In one corner it's Clark, in the other, Robinson

By LOUISA CLEAVE

Competition between the late-night news bulletins is tight, nine months after the launch of Late Edition.

TV3's Nightline and the TV One bulletin continue to tussle for a share of the late-night news audience in a neck-and-neck ratings battle.

In the first two weeks of September, Late Edition drew a slightly bigger audience than Nightline on seven out of 10 nights.

It was a similar picture in the first two weeks of March, a month after Late Edition was launched, and in the first two weeks of this month.

Nightline regularly beats its state competitor in its target 18 to 49 age group, at times attracting almost double the audience.

TV One measures its success in the five-plus national demographic, where Late Edition has held its audience since it first screened.

In September, Late Edition attracted between 24 and 43 per cent of the national audience watching television at the time.

Nightline ranged from 13 to 33 per cent.

In the 18 to 49 age demographic, Late Edition ranged from 12 to 34 per cent, while Nightline ranged from 12 to 41 per cent.

TVNZ head of television Shaun Brown said Late Edition had been in an "evolutionary stage" this year.

"It's met its objectives of providing more in-depth and interview content, as well as the news," he said. There might be some changes to the bulletin through the summer, he said.

Late Edition will continue through December and January but TVNZ could not say how long host Linda Clark would stay with the programme. She is expecting twins in February.

TV3 head of news and current affairs Mark Jennings said he was very happy with Nightline's performance and considered it a huge success. The show, hosted by Carolyn Robinson, constantly held or built on the TV3 audience coming off the previous programme, said Mr Jennings.

"The aim is to hold the ratings that are delivered to you because people are going to bed at that time of night. If you can hold it, or grow it, it is a success. If you look at One's Late Edition, that has been a bit of a problem for them."

The importance of the programmes leading in to the late-night news is evident in the seesaw performance of both news shows in the ratings.

The poor performance of The Panel on a Thursday night often sees Nightline's audience share down by up to half on the previous night.

But the war series Band of Brothers has been a ratings success for TV One on Wednesday nights, and this week Late Edition doubled its audience share from the previous night.

On September 12, the day news broke of the terrorist attacks in America, Late Edition drew 43 per cent of the national audience, compared with 32 per cent on Nightline.

TV3 was the preferred choice of 18 to 49-year-olds, 40 per cent of the audience choosing Nightline over 34 per cent to Late Edition.

The news programmes have different formats, which Mr Jennings believed was "not a bad thing".

Late Edition has Clark, aged 38, going for an in-depth look at the day's issues with live studio interviews.

Nightline has Robinson, in her late 20s, presenting a serious top-half wrap of the day's news, and arts and entertainment in the later half of the bulletin.

Mr Jennings said the choice of presenter was also a chance to give the show personality and they were happy with Robinson.