Seven News
Seven News
Seven News is the television news service of the Seven Network and, as of 2016, the highest-rating in Australia. [1]
Seven Early News
Seven Morning News
Seven Afternoon News
Seven News at Five
National bulletins are introduced from Seven’s high definition studios in Martin Place, Sydney, while flagship six pm bulletins are produced in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth city based studios. The network also produces local news bulletins for regional Queensland and the Gold Coast.
The news service is retransmitted via a number of regional affiliates, including Prime7, GWN7, Southern Cross Television and WIN Television. It draws upon the resources of ITN, NBC, MediaWorks Fresh Zealand, CBC, CNN, APTN and Reuters for select international coverage. The network’s Director of News and Current Affairs is Craig McPherson.
Contents
Seven News, previously known as Seven National News and Seven Nightly News from January one thousand nine hundred eighty eight to February 2000, is one of Australia’s longest-running television news services, founded in 1958, along with Nine News on the rival Nine Network.
In 2003, former Nine Network news and current affairs chief Peter Meakin was appointed to Seven News, [Two] [Three] tasked with lifting ratings in the fighting east coast markets by including more local content in those bulletins. [Four]
Seven News has been the top rating news service nationally for all but three years since 2005, [Five] [6] partly attributed to the success of television game demonstrate Deal or No Deal (and later The Pursue Australia), [7] which provided the flagship 6pm bulletin with a significant lead-in audience. [8]
In 2007, Seven News hit National Nine News and Ten News in ratings for the very first time in the Melbourne market. During the year, they ranked highest twenty weeks compared to Nine’s nineteen weeks, while one week was tied. [9] Previously, in 2006, Seven had ranked on top sixteen weeks in while Nine had twenty four weeks on top in Melbourne.
During 2008, from weeknight to weeknight, Seven and Nine had similar ratings, often switching the most popular demonstrate from night to night. [Ten] As of 2013, Nine News retains a national lead, albeit Seven still has a taut grip on the Adelaide and Perth bulletins. In November 2012, Peter Meakin resigned as director of news and current affairs of the Seven Network after nine years in the role, with Rob Raschke named as his successor.
In October 2013, it was announced that the Saturday 6pm bulletins would be extended to one hour, likely as a reaction to Nine News regaining its national lead in 2013. [11]
On Monday twenty January 2014, the news theme was overhauled with the traditional The Mission chunk eliminated after two decades, [12] however, due to viewer backlash, The Mission was reinstated on Friday twenty four January 2014. [13]
In February 2014, Today Tonight was axed in the Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane markets and the news bulletins were extended to one hour. The Adelaide and Perth bulletins remain at thirty minutes with Today Tonight being retained in those two markets only. [14]
In 2015, Seven News suffered its worst ratings year for over a decade, with all three of its east coast bulletins, as well as its regional Queensland bulletins, languishing behind Nine News and its Adelaide bulletin also embarking to lose to Nine on weeknights. [15] However, Seven News soon reclaimed the lead nationally the following year, aided by the fresh game demonstrate lead-in The Pursue Australia, which helped to increase numbers in Sydney and Melbourne, as well as a narrow Trio,000 viewer loss to Nine in Brisbane. [16] [1]
In July 2016, a fresh locally focused bulletin for the Gold Coast was introduced, airing at Five.30pm every evening from the network’s Surfers Paradise studios. [17] The debut bulletin won its timeslot with 49,000, compared to the rival Nine Gold Coast News which drew 34,000 viewers. [Legal] However, Nine still remains ahead of Seven overall in the Gold Coast market.
Seven Early News Edit
Seven Early News airs at five am on weekdays and is introduced by Jodie Speers, and includes news, business, finance, sport and weather. It airs from Seven’s Martin Place studios and is followed by Sunrise.
