diff --git a/C4/NewsChannels.pm b/C4/NewsChannels.pm
index cc931d2d65..b9aa8ad98b 100644
--- a/C4/NewsChannels.pm
+++ b/C4/NewsChannels.pm
@@ -3,8 +3,7 @@ package C4::NewsChannels;
 # This file is part of Koha.
 #
 # Copyright (C) 2000-2002  Katipo Communications
-#
-# This file is part of Koha.
+# Copyright (C) 2013       Mark Tompsett
 #
 # Koha is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
 # under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
@@ -26,12 +25,12 @@ use C4::Dates qw(format_date);
 use vars qw($VERSION @ISA @EXPORT);
 
 BEGIN { 
-    $VERSION = 3.07.00.049;	# set the version for version checking
-	@ISA = qw(Exporter);
-	@EXPORT = qw(
-		&GetNewsToDisplay
-		&add_opac_new &upd_opac_new &del_opac_new &get_opac_new &get_opac_news
-	);
+    $VERSION = 3.07.00.049;    # set the version for version checking
+    @ISA = qw(Exporter);
+    @EXPORT = qw(
+        &GetNewsToDisplay
+        &add_opac_new &upd_opac_new &del_opac_new &get_opac_new &get_opac_news
+    );
 }
 
 =head1 NAME
@@ -46,29 +45,69 @@ This module provides the functions needed to mange OPAC and intranet news.
 
 =cut
 
+=head2 add_opac_new
+
+    $retval = add_opac_new($hashref);
+
+    $hashref should contains all the fields found in opac_news,
+    except idnew. The idnew field is auto-generated.
+
+=cut
+
 sub add_opac_new {
-    my ($title, $new, $lang, $expirationdate, $timestamp, $number) = @_;
-    my $dbh = C4::Context->dbh;
-    my $sth = $dbh->prepare("INSERT INTO opac_news (title, new, lang, expirationdate, timestamp, number) VALUES (?,?,?,?,?,?)");
-    $sth->execute($title, $new, $lang, $expirationdate, $timestamp, $number);
-    return 1;
+    my ($href_entry) = @_;
+    my $retval = 0;
+
+    if ($href_entry) {
+        my @fields = keys %{$href_entry};
+        my @values = values %{$href_entry};
+        my $field_string = join ',',@fields;
+        $field_string = $field_string // q{};
+        my $values_string = '?,' x ($#fields) . '?';
+        my $dbh = C4::Context->dbh;
+        my $sth = $dbh->prepare("INSERT INTO opac_news ( $field_string ) VALUES ( $values_string )");
+        $sth->execute(@values);
+        $retval = 1;
+    }
+    return $retval;
 }
 
+=head2 upd_opac_new
+
+    $retval = upd_opac_new($hashref);
+
+    $hashref should contains all the fields found in opac_news,
+    including idnew, since it is the key for the SQL UPDATE.
+
+=cut
+
 sub upd_opac_new {
-    my ($idnew, $title, $new, $lang, $expirationdate, $timestamp,$number) = @_;
-    my $dbh = C4::Context->dbh;
-    my $sth = $dbh->prepare("
-        UPDATE opac_news SET 
-            title = ?,
-            new = ?,
-            lang = ?,
-            expirationdate = ?,
-            timestamp = ?,
-            number = ?
-        WHERE idnew = ?
-    ");
-    $sth->execute($title, $new, $lang, $expirationdate, $timestamp,$number,$idnew);
-    return 1;
+    my ($href_entry) = @_;
+    my $retval = 0;
+
+    if ($href_entry) {
+        # take the keys of hash entry and make a list, but...
+        my @fields = keys %{$href_entry};
+        my @values;
+        $#values = -1;
+        my $field_string = q{};
+        foreach my $field_name (@fields) {
+            # exclude idnew
+            if ( $field_name ne 'idnew' ) {
+                $field_string = $field_string . "$field_name = ?,";
+                push @values,$href_entry->{$field_name};
+            }
+        }
+        # put idnew at the end, so we know which record to update
+        push @values,$href_entry->{'idnew'};
+        chop $field_string; # remove that excess ,
+
+        my $dbh = C4::Context->dbh;
+        my $sth = $dbh->prepare("UPDATE opac_news SET $field_string WHERE idnew = ?;");
+        $sth->execute(@values);
+        $retval = 1;
+    }
+    return $retval;
 }
 
