Roger Moroney: Breaking news ... election imminent

Back Benches co-host Wallace Chapman is clearly one of those in election mode now. Photo / Woolf

It is very clear social media with its instant reactions to events has got television rattled, and after evidence of that emerged last week I am accordingly rattled.

There was about 20 minutes to go in The Chase, a light little evening dalliance I often pursue, and everything was halted.

It was halted by a thing called "breaking news".

It took me by surprise because the only other time I remember seeing that announcement was when the big 'quakes struck Christchurch and Kaikoura.

So I immediately leaned forward to take this show-stopping declaration of potential doom in.

It was the stepping down of a politician - Greens co-leader Metiria Turei.

The first thing that entered my mind was "I thought she already had?" and the second thing was "I think we sort of saw that coming didn't we?"

Was the stepping down of a party co-leader nationally damaging enough for TV1 to stage a "breaking news" interlude?

We were within very close range of the 6pm newscasts so could we have held off for a few minutes?

Come on Metiria, you know you did wrong.

You should not have announced you were stepping down until Bradley had wrapped his show ... 6pm was only about 20 minutes away so what's 20 minutes in the whole scheme of things given the reasons for your quitting in the first place came down to things that happened years and years ago.

The networks are, however, heavily in election mode given there is only a little over five weeks before votes are cast, so I guess it sort of stands to reason that analysts and political commentators and show hosts are getting excited.

Excited enough to dash to the phone (I say that figuratively) and call the studio to declare "breaking news!"

I can't imagine too may people enmeshed in whether the next contestant would go for the highest offer or not would have reeled back in astonishment.

Rather, I imagine the vast majority would have simply remarked "I thought she might" and wandered off to the kitchen to check on the spuds.

But hey, social media would have instantly been awash with the news as tweets and blogs would have started going ballistic the minute she uttered the words "stepping down".

A sure sign the election is nigh, and soon the screen will begin to fill with debates and interviews and panel discussions.

Which is to be expected, but was this event a sign that in this age of instant reaction the planned schedules of television programming will become more and more disturbed by "breaking news"?

I suspect ... yes.

Given they had to pump the final stages of The Chase out in time for the 6pm news to kick off on time there might have been some irate advertisers out there whose scheduled ads had to be shuffled elsewhere to make the room for the four or five minute news flash.

A sign of the times, I daresay, because no network wants to come second in reporting news as it happens.

There was a time when you'd simply wait until 6pm to catch up with the latest verbal offensive from an embattled party member, but not today.

So I would like to publicly appeal to politicians across the nation to withhold their revelations or resignations until three minutes past six.

Not much to ask, and if they were to oblige and leave it until news time to announce their resignation then I'll vote for them.

The election countdown has most certainly begun, although how come UKTV isn't playing another rerun of Yes Minister?

Plenty of tips and sharp advice from Sir Humphrey in that show for any aspiring or even current politicians to take aboard.

In the meantime there is of course Prime's Back Benches which is starting to amp up the imminent arrival of election day, although thankfully hosts Wallace Chapman and Charlotte Ryan are not as verbally animated or aggressive as some front-of-house hosts.

● Back Benches, Prime at 9.30pm tonight: The scheduling of no other shows were harmed in the making of this programme.

ON THE BOX
● 7 Days, TV3 at 9pm on Friday: Ahh, it has to be said that good humour can come down to good timing.

So what better timing for a trans-tasman battle of comical barbs than the eve of the Bledisloe Cup clash between the ABs and the roos.

Some sharp minds in the two teams here - Dai Henwood, Paul Ego and Bryce Casey take on Chopper, Joel Creasey and Melanie Buttle.

Let the mauling begin.

● All Blacks vs Australia, Sky Sport 1 (live) from 9.30pm Saturday: Breaking news ... Wayne Barnes is refereeing this first round of the Bledisloe battle.

Which is fine by me, given that in this age the refs only get a slice of the final say ... the television match official (TMO) is more often the whistle blower when it comes to making a critical decision.

The All Blacks head into this Sydney clash in a most unusual results position. Last two games were a loss and a draw, to the Lions.

So I daresay Steve Hansen will likely mention that fact, and leave it up to the lads to whistle up a 'W' symbol when the result of this one gets placed in the record books.