The bulletin very first aired on fourteen July 2008, introduced by Simon Reeve, and draws upon overnight news stories from the network’s international news resources as well as extra weather forecasts and financial news reports. [Nineteen]
In January 2016, it was announced that Jodie Speers would substitute Natalie Barr and Mark Beretta (sport) due to Sunrise kicking off at Five:30am. The bulletin also moved to the earlier time of 5am. [20] [21]
Seven Morning News Edit
Seven Morning News airs at 11.30 am on weekdays and is introduced by Ann Sanders (Monday – Thursday) and Chris Reason (Friday) from Seven’s Martin Place studios with sport introduced by Ryan Phelan (Monday) and Jim Wilson (Tuesday – Friday) and weather introduced by David Brown (Monday – Thursday) and Angie Asimus (Friday).
Chris Bath previously introduced the bulletin from two thousand four until 2006. In 2006, Bath and Sanders interchanged roles with Bath appointed weekend presenter on Seven News Sydney and Sanders appointed presenter of Seven Morning News.
Pack in presenters for the bulletin include Angela Cox, Robert Ovadia, Sally Bowrey and Sarah Jizzing (News), Matt Carmichael, Jim Wilson and Liam Cox (Sport).
Seven News Updates Edit
Brief localised updates are introduced during the afternoons by various state-based reporters and eventually presenters & evenings by the state-based presenters.
Late night updates (from around ten pm) are introduced on weeknights from Sydney’s Martin Place ATN-7 (usually weekdays) or Melbourne’s Docklands HSV-7 studios (usually weekends). The national late night news updates air with the latest national and international headlines, including a national weather forecast for the following day. The updates have a slightly longer duration of around three minutes compared to the other normal Seven News updates. They are also broadcast on the Network’s multi-channel 7Two at a different time.
When violating stories occur, newsflashes are introduced from Seven’s Martin Place studio or Seven Melbourne’s national broadcast centre.
Seven News at Five Edit
Seven News at Five airs at Five:00 pm every Saturday and Sunday and is introduced by Angie Asimus, which includes news, sport, finance and weather. It airs from Seven’s Martin Place studios. The bulletin does not air in Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth during the AFL season; as well as on the Gold Coast due to its nightly local news service at Five:30 pm.
The bulletin very first aired on one March two thousand fifteen as a ‘Special Presentation’ until it became permanent on twenty nine March 2015. Fill-in presenters include Angela Cox and Robert Ovadia.
Seven’s affiliate Southern Cross Television in Tasmania airs the bulletin on gauze delay at Five:30 pm right before SCTV’s main bulletin at 6pm.
Afternoon news Edit
National bulletin Edit
Seven’s national afternoon bulletin was introduced in two thousand three as Target Iraq, during extensive coverage of the two thousand three invasion of Iraq, and introduced from Sydney by David Johnston. The program was retained after the initial invasion and moved production to Melbourne and was subsequently renamed the Seven Four.30 News. Johnston retired in September two thousand five and succeeded by Rebecca Maddern until production returned to Sydney in July 2006. Former US correspondent Mike Amor took over as anchor and the bulletin was relocated to the Martin Place Sydney studio. Amor was substituted three months later by Samantha Armytage. On three December 2010, the bulletin was extended to sixty minutes and began to feature a sports bulletin. [22] However, on seven May 2012, the bulletin was truncated back to thirty minutes as The Price is Right returned to the Five:00 pm timeslot.
On two April 2012, a 30-minute Perth edition was launched, airing as a cutaway half-hour bulletin at Four:30pm, following the very first half-hour of the national bulletin at 4pm. Regional and Remote Western Australia did not receive the Four.30 afternoon news on GWN7; rather, the network substituted it with its own local news service at Five:30pm.
In December 2012, the bulletin was renamed as Seven Afternoon News. In January 2013, the bulletin returned to an hour due to the axing of The Price Is Right and returned to the Melbourne studio with Rebecca Maddern substituting Samantha Armytage.
However, in August two thousand thirteen Maddern was substituted by Melissa Doyle and Matt White and the bulletin expanded to commence at four pm.
In April 2014, Matt White resigned from the Seven Network to join Network Ten. The bulletin was introduced solo by Melissa Doyle up until July 2015.
In June 2015, the Network announced senior presenter Chris Bath’s resignation and that Melissa Doyle would take over as Seven News Sydney weekend presenter from July.