 sub del_opac_new {
@@ -86,7 +125,8 @@ sub del_opac_new {
 sub get_opac_new {
     my ($idnew) = @_;
     my $dbh = C4::Context->dbh;
-    my $sth = $dbh->prepare("SELECT * FROM opac_news WHERE idnew = ?");
+    my $query = q{ SELECT * FROM opac_news WHERE idnew = ? };
+    my $sth = $dbh->prepare($query);
     $sth->execute($idnew);
     my $data = $sth->fetchrow_hashref;
     $data->{$data->{'lang'}} = 1 if defined $data->{lang};
@@ -97,17 +137,19 @@ sub get_opac_new {
 
 sub get_opac_news {
     my ($limit, $lang) = @_;
+    my @values;
     my $dbh = C4::Context->dbh;
-    my $query = "SELECT *, timestamp AS newdate FROM opac_news";
+    my $query = q{ SELECT *, timestamp AS newdate FROM opac_news };
     if ($lang) {
-        $query.= " WHERE lang = '" .$lang ."' ";
+        $query.= " WHERE (lang='' OR lang=?)";
+        push @values,$lang;
     }
-    $query.= " ORDER BY timestamp DESC ";
+    $query.= ' ORDER BY timestamp DESC ';
     #if ($limit) {
-    #    $query.= "LIMIT 0, " . $limit;
+    #    $query.= 'LIMIT 0, ' . $limit;
     #}
     my $sth = $dbh->prepare($query);
-    $sth->execute();
+    $sth->execute(@values);
     my @opac_news;
     my $count = 0;
     while (my $row = $sth->fetchrow_hashref) {
@@ -128,26 +170,29 @@ sub get_opac_news {
 =cut
 
 sub GetNewsToDisplay {
-    my $lang = shift;
+    my ($lang) = @_;
     my $dbh = C4::Context->dbh;
     # SELECT *,DATE_FORMAT(timestamp, '%d/%m/%Y') AS newdate
-    my $query = "
+    my $query = q{
      SELECT *,timestamp AS newdate
      FROM   opac_news
      WHERE   (
         expirationdate >= CURRENT_DATE()
         OR    expirationdate IS NULL
         OR    expirationdate = '00-00-0000'
-      )
-      AND   `timestamp` <= CURRENT_DATE()
-      AND   lang = ?
-      ORDER BY number
-    ";				# expirationdate field is NOT in ISO format?
+     )
+     AND   `timestamp` < CURRENT_DATE()+1
+     AND   (lang = '' OR lang = ?)
+     ORDER BY number
+    }; # expirationdate field is NOT in ISO format?
+       # timestamp has HH:mm:ss, CURRENT_DATE generates 00:00:00
+       #           by adding 1, that captures today correctly.
     my $sth = $dbh->prepare($query);
+    $lang = $lang // q{};
     $sth->execute($lang);
     my @results;
     while ( my $row = $sth->fetchrow_hashref ){
-		$row->{newdate} = format_date($row->{newdate});
+        $row->{newdate} = format_date($row->{newdate});
         push @results, $row;
     }
     return \@results;
diff --git a/t/db_dependent/NewsChannels.t b/t/db_dependent/NewsChannels.t
old mode 100755
new mode 100644
index 261abd541b..0e34cb0d3a
--- a/t/db_dependent/NewsChannels.t
+++ b/t/db_dependent/NewsChannels.t
@@ -3,10 +3,18 @@
 use Modern::Perl;
 use C4::Dates qw(format_date);
 use C4::Branch qw(GetBranchName);
-use Test::More tests => 8;
+use Test::More tests => 10;
+use Readonly;
+
+Readonly my $F1 => 1;
+Readonly my $F2 => 2;
+Readonly my $F3 => 3;
+Readonly my $F4 => 4;
+Readonly my $F5 => 5;
+Readonly my $F6 => 6;
 
 BEGIN {
-        use_ok('C4::NewsChannels');
+    use_ok('C4::NewsChannels');
 }
 
 my $dbh = C4::Context->dbh;
@@ -16,77 +24,94 @@ $dbh->{AutoCommit} = 0;
 $dbh->{RaiseError} = 1;
 
