Throng

Here are a few images from the set of The Nation which starts tomorrow on TV3.  Interestingly, both Q&A and The Nation have been funded by NZ on Air for 36 episodes but The Nation is getting $1,133,156 in funding compared to Q&A's $728,817 - a difference of more than $400,000.

NB: This post will be updated shortly. In the meantime, feel free to leave your thoughts on tonights stories below.

ONE News:

3 News:

Commentary:

Verdict:
TBA

Stories from Campbell Live, 19th of March, 2010:

NB: This post will be updated shortly. In the meantime, feel free to leave your thoughts on tonights stories below.

Stories from Close Up, 19th of March, 2010:

NB: This post will be updated shortly. In the meantime, feel free to leave your thoughts on tonights stories below.

Some Sky TV customers are asking for a refund for the $24.95 they paid to watch New Zealand heavyweight boxer Shane Cameron take on former rugby league player John Hopoate after the fight was ended early in the second round with a disqualification.

Hopoate was warned in the first round about holding onto Cameron at the fight in Melbourne but ref Malcolm Butler disqualified him early in the second round for refusing to pull away and box.

Sky TV released a statement saying:

Sometimes in sport the referee makes a decision that changes the outcome of the match.

Unfortunately this is what happened last night.

Sometimes these things happen in Sport and we have no control over this.

A match can go for the full 12 rounds or last 30 seconds – whether you actually pay to go to a stadium to watch the match or view it on pay-per-view TV, this is a chance that all boxing fans take

What is it with TVNZ, seriously?  You would think that after the raging success of having The Cult on TV2 at 8:30pm on Thursday night that would have learnt their lesson.  Apparently not.

Cast your minds back a few months, if you will, and you'll remember a discussion that took place about the lead in shows to The Cult.

Last night's ratings were, simply put, deja vu.

Most watched

1. Coronation Street: 521,350 (TV ONE, 7:30pm - 8:35pm)
2. Close Up: 490,360 (TV ONE, 7:00pm - 7:30pm)
3. Highway Patrol: 489,050 (TV2, 8:05pm - 8:35pm)
4. One News: 426,380 (TV ONE, 6:00pm - 7:00pm)
5. Criminal Minds: 393,390 (TV ONE, 8:35pm - 9:30pm)

Most watched evening (7.30pm - 11pm)

1. Coronation Street: 521,350 (TV ONE, 7:30pm - 8:35pm)
2. Highway Patrol: 489,050 (TV2, 8:05pm - 8:35pm)
3. Criminal Minds: 393,390 (TV ONE, 8:35pm - 9:30pm)
4. Police Ten 7: 384,970 (TV2, 7:30pm - 8:00pm)
5. Criminal Minds: 340,980 (TV ONE, 9:30pm - 10:20pm)

Most watched daytime (9am - 5pm)

A txt poll conducted by Close Up tonight saw more than 12,000 votes cast when the question was posed Do you think we should mine our National Parks?

Of the final vote 6317 were cast as Yes while 6276 were cast as No.

It was an unscientific poll but an interesting result.