The last incarnation of the national bulletin was broadcast from the network’s Martin Place studios and was introduced by Ann Sanders (Monday – Thursday) and Chris Reason (Friday). Sport was introduced by Mel McLaughlin (Monday) and Jim Wilson (Tuesday – Friday) and weather was introduced by David Brown (Monday – Thursday) and Amelia Mulcahy or Angie Asimus (Friday). The national edition simulcasted across Fresh South Wales and Australian Capital Territory through Prime7, in Griffith through WIN Television’s Seven Griffith, Tasmania through Southern Cross Television and South Australia through WIN Television SA and Southern Cross GTS/BKN.
Local bulletins Edit
Hour-long local afternoon bulletins were launched periodically in the capital cities, substituting the National bulletin in total. Melbourne and Brisbane launched local afternoon bulletins in August 2015. [23] In July 2017, Adelaide launched their own local edition, [24] while the half-hour Perth bulletin was extended to substitute the national bulletin in utter. [25]
Presently, Seven Afternoon News is aired at Four:00 pm on weekdays in five separate local editions:
- The Sydney edition is broadcast from the network’s Martin Place studios and is introduced by Ann Sanders (Monday – Thursday) and Chris Reason (Friday). Sport is introduced by Mel McLaughlin (Monday) and Jim Wilson (Tuesday – Friday) and weather is introduced by David Brown (Monday – Thursday) and Angie Asimus (Friday). The local edition simulcasted across Fresh South Wales and Australian Capital Territory through Prime7, and in Griffith through WIN Television’s Seven Griffith.
- The Melbourne edition is broadcast from the network’s Docklands studios in Melbourne and is introduced by Jacqueline Felgate, with weather introduced by meteorologistJane Bunn. [23] The local edition simulcasts across Victoria and Fresh South Wales/South Australian border areas through Prime7 Victoria and Prime7 Mildura, as well as Tasmania through Southern Cross Television.
- The Queensland edition is broadcast from the network’s Climb on Coot-tha studios in Brisbane and is introduced by Kendall Gilding. Giaan Rooney presents sport on Thursday and Fridays, with Tony Auden presenting the weather. Originally launched as a separate 90-minute bulletin in the South East Queensland region (Brisbane and surrounding areas received by BTQ transmitters), it is now simulcast across the state via Seven Queensland and across central & remote areas of eastern Australia on Southern Cross Central. It is also being aired in Darwin, Northern Territory through affiliate Southern Cross Television (TND-34), where it broadcasts live into all relevant timezones, thus ending the bulletin at Four:30pm in Darwin. On the Gold Coast, the bulletin finishes at Four:30 pm, due to the launch of the Gold Coast service on four July. On ten August 2017, two years to the day since the bulletin launched, the local service claimed victory in the Four:00 pm timeslot, winning twenty one weeks to the rival Nine Live Queensland’s two weeks. [26]
- The Adelaide edition is broadcast from the network’s Hindmarsh studios in Adelaide and is introduced by Rosanna Mangiarelli. [24] It is simulcast across South Australia through WIN Television SA and Southern Cross GTS/BKN.
- The Perth edition is broadcast from the network’s Osborne Park studios in Perth and is introduced by Samantha Jolly. Unlike the former breakaway, the bulletin runs for a total hour. [25] Regional WA affiliate GWN7, however, will end the bulletin at Four:30 pm to accommodate its local weeknight news service at Five:30 pm.
Nightly news Edit
Sydney Edit
Seven News Sydney is introduced by Mark Ferguson from Sunday to Thursday and Michael Usher on Friday & Saturday from the Martin Place studios. Sport is introduced by Mel McLaughlin from Sunday to Thursday and Jim Wilson on Friday & Saturday. David Brown presents weather from Sunday-Thursday with Angie Asimus presenting on Friday & Saturday.
The Sydney bulletin is simulcast to the regional areas of Fresh South Wales and Australian Capital Territory through Prime7 and to Griffith via WIN Television’s Seven Griffith.
