 News during the same period.

The AGB Nielsen ratings for July 2008 also show that ONE News increased its audience by 24,600 viewers compared with July 2007. TV3's audience dropped year-on-year by 27,700 viewers in the same period. July was also the second consecutive month the audience for ONE News surpassed 650,000, viewership not seen for two years.

TVNZ Head of News and Current Affairs Anthony Flannery says "it is fantastic to see New Zealanders continuing to turn to ONE News in ever increasing numbers. With the Beijing Games, and the New Zealand Election ahead, Kiwis can be assured we will continue to bring them the news they need to know."

Morgan Freeman in serious car crash

Oscar winner and Dark Knight star Morgan Freeman has been hospitalised in serious condition after the car he was driving in the Mississippi Delta on Monday flipped several times before leaving the highway and landing upright in a ditch.

The 71 year old had to be rescued from the car using the jaws of life and was airlifted to the Regional Medical Center. Freeman's publisist has said he received a broken arm, broken elbow and minor shoulder damage, but is in good spirits and expecting a full recovery.

The accident is the latest in a string of unfortunate events for stars of the blockbuster hit The Dark Knight, including the accidental death of Heath Ledger in January and the arrest of Christian Bale in July.

Game Of Two Halves cancelled

The Sunday News reported today that TVNZ show Game Of Two Halves has been cancelled, screening it's final episode on Friday night.

The show was hosted by sports broadcaster Tony Veitch until last months allegations of assault against his former parter Kristen Dunne-Powell led to his resignation from TVNZ. The game show also featured former rugby and league stars Matthew Ridge and Marc Ellis, former Radio Sport presenter Martin Devlin and comedian Mike King.

However TVNZ has denied the series was canned after the Tony Veitch controversy, a spokeswoman saying "I don't know if we are commissioning any more or not". But when asked if there would be another series, she said: "Not at this stage but that's not necessarily anything."

MF Friday Flashback: "The Look of Ninety 3"

"Come and see the look of '93" for TV3 New Zealand.

The Country Channel launches on Sky

The Country Channel, a dedicated farming news, information and lifestyle television channel, is to be launched on Sky digital channel 99 on Monday 1st October.

The Country Channel will will feature daily updates on new farming products and systems as well as rural based news and lifestyle shows. Farmgate, a one-hour daily news and information show, will be the centrepiece of programming on the channel with 20-minute sponsored slots inside the show being available to businesses and organisations. The channel will include other local programming and previously unseen shows from sources such as the BBC, ABC Australia and the PBS Network from the U.S.

The channel will be included in Sky's start-up package for the month of October.