New Sky TV sports show Press Box 'won't be going ahead as scheduled'

Bernadine Oliver-Kerby was to have been the host of New Zealand Press Box, which has reportedly been axed by Sky TV.

The debut of a new sports show by Sky TV has been delayed until next year..

It was due to debut in two days, but the broadcaster has announced the New Zealand Press Box - a panel TV show - would not start this year.

"We have decided to launch the New Zealand Press Box in early 2018 rather than this week," Sky Sport NZ said in a tweet.

"As the show is a pilot we want to give it and our crew the best possible chance of success, and having a breather feels like the right thing to do."

We have decided to launch the New Zealand Press Box in early 2018 rather than this week. As the show is a pilot we want to give it and our crew the best possible chance of success, and having a breather feels like the right thing to do.

— Sky Sport NZ (@skysportnz) November 27, 2017

Earlier today, Radio Sport presenter Martin Devlin, who was also involved with the show, revealed that Press Box would no longer debut on Wednesday.

Sky TV Press Box programme won’t be going ahead now as scheduled.

— Martin Devlin (@DevlinRadioShow) November 26, 2017

The network previously said the show would deal with "controversial matters".

"What we want to do is bring out these controversial matters and get some different broadcasters and personalities and opinions out there to debate the big issues," a Sky spokesperson said.

The show has already hit controversy over the planned inclusion of Tony Veitch.

Veitch pulled out of the new panel show, called New Zealand Press Box and hosted by Bernadine Oliver-Kerby, following an outcry over his inclusion.

Veitch had referred on his Facebook page to the show as being a "hard-hitting, opinion-led show that does not shy away from controversy".

Veitch, who appears as a sports broadcaster on NZME, was convicted of injuring his former girlfriend Kristin Dunne-Powell with reckless disregard in 2009.

His inclusion on the show had been criticised by White Ribbon.

Press Box had been set to debut at 9.30pm on Sky Sport 2 this Wednesday.