After decades of trailing Nine News Sydney and Ten News Sydney in the ratings, which led to the removal of Ross Symonds and Ann Sanders as the weeknight presenters in 2003, Seven News Sydney’s attempts to boost ratings began in December with the appointment of Ian Ross as main weeknight anchor and the relocation of the bulletin, and other national bulletins, to fresh street-level studios in Martin Place in August 2004, thus permitting bystanders to see bulletins being broadcast live. After two years of presenting the national morning news, Chris Bath returned to her former role as weekend news presenter in 2006, interchanging roles with Ann Sanders. Ross introduced his final bulletin for Seven News Sydney on Friday twenty seven November 2009. Bath took over as main weeknight presenter from Monday thirty November two thousand nine while former Nine News presenter Mark Ferguson took over as weekend presenter on Saturday twenty eight November 2009. [Three] [27]
The bulletin retained its ratings lead until 2011, when it lost to the rival Nine News bulletin for the very first time in seven years. [28]
In January 2014, Mark Ferguson was appointed weeknight presenter, substituting Chris Bath due to poor ratings. Bath became weekend presenter and continued to host Sunday Night until her resignation in July 2015, [29] after which Melissa Doyle took over. [30] More switches to Sydney’s news presenting team in subsequent months eyed former Melbourne weather presenter David Brown substitute Sarah Spunking as the Sunday-Thursday weather presenter, Mel McLaughlin substitute Jim Wilson as the Sunday-Thursday sports presenter and Wilson substitute Ryan Phelan as the Friday-Saturday sports presenter. [31]
In August 2016, it was announced that Michael Usher would substitute Melissa Doyle as Friday and Saturday presenter. Doyle moved into a fresh expanded role as senior correspondent and host of Sunday Night. [32]
Fill-in presenters include Chris Reason, Angela Cox, Angie Asimus, Ann Sanders and Natalie Barr (News), Ryan Phelan and Matt Carmichael (Sport), and Angie Asimus and Sally Bowrey (Weather). Late night news updates are usually introduced by one of Angie Asimus, Alex Hart, Paul Kadak or Cameron Price.
Melbourne Edit
Seven News Melbourne is directed by Simon Pristel and introduced by Peter Mitchell on weeknights and Jennifer Keyte on weekends from Broadcast Centre Melbourne. Sport is introduced by Tim Watson on weeknights and Sean Sowerby on weekends. Weather is introduced by Jane Bunn (Sunday-Friday) and Melina Sarris (Saturday).
Peter Mitchell previously held the role of weekend presenter for Seven Nightly News inbetween one thousand nine hundred eighty seven and two thousand when he substituted the short-lived presenting duo of David Johnston and Anne Fulwood. Jennifer Keyte was appointed as weeknight presenter in 1990, becoming Australia’s very first solo female primetime commercial news presenter. [ citation needed ] In a network reshuffle in 1996, Keyte terminated her employment after the Seven Network attempted to pair her with David Johnston, who went to present solo for three years. [ citation needed ] She returned in 2003, assuming the role as weekend presenter, succeeding Jennifer Adams.
Following decades of coming 2nd in television ratings to Nine News Melbourne and Ten Eyewitness News Melbourne (previously Ten Evening News, Ten News: Very first at Five, Ten News at Five and Ten News at Six), Seven News Melbourne went into a taut contest to win the ratings battle in 2005. Seven News overtook the rival Nine bulletin in the ratings in 2007. [Four] This was subsequently followed by a series of advertisements and promos which have touted Seven News Melbourne as Melbourne’s Fresh #1 and Nine altering their promotions to simply say Melbourne’s Best News – a throwback to the 1980s when National Nine News Melbourne was being hammered in the ratings by ATV-10’s Ten Eyewitness News. As of 2011, Seven has lost its ratings lead at six pm to nine pm.
The bulletin is simulcast via regional Victoria and Fresh South Wales/South Australia border areas that receive television services from Victoria through Prime7 (with the NSW Border receiving a trimmed down 30-minute version of the full-hour news on weeknights), and to viewers in Darwin, Northern Territory through Southern Cross Television (TND-34). [33] During the AFL season, the Saturday edition of Seven News Melbourne airs for only thirty minutes to fit in with the Seven Network’s Saturday night AFL coverage.
