Persistence gets Hastings on the map

NOT ON: 3News weather presenter Ingrid Hipkiss in front of TV3's weather map with Hastings still absent last night.

Hastings residents may rejoice at seeing their hometown appear on TV3's weather maps this week, after persistent complaints from a disgruntled viewer.

Blenheim man Robert Huisman, who grew up in Hastings, sent several complaints to TV3 this year, arguing the city was being unfairly excluded from the station's weather maps.

Hastings is on TVNZ and Prime TV's weather maps, but is missing from TV3's.

"I came back to New Zealand after 16 years in Australia last year and was immediately puzzled why a city the size of Hastings was not on the TV3 weather map, especially when so many small towns were in the maps."

Mr Huisman said it was "quite bizarre" that Hastings, with its population of more than 76,000, was omitted from the map while small towns like Dannevirke (population 6000) and Reefton (population 1059) were included.

"Plus, anyone who has lived in Hastings or grew up there, as I did, knows the temperatures between Hastings and Napier can be as much as 3C to 4C different."
He was spurred into writing the complaints while watching an episode of the Paul Henry Show in which they played the quiz game "9 in 10" in Hastings.

"At one point Jesse Peach said they thought the population of Hastings was about 17,000 but in fact it was really 75,000. To which Paul Henry replied: 'You're sh*tting me.'"
"Maybe at TV3 they think Hastings is a small town - smaller than Blenheim even. Maybe they haven't bothered to check."

After Mr Huisman sent a series of complaints to TV3, 3News weather presenter Ingrid Hipkiss eventually replied, saying she was following the matter up with MetService.
MetService communications manager Jacqui Bridges said while MetService provides the maps, TV3 decided what towns were included.

"We build them, we put the towns on that they want. It's a service we provide - they say 'we want those towns' and we put them on there."

Contacted by Hawke's Bay Today yesterday, Ms Hipkiss said MetService had notified her it could provide TV3 with forecast information for Hastings, so she had instructed the 3News graphics team to add Hastings to the weather maps "as soon as possible".

She said the change would probably happen some time this week.

"We're very happy to say TV3 News is now in a position to provide weather forecasts for Hastings.

"We understand this is an issue many residents feel passionate about, and hope they'll appreciate seeing their hometown taking pride of place on our weather maps."

Mr Huisman said he was "very pleased" TV3 had decided to include Hastings on its maps.
"I am astonished how long it took me to get Hastings on the weather map. I was originally expecting them to admit it was a oversight on their part and it would have been corrected weeks ago."

Hastings Mayor Lawrence Yule said he, too, was "thrilled" with the result.
"I'm thrilled with that, I think that's a really good thing. A city of our size does warrant getting recognised."