Long to deliver final news bulletin tonight

One News presenter Richard Long will read his final bulletin for TVNZ tonight.

Long has partnered co-presenter Judy Bailey for 16 years apart from a short blip where Long was dumped in favour of John Hawkesby. Hawkesby was later dropped in favour of Long after ratings plummeted.

With Long's departure One News will change to a one presenter format next year.

Long's departure was announced in October by the station's news and current affairs head Bill Ralston.

Ralston said the single news presenter format would bring TVNZ into line with other major broadcasters around the world, he said.

"Moving forward, we will be focusing more on the news with less emphasis on the personalities," he said at the time.

Ralston said today he had been keen for Long to stay on performing other duties after the move to the one-presenter format, but he understood Long intended to work freelance.

"Richard has been a terrific servant of TVNZ and we are very sorry to lose his skills and experience," he said in a statement.

TVNZ chief executive Ian Fraser said today Long had been an outstanding reporter, producer and presenter since he joined TVNZ, then called the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation, over 30 years ago.

"In particular, his partnership with Judy Bailey co-presenting the One News prime-time bulletin over the last 16 years has been without parallel in this country's broadcasting history," he said in a statement.

- NZPA