Fill-in presenters include Jacqueline Felgate, Nick McCallum, Emily Angwin and Blake Johnson (News), Michael Felgate and Nathan Templeton (Sport) and Emily Angwin and Melina Sarris (Weather).
Brisbane Edit
Seven News Brisbane is directed by Ross Dagan and introduced by Sharyn Ghidella and Bill McDonald on weeknights and Kay McGrath on weekends from Seven’s Brisbane studios, located at Climb on Coot-tha. Sport is introduced by Shane Webcke on weeknights and Pat Welsh on weekends. Weather is introduced by Tony Auden on weeknights and Paul Burt on weekends.
The bulletin is also simulcast in Brisbane on local radio station 96.Five Family FM, and across central & remote areas of eastern Australia, on Southern Cross Central. Regional Queensland viewers in the Sunshine Coast, Broad Bay-Burnett, Toowoomba, Rockhampton, Mackay, Townsville and Cairns television markets receive a trimmed down 30-minute version of the newshour on weeknights via Seven Queensland, with a live simulcast on weekends.
Previously, Tracey Challenor introduced the weekend news for sixteen years until her resignation in February 2007. Cummins was very first appointed to the weekday weather in two thousand five after more than a year of the Brisbane bulletin not having a weather presenter; former kids showcase presenter Tony Johnston had this role in 2003. Cummins was substituted by former Nine weatherman John Schluter in early two thousand seven and she was moved to weekends. Ghidella joined Seven News in two thousand seven and substituted Challenor.
In October 2002, Rod Youthful moved from ABC News in Brisbane to co-anchor with Kay McGrath. She had introduced Seven News Brisbane solo for the previous nine months following the retirement of Frank Warrick. Following a duo of lean years coming third to Nine News Brisbane and Ten Eyewitness News Brisbane, Seven News Brisbane regained its ratings lead by 2007, helped by the recruitment of ex-Nine weatherman John Schluter and director of news Rob Raschke. In 2008, Seven News Brisbane was officially the #1 bulletin in Brisbane, winning all forty ratings weeks. As of 2013, Seven has lost its ratings lead at six pm to nine pm.
In January 2013, Sharyn Ghidella and Bill McDonald were appointed Sunday to Thursday presenters with Kay McGrath and Rod Youthfull moving to present on Friday & Saturday. It was also announced that Ghidella will present a local edition of Today Tonight, which was axed in January two thousand fourteen in favour of the bulletin’s one hour extension.
In June 2016, it was announced that Rod Youthfull would leave Seven News Brisbane to present a fresh local bulletin for the Gold Coast.
News updates for Brisbane are introduced by Sharyn Ghidella or Bill McDonald via the afternoon and the early evening. Patrick Condren, Kay McGrath, Rod Youthfull, Bianca Stone, Katrina Blowers and Jillian Whiting are fill-in news presenters for the bulletin. Rohan Welsh is the fill-in sports presenter and Liz Cantor and Kendall Gilding are the fill-in weather presenters.
Adelaide Edit
Seven News Adelaide is directed by Terry Plane and introduced by Jane Doyle and John Riddell on weeknights and Jessica Adamson on weekends from Seven’s studios located at Hindmarsh. Sport is introduced by Bruce Abernethy on weeknights and Mark Soderstrom on weekends. Weather is introduced by Amelia Mulcahy on weeknights and Tim Noomen on weekends.
The Adelaide bulletin is simulcast to the regional areas of South Australia on Southern Cross Television GTS/BKN in the Spencer Gulf region and Cracked Hill in Fresh South Wales, and through WIN South Australia in the Riverland and Climb on Gambier/South East regions of the state.
From one thousand nine hundred eighty nine to two thousand four Graeme Goodings introduced Seven News Adelaide on weeknights with Doyle until he was diagnosed with bowel cancer. Goodings and Riddell, the then weekend news presenter, agreed to exchange roles, permitting for Goodings’ rehabilitation. Goodings left Seven News Adelaide in December 2014, after thirty four years reading Adelaide’s news.
Prior to twenty seven December 1987, the presenters and production team of Seven News Adelaide produced Ten News Adelaide (then known as Ten Eyewitness News). However, as the television industry was consolidating in Australia, these news services had each become associated by ownership with inter-state news services being broadcast on opposite frequencies; therefore, to simplify network interaction, their respective networks agreed to interchange channel assignments and network affiliations in Adelaide.