 # Test add_opac_new
+my $rv = add_opac_new();    # intentionally bad
+ok( $rv == 0, 'Correctly failed on no parameter!' );
+
 my $timestamp = '2000-01-01';
 my ( $timestamp1, $timestamp2 ) = ( $timestamp, $timestamp );
-my ($title1,         $new1,
-    $lang1, $expirationdate1, $number1) =
-   ( 'News Title',  '<p>We have some exciting news!</p>',
-    '',    '2999-12-30',    1 );
-my $rv = add_opac_new( $title1, $new1, $lang1, $expirationdate1, $timestamp1, $number1 );
-ok($rv==1,"Successfully added the first dummy news item!");
+my ( $title1, $new1, $lang1, $expirationdate1, $number1 ) =
+  ( 'News Title', '<p>We have some exciting news!</p>', q{}, '2999-12-30', 1 );
+my $href_entry1 = {
+    title          => $title1,
+    new            => $new1,
+    lang           => $lang1,
+    expirationdate => $expirationdate1,
+    timestamp      => $timestamp1,
+    number         => $number1,
+};
 
-my ($title2,         $new2,
-    $lang2, $expirationdate2, $number2) =
-   ( 'News Title2', '<p>We have some exciting news!</p>',
-    '',    '2999-12-31',    1 );
-$rv = add_opac_new( $title2, $new2, $lang2, $expirationdate2, $timestamp2, $number2 );
-ok($rv==1,"Successfully added the second dummy news item!");
+$rv = add_opac_new($href_entry1);
+ok( $rv == 1, 'Successfully added the first dummy news item!' );
+
+my ( $title2, $new2, $lang2, $expirationdate2, $number2 ) =
+  ( 'News Title2', '<p>We have some exciting news!</p>', q{}, '2999-12-31', 1 );
+my $href_entry2 = {
+    title          => $title2,
+    new            => $new2,
+    lang           => $lang2,
+    expirationdate => $expirationdate2,
+    timestamp      => $timestamp2,
+    number         => $number2,
+};
+$rv = add_opac_new($href_entry2);
+ok( $rv == 1, 'Successfully added the second dummy news item!' );
 
 # We need to determine the idnew in a non-MySQLism way.
 # This should be good enough.
-my $sth = $dbh->prepare(q{
-  SELECT idnew from opac_news
-  WHERE timestamp='2000-01-01' AND
-        expirationdate='2999-12-30';
-                        });
+my $query =
+q{ SELECT idnew from opac_news WHERE timestamp='2000-01-01' AND expirationdate='2999-12-30'; };
+my $sth = $dbh->prepare($query);
 $sth->execute();
 my $idnew1 = $sth->fetchrow;
-$sth = $dbh->prepare(q{
-  SELECT idnew from opac_news
-  WHERE timestamp='2000-01-01' AND
-        expirationdate='2999-12-31';
-                      });
+$query =
+q{ SELECT idnew from opac_news WHERE timestamp='2000-01-01' AND expirationdate='2999-12-31'; };
+$sth = $dbh->prepare($query);
 $sth->execute();
 my $idnew2 = $sth->fetchrow;
 
 # Test upd_opac_new
-$new2 = '<p>Update! There is no news!</p>';
-$rv = upd_opac_new( $idnew2, $title2, $new2, $lang2, $expirationdate2, $timestamp2, $number2 );
-ok($rv==1,"Successfully updated second dummy news item!");
+$rv = upd_opac_new();    # intentionally bad parmeters
+ok( $rv == 0, 'Correctly failed on no parameter!' );
+
+$new2                 = '<p>Update! There is no news!</p>';
+$href_entry2->{new}   = $new2;
+$href_entry2->{idnew} = $idnew2;
+$rv                   = upd_opac_new($href_entry2);
+ok( $rv == 1, 'Successfully updated second dummy news item!' );
 
 # Test get_opac_new (single news item)
-$timestamp1 = format_date( $timestamp1 );
-$expirationdate1 = format_date( $expirationdate1 );
-$timestamp2 = format_date( $timestamp2 );
-$expirationdate2 = format_date( $expirationdate2 );
+$timestamp1      = format_date($timestamp1);
+$expirationdate1 = format_date($expirationdate1);
+$timestamp2      = format_date($timestamp2);
+$expirationdate2 = format_date($expirationdate2);
 
