KEY POINTS:
Television news ratings are at their lowest in almost seven years - prompting calls for the six o'clock news bulletin to be switched to a later timeslot.
Both Television New Zealand and TV3 continue to screen their flagship news programmes at 6pm despite total average audience figures in
the five-plus age category having fallen to 948,611 in 2006, the lowest since 2000 when 952,263 people tuned in across both channels each night.
Media commentators including Canterbury University's head of political science and communications, Jim Tully, said the trend was "not peculiar to New Zealand" but was likely to be linked to the fact more Kiwis were using the web as their source of news.
The media veteran said that declining viewer numbers could also be linked to the 6pm timeslot no longer being conducive with people's work patterns.
Auckland University senior media lecturer, Dr Luke Goode, agreed that the time had come for networks to reschedule the evening news bulletin.
"Sitting down at 6pm around the dinner table is a luxury many of us don't enjoy any longer," he said. "There is a pressure to perform and at that time people are still at work checking emails."
But TVNZ's newly-appointed head of news and current affairs, Anthony Flannery, said the debate over changing the time was 15 years old.
He said it was the responsibility of television networks to turn the viewing figures around by making evening news "relevant", particularly with the younger demographic.
"Content is king... for younger viewers television has not been their primary source of news. They need to know that when they turn on at six there will be content they haven't seen elsewhere," said Flannery, the former managing editor of Australia's A Current Affair.
Despite 3News having made steady inroads into the competitive news market - with a 46 per cent viewer increase since 1995, Flannery said he did not consider 3News was "any more relevant" than One News.
TV3 news boss Mark Jennings said suggestions that 6pm was too early to screen the news was "bollocks" but he did foresee changes to how news was presented. "You will see the 6pm news subtly change into more contextualising and analysis. It will not be as concerned with breaking news, breaking news will be online."
And the traditional broadcast time is working for TV3 in other ways. Station owner CanWest has entered into a simulcast arrangement with Radio Live, also owned by CanWest, when Radio Live was launched in April 2005.
The concept, which was not previously done in New Zealand, sees the 3News bulletin broadcast on talk station Radio Live.
Two years on and the results, according to Radio Live director of programming Mitch Harris, have been "impressive".
Harris attributes the success to the fact that people are still commuting home from work when the television version hits screens.
"At the start there wasn't a great science behind it, it just came up as an idea, and it sounded good," Harris said. "We didn't know if it would work - TV with pictures - but it has." Radio Live ratings for the 6pm slot have had steady increases, he said.
Comings and goings
1995: One Network News extends to one hour.
December 1999: One Network News relaunched as One News.
April 2002: Ian Fraser takes over as chief executive officer of TVNZ.
June 2003: Bill Ralston appointed as the head of current affairs and news at TVNZ.
2004: Judy Bailey becomes the sole anchor on One News after Richard Long leaves.
November 2004: Paul Holmes, a 16-year veteran with TVNZ, resigns and reveals he's signed a three-year contract with Prime Television. The 7pm slot is relaunched as Close Up, fronted by Susan Wood.
February 2005: Hilary Barry and Mike McRoberts take over newsreading duties at 3News.
March 2005: John Campbell leaves his news presenting job to host his own show, Campbell Live.
December 2005: Judy Bailey signs off after 18 years as the face of TVNZ's news.
January 2006: Simon Dallow and Wendy Petrie present a revamped One News.
October 2006: 3News sports presenter Clint Brown leaves after a physical incident in Taupo. Hamish McKay gets the job.
December 2006: Close Up host Susan Wood resigns for health reasons. Mark Sainsbury wins the role.
April 2007: Almost 60 jobs are slashed in TVNZ's news department.
May 2007: Anthony Flannery appointed as TVNZ's head of news and current affairs.