In December 2007, production of Seven News moved from studios located at Gilberton to a fresh purpose-built space at Hindmarsh. [34]
During the AFL season, Seven News Adelaide does not air at the regular time on Saturdays or Sundays if there is a twilight match involving Adelaide and/or Port Adelaide, in which case, a shortened edition is broadcast at half time, substituting analysis of the AFL matches broadcast, or a utter bulletin is broadcast instantly after the game.
In 2014, Seven News Adelaide won every single ratings weeknight against the rival Nine News Adelaide, [35] but in two thousand fifteen embarked to lose some nights to Nine as Seven News as a entire suffered its worst ratings figures for over a decade. [15] Still, it clocked up four hundred consecutive weekly ratings wins that year, and as of 2017, has won the last eighteen consecutive ratings years dating back to 2000. [36]
Fill-in presenters include Mike Smithson, Andrea Nicolas and Mark Mooney (News), Theo Doropoulos and Wayne Phillips (Sport) and Tim Noonan (Weather). News updates are regularly introduced by reporters or fill-in presenters.
Perth Edit
Seven News Perth is directed by Howard Gretton and introduced by Rick Ardon and Susannah Carr on weeknights and Angela Tsun on weekends from Seven and West Australian Newspaper studios located at Osborne Park. Sport is introduced by Basil Zempilas on weeknights and Adrian Barich on weekends. Weather is introduced by Samantha Jolly on weeknights. Seven News Perth is also simulcast on the GWN network to regional and remote areas of Western Australia and Curtin FM 100.1 in the Perth CBD area, but as of 2016, the simulcast on radio had a broadcasting break.
Long standing Seven News Perth presenter Jeff Newman announced his retirement from television on one July 2009, and retired from his role on Monday ten August 2009. He was substituted by former Nine News Perth weather presenter Natalia Cooper, who began her fresh role during September 2009. Cooper resigned from Seven Perth at the end of two thousand twelve with ex-Nine weather presenter Angela Tsun taking over as her replacement for the Four:30 pm news and six pm weather forecasts.
In 2015, Rick Ardon and Susannah Carr celebrated a thirty-year anniversary as a news reading duo. They are one of the longest serving dual news presenter teams in the world and the dual-presenter format used by Seven News Perth has been very successful. In contrast to previous fights seen in Sydney and Melbourne in the late 1990s, Seven News Perth has led in the ratings for decades, well ahead of Ten Eyewitness News Perth and Nine News Perth by as many as 100,000 viewers.
News updates for Perth are introduced by Angela Tsun, Susannah Carr or Rick Ardon via the afternoon and by Susannah Carr or Rick Ardon in the early evening. Yvette Mooney was the weekend news presenter until she was diagnosed with breast cancer in two thousand seven and subsequently left the network in June 2008. Before the stir to the Osborne Park Studios in Feb 2015, Blake Johnson and Samantha Jolly alternated fortnightly presenting for both Weekend bulletins. Fill-in presenters include Paula Voce, Samantha Jolly (News) and Chris Youthfull (Sport).
Regional Queensland Edit
Local news bulletins for Regional Queensland are broadcast each weeknight at 6pm, in all seven regional areas: Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Broad Bay, Toowoomba, the Sunshine Coast, and Rockhampton. They are followed by a shortened thirty minute version of Seven News Brisbane. The bulletins are repeated on a half hour delay on 7Two at 6.30pm.
The bulletins are introduced by Rob Brough, with Joanne Desmond co-anchoring the Cairns, Townsville, Rockhampton and Toowoomba editions. Nathan Spurling presents sport with Livio Regano presenting weather for all seven sub-regions. Fill-in presenters include Steve Titmus and Katie Toney (news), Luke McGarry (sport) and Rosanna Natoli (weather).
