Thursday, January 17, 2013

What's The Time, Mr Wolfy? Seven Sharp!

TV One has unveiled details of its Close Up replacement.
To be called Seven Sharp, it'll roll at 7pm sharp every weeknight from Monday 04 Feb.
TVNZ says the format of the show will change with events, but a marketing source says the show will be built around short-sharp segments and be heavily oriented toward social media such as Facebook and Twitter.
Seven Sharp will be fronted by three main presenters - Greg Boyed, Alison Mau and Jesse Mulligan. Boyed and Mau have journalistic backgrounds, but Mulligan (best known as a comedian)??? Behind the scenes however is experienced former New York correspondent Tim Wilson as co-producer, and the show will also feature well-skilled reporters like Heather Du Plessis-Allan.
TVNZ's head of news and current affairs Ross Dagan says Seven Sharp's format would not be formulaic and would change according to events. While Close Up was broken up into three segments, Seven Sharp might have up to eight short "bites" or segments with up to five people on the panel.
The new show rolls out a fortnight after its TV3 competitor Campbell Live. A key sponsor, Korean car company Kia Motors, has decided not to be linked to Seven Sharp because of the format - which is more fast-paced and youth-oriented than Close Up. New car buyers are traditionally older and Kia is looking at another sponsorship deal with TVNZ.
Aiming at a short sharp show linked to social media is ambitious for TVNZ - which has been trying to attract a younger audience for TV One. However, the marketeers will be watching how the new fast-paced show goes down with older demographics, who have traditionally watched Close Up. TVNZ is hoping Seven Sharp lures people away from Campbell Live. And if Seven Sharp is successful with the younger viewers, there's a danger it could take viewers away from Shortland Street on TV2 as well.
+ Meanwhile TVNZ's aforementioned head of news and current affairs Ross Dagan has resigned after less than 9mths in the job. He's heading back to Brisbane to take up a job at Seven Network. There's also speculation that TVNZ is reviewing the way it uses international consultants to influence the format of its news and current affairs shows.The search for a replacement for the man who replaced Close Up is ongoing.
PS: 29 Jan.2013 - Seven Sharp hosts defend the prog...before it's even begun!!!

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