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Source: ONE News -
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Prime Minister John Key told a radio audience today he will try to stop Coronation St being moved to 5.30pm.
TVNZ announced on Wednesday that MasterChef is moving to 7.30pm every weeknight for the final three weeks of its season, pushing the British soap to earlier in the day.
tvnz.co.nz received dozens of messages from fans of the show angered by the move .
Hosting a radio show this afternoon, hours after it was announced New Zealand's credit rating had been downgraded , Key said Coronation St was "worth saving".
"Who's home at 5:30?" Key said on RadioLive.
He said "it's got to be moved" and he would talk to "someone important enough to see whether that can happen".
While he did not watch the show because he was "working for the nation," he said he was from the "Ena Sharples era" and enjoyed the show.
"I grew up watching Coro, and I may well be carted off watching Coro."
Key interviewed All Blacks captain Richie McCaw, Warriors' star Lewis Brown and entrepreneur Richard Branson on the show, which he described as an "election free zone".
Electoral Commission rules stipulated that the show had to be free of election issues or it could not go ahead.
Key avoided talking about the downgrade of New Zealand's credit rating until pressed by radio host Paul Henry at the end of the show.
He said while he was a "little disappointed," Standard & Poor's had downgraded eight countries in the last few weeks.
"They've been quite positive about the Government," he said, adding that it was private sector debt that was the issue.
Coronation St moves to 5.30pm from October 17.
Jeff Latch, head of TV ONE and TV2, told tvnz.co.nz that although the schedule change was temporary, there was a possibility the move could become permanent, depending on how it performs in the 5.30pm slot.
A TVNZ spokesperson said in a statement: "Like all viewers, the Prime Minister is entitled to his personal opinion."
Should John Key be getting involved? Have your say on the messageboard below.
Add a Comment:
Post new commentDave T said on 2011-10-03 @ 19:50 NZDT: Report abusive post
As Mark twain once correctly observed, TVNZ's Jeff Latch, is using "Lies, damned lies, and statistics", 525,000 on average watch every episode It is the Number 1 watch program on all NZ TV most weeks, almost always ahead of horribly padded TV1 news Jeff Latch is only quoting a 25 to 54 age group only Looking like being a soon to be a Null-TVNZ household (TV1,TV2,U,TV7)
broadie said on 2011-10-03 @ 15:42 NZDT: Report abusive post
Good on John Key for trying to get Coro Street left where it is. The idiot who wanted to axe the show needs moving - right out of TVNZ. To detractors like Mr Ed I say - you are too easily entertained. Babies are very easily entertained too. That's why there are things like mobiles that go round and round and round..... You know, a bit like cooking shows.
cmt said on 2011-10-01 @ 13:45 NZDT: Report abusive post
Please TV One leave Coronation Street where it is. There are enough cooking shows now in the evenings. It is a good time slot as no so many children watching as it's not so suitable these days for younger viewers. It's typical of TVNZ these days, good programmes are either on too late at night or they want to shift them to earlier times when we can not watch them as travelling home from work or doing our household chores etc...Never have time to catch up watching them on demand or recorded.
cmt said on 2011-10-01 @ 13:45 NZDT: Report abusive post
Please TV One leave Coronation Street where it is. There are enough cooking shows now in the evenings. It is a good time slot as no so many children watching as it's not so suitable these days for younger viewers. It's typical of TVNZ these days, good programmes are either on too late at night or they want to shift them to earlier times when we can not watch them as travelling home from work or doing our household chores etc...Never have time to catch up watching them on demand or recorded.
kenh said on 2011-10-01 @ 10:39 NZDT: Report abusive post
There will be thousands of Coro watchers in rest homes who are carted off to have dinner in their dining rooms between 5 pm and 6 pm, they will be disadvantaged.