By MIKE MATHER in Rotorua
Destiny TV may have lost its weekday morning slot on TV2, but the programme's producers have vowed to find a way to keep Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki on air.
Mr Tamaki's show has been dropped by the Government-owned network, and its 6.30am
slot has been filled by Buzz and Poppy, a New Zealand-made television show that chronicles the exploits of two adventurous huhu grubs.
Two other televangelical shows, Creflo A Dollar Jnr and This is Your Day with Benny Hinn remain screening on the network, while competing broadcasters TV3 and Prime have similar shows screening in the early hours.
Destiny TV was the main means of publicity for the Destiny Church, founded by Mr Tamaki in Rotorua. Now based in Mt Wellington, there are 20 branches of the church nationwide.
"[TVNZ] have replaced our time slot ... Their reasoning was that it did not fit with their new charter," Destiny TV producer Janine Cardno said. "We have said that it does fit their charter in many ways."
Ms Cardno said the show's producers were still talking to TVNZ about what other timeslots might be available.
However, she did not rule out a shift to another network, such as Prime.
"There are all sorts of options available to us. In the new year we will be advertising what we are going to do."
TV2 publicist Nicole Wood said she could not make any comment about why TVNZ was no longer screening the show.
The Destiny Church made headlines earlier this year when it staged its "enough is enough" march to protest the Civil Union Bill.
Around 5000 people, most dressed in black, took to the streets of Wellington to support Mr Tamaki's call to "uphold and protect marriage and the family".
The church has also set up a political party, Destiny New Zealand, which plans to stand candidates at the next general election.
