New Zealand Herald columnist Ana Samways has uncovered uncanny similarities between a Close-Up item and a story on US television.
"Last night Close Up reporter Kate Lynch did a story exploring how many items in our home are actually made in New Zealand," Ana writes.
"She tracked down a willing Auckland family and nosed around their home looking at where all their household tat was made.
"To further illustrate the point they sent the family away, hired a removal truck and loaded all the non kiwi made household goods into it - leaving a sparse house.
"Most of the family's belongings were not made here and neither was this Close Up story. Back in January ABC News ran a very similar story in the about products made in the US ... and as this compilation of the two stories shows Lynch borrowed not only the idea, but the entire script."
TVNZ spokeswoman Georgie Hills had this to say in response:
Close Up has been running a series of investigative stories called Made in NZ after seeing what a huge success our affiliate network, ABC America, has had with Made in the USA.
We have done four stories so far. The editorial concept for the first three originated in Close Up. The idea for the one we ran last night came from ABC America World News. It was a clever concept that illustrated the point visually therefore perfect for television.
However, it would not have worked to run the American story here. It would have been completely irrelevant to a New Zealand audience, which is why we reversioned it. We found a Kiwi family and conducted the same experiment here, as we are perfectly entitled to do under our affiliation agreement.
Like ABC America, Close Up has had an incredible response from viewers on our Made In series and have several other stories planned.