 my $hashref_check = get_opac_new($idnew1);
-my $failure = 0;
-if ($hashref_check->{title}          ne $title1)          { $failure = 1; }
-if ($hashref_check->{new}            ne $new1)            { $failure = 1; }
-if ($hashref_check->{lang}           ne $lang1)           { $failure = 1; }
-if ($hashref_check->{expirationdate} ne $expirationdate1) { $failure = 1; }
-if ($hashref_check->{timestamp}      ne $timestamp1)      { $failure = 1; }
-if ($hashref_check->{number}         ne $number1)         { $failure = 1; }
-ok($failure==0,"Successfully tested get_opac_new id1!");
+my $failure       = 0;
+if ( $hashref_check->{title}          ne $title1 )          { $failure = $F1; }
+if ( $hashref_check->{new}            ne $new1 )            { $failure = $F2; }
+if ( $hashref_check->{lang}           ne $lang1 )           { $failure = $F3; }
+if ( $hashref_check->{expirationdate} ne $expirationdate1 ) { $failure = $F4; }
+if ( $hashref_check->{timestamp}      ne $timestamp1 )      { $failure = $F5; }
+if ( $hashref_check->{number}         ne $number1 )         { $failure = $F6; }
+ok( $failure == 0, "Successfully tested get_opac_new id1 ($failure)!" );
 
 # Test get_opac_new (single news item)
 $hashref_check = get_opac_new($idnew2);
-$failure = 0;
-if ($hashref_check->{title}          ne $title2)          { $failure = 1; }
-if ($hashref_check->{new}            ne $new2)            { $failure = 1; }
-if ($hashref_check->{lang}           ne $lang2)           { $failure = 1; }
-if ($hashref_check->{expirationdate} ne $expirationdate2) { $failure = 1; }
-if ($hashref_check->{timestamp}      ne $timestamp2)      { $failure = 1; }
-if ($hashref_check->{number}         ne $number2)         { $failure = 1; }
-ok($failure==0,"Successfully tested get_opac_new id2!");
+$failure       = 0;
+if ( $hashref_check->{title}          ne $title2 )          { $failure = $F1; }
+if ( $hashref_check->{new}            ne $new2 )            { $failure = $F2; }
+if ( $hashref_check->{lang}           ne $lang2 )           { $failure = $F3; }
+if ( $hashref_check->{expirationdate} ne $expirationdate2 ) { $failure = $F4; }
+if ( $hashref_check->{timestamp}      ne $timestamp2 )      { $failure = $F5; }
+if ( $hashref_check->{number}         ne $number2 )         { $failure = $F6; }
+ok( $failure == 0, "Successfully tested get_opac_new id2 ($failure)!" );
 
 # Test get_opac_news (multiple news items)
-my ($opac_news_count, $arrayref_opac_news) = get_opac_news(0,'');
-ok($opac_news_count>=2,"Successfully tested get_opac_news!");
+my ( $opac_news_count, $arrayref_opac_news ) = get_opac_news( 0, q{} );
+ok( $opac_news_count >= 2, 'Successfully tested get_opac_news!' );
 
 # Test GetNewsToDisplay
-($opac_news_count, $arrayref_opac_news) = GetNewsToDisplay('');
-ok($opac_news_count>=2,"Successfully tested GetNewsToDisplay!");
+( $opac_news_count, $arrayref_opac_news ) = GetNewsToDisplay(q{});
+ok( $opac_news_count >= 2, 'Successfully tested GetNewsToDisplay!' );
 
 $dbh->rollback;
diff --git a/tools/koha-news.pl b/tools/koha-news.pl
index 5578b3158e..057a6011ad 100755
--- a/tools/koha-news.pl
+++ b/tools/koha-news.pl
@@ -87,11 +87,28 @@ if ( $op eq 'add_form' ) {
     }
 }
 elsif ( $op eq 'add' ) {
-    add_opac_new( $title, $new, $lang, $expirationdate, $timestamp, $number );
+    my $parameters = {
+                      title          => $title,
+                      new            => $new,
+                      lang           => $lang,
+                      expirationdate => $expirationdate,
+                      timestamp      => $timestamp,
+                      number         => $number,
+                  };
+    add_opac_new( $parameters );
     print $cgi->redirect("/cgi-bin/koha/tools/koha-news.pl");
 }
 elsif ( $op eq 'edit' ) {
-    upd_opac_new( $id, $title, $new, $lang, $expirationdate, $timestamp ,$number );
+    my $parameters = {
+                      idnew          => $id,
+                      title          => $title,
+                      new            => $new,
+                      lang           => $lang,
+                      expirationdate => $expirationdate,
+                      timestamp      => $timestamp,
+                      number         => $number,
+                  };
+    upd_opac_new( $parameters );
     print $cgi->redirect("/cgi-bin/koha/tools/koha-news.pl");
 }
 elsif ( $op eq 'del' ) {