No start date for TV3's new Paul Henry show

TV3 presenter Paul Henry announces his new show at the Mediaworks 2015 Content Launch held at Shed 10 on Auckland's waterfront. 30 October 2014 New Zealand Herald Photograph by Peter Meecham

The new Paul Henry breakfast show may not be on air until after Easter.

MediaWorks has been promoting the new Paul Henry breakfast show as a key part of its 2015 line up on both TV and radio.

But the show is not expected to be ready to launch for the start of the new season.

Spokesperson Rachel Lorimer declined to comment on when the Henry show would be launched on TV3 and RadioLive.

The combined radio and TV show was announced last October.

According to MediaWorks sources, three months later there is still a lot to do and a launch is predicted in March or April.

TV3 news show Firstline will run until the Henry show is ready.

RadioLive breakfast host Marcus Lush finished at the end of last year.

Mark Sainsbury took over this week and is telling listeners he was on a three month contract.

Lorimer said that Sainsbury's comment about a three month contract did not mean that was when the new Henry show started.

She did not rule out the Henry show starting before the three months are up.

"I'm not saying when it will start. We will advise that when it is the right time," said Lorimer.

She said that the Henry breakfast show had not been delayed and a later start just illustrated the fact that development did not get underway until late in 2014.

Developing a show for both radio and TV and is a first in international broadcasting.

MediaWorks is merging the newsrooms for TV3 and RadioLive as well as creating a big new studio,

The project is being heavily promoted by MediaWorks CEO Mark Weldon, a big fan of Henry and newcomer to TV who has made big changes TV3.

Several senior executives left MediaWorks the end of last year, including the head of television Paul Maher.

The absence of a permanent show on radio and TV would normally detract from ratings.

But the industry body the Radio Broadcasters has cancelled the radio ratings survey that would normally be held in February and March.

That means The Henry show will have time to establish itself before it faces its first radio ratings in October,

Daily television ratings will continue throughout.

MediaWorks hope the new Henry show will take viewers away from TVNZ's Breakfast and listeners breakfast host Mike Hosking at Newstalk ZB.

Newstalk ZB is owned by NZME., publisher of the NZ Herald.