KEY POINTS:
The country's biggest television market is warming to the Mo.
Mark Sainsbury's Close Up has attracted a bigger slice of the Auckland audience since the presenter took over as host permanently this year.
The country's largest city, seen as a barometer of TV trends, has been regarded as
John Campbell's turf with his Campbell Live.
Sainsbury also won over younger viewers, with Close Up regaining the ascendancy in Auckland's 18- to 49-year-old market last month for the first time since September.
With the ratings war still raging at 6pm, the 7 o'clock current affairs slot is the battle of TV's two nice guys: Mr Moustache and Mr Marvellous.
Broadcasting School head Paul Norris cautioned it was still early days for Sainsbury - who interviewed Las Vegas rockers The Killers on his debut as permanent host on January 22 - but said some trends were emerging.
"I think a lot of people can relate to Mark, so I'm not surprised he's managed to put on some ratings figures," said Norris, a former TVNZ news boss.
He said Campbell's audience appeared to have plateaued.
"He has had a bit of trouble increasing his audience from the very start."
Paul Patrick, executive producer of Close Up, said trends would be more apparent after daylight saving ended, but "it's a good start".
He said Sainsbury's appeal was in being a "people person" and the show aimed for a consistent approach to keep viewers. "At the end of the day, we just want to make good telly."
Mark Jennings, TV3 director of news and current affairs, said the change was a small fluctuation and across the board the programmes were rating "pretty much neck-and-neck".
Metro figures showed Campbell Live was losing slightly in Auckland, but was ahead in other major centres.
"It's challenging times for current affairs programmes," Mr Jennings said. "The big beneficiary has been Shortland Street and neither us nor TVNZ can deny that."
But Mr Jennings said Campbell Live was making money, without huge amounts spent on advertising.
"If you are asking if I'm concerned about the long-term future of the programme then the answer is no."
Martin Gillman, chief executive of media planning and buying agency Total Media, said both current affairs shows lost viewers last month compared with February last year because fewer people were watching TV.
He said One News' continued haemorrhaging of viewers was "dragging down" Close Up.
Screening rival current affairs shows head-to-head was "madness" and he said one network should shift the 6 o'clock news and its follow up.
"Moving [the news] to 5.45pm probably wouldn't work in Auckland so well but it would work brilliantly elsewhere," said Gillman. "So maybe TVNZ should think about doing something a bit more radical."
* Australian-based Sky News said yesterday that from Monday it would broadcast a nightly news programme in New Zealand at 7pm, with additional broadcasts at 8.30pm and 9pm.
HOW THEY RATE
Close Up
Feb 06 17%
Feb 07 21%
Campbell Live
Feb 06 20%
Feb 07 18%
*Aucklanders aged between 18 and 49