Reporters and camera crews are based at newsrooms in each of the seven regions with studio presentation for the Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Darling Downs, Rockhampton and Broad Bay bulletins pre-recorded at studios in Maroochydore. The Sunshine Coast edition of Seven News is broadcast live, but may also exchange it to any of the six pre-recorded regions at certain circumstances (e.g., cyclone coverage in the nearest region of instant concern). News editing is undertaken by the local newsrooms, and sent to the main Maroochydore studios for transmission.
The most successful edition of Seven Local News is broadcast on the Sunshine Coast. In early 1998, WIN Television launched a rivaling service publicly stating that it would hit Seven in the ratings within six months. At the end of the one thousand nine hundred ninety eight ratings season, after a fresh station head (Laurie Patton) had overseen a comprehensive re-vamping of the program and its outer promotions, Seven Local News had actually enhanced its audience share by six ratings points.
In early 2004, Seven Local News was re-introduced in the Townsville and Cairns sub-markets as a result of regulations regarding local content on regional television introduced by the Australian Broadcasting Authority (now the Australian Communications and Media Authority).
On five March 2007, Seven Local News bulletins commenced production and broadcasts in a widescreen standard-definition digital format. Seven Local News was the very first regional news service in regional Queensland to convert to widescreen.
On twenty two November 2010, Seven Local News launched a sixth edition for the Rockhampton/Gladstone and Central Queensland region.
On two November 2015, Seven Local News launched a seventh edition for the Toowoomba and the Darling Downs region. With the said launch, Seven News becomes the only news service to cover all regional centres of Queensland since the axing of WIN News in the Mackay region in May 2015. This lasted until July 2017, when rival Nine News began to rollout and reintroduce local bulletins for their affiliate in the state Southern Cross Television (which Nine carried with since July 2016).
From eleven July 2016, these editions are consolidated with the Seven News branding, tho’ the openers of these editions remained to address as Seven Local News. The Local News branding was fully phased out on five September 2016, with all local bulletins consolidated to the Seven News branding.
Gold Coast Edit
On four July 2016, a fresh local bulletin for the Gold Coast was introduced, produced and broadcast every evening from Seven’s Surfers Paradise studio.
Seven News Gold Coast is introduced by Rod Youthfull on weeknights and Amanda Abate at weekends with sports presenter Katie Brown on weeknights and Matthew Howard on weekends and weather presenter Liz Cantor and coastal, beaches and fishing reports from Paul Burt.
The bulletin airs nightly at Five.30pm on BTQ-7’s Gold Coast relay transmitters, ahead of the main 6pm news from Brisbane, placing it in direct competition with rival Nine Gold Coast News. However, unlike its rival, the Seven bulletin also airs on weekends. The bulletin does not air during the Australian Open tennis season.
Pack in presenters include Katrina Blowers and Bianca Stone (news), Tom Hartley (sport) and Tamra Bow (weather).
Seven Late News Edit
Seven Late News was a late night bulletin broadcast from Seven’s Epping studios in Epping and a separate bulletin broadcast and taped at TVW Perth for Perth and Regional Western Australia.
Seven Late News was introduced by Chris Bath or Anne Fulwood from December one thousand nine hundred ninety five up to its cancellation in 2003, with Natalie Barr packing in. The bulletin was cancelled in December two thousand three due to declining ratings, Chris Bath was moved to Seven Morning News (later Seven News Sydney) and Natalie Barr was moved to Sunrise (and later Seven Early News in addition to Sunrise)
Seven News at 7 Edit
Seven News at 7 aired at 7:00 pm on weeknights and was introduced by Melissa Doyle from Seven’s Martin Place studios, with weather introduced by David Brown from the Melbourne studio. The bulletin aired on the Seven Network’s secondary channel, 7Two across Australia and it very first aired on five August two thousand thirteen and was very first introduced by Mark Ferguson, [37] with Doyle taking over a week later.
Western Australia had its own local live version of Seven News at 7, also introduced from the Martin Place studio in Sydney by Sally Bowrey with weather introduced by Angela from the Perth studio.
On twenty eight April 2014, the bulletin was liquidated from the schedule. [38]
Sunrise Edit
Sunrise is the network’s breakfast program, aired weekdays from Five:30 am to 9:15am. The showcase is broadcast live from Seven’s Martin Place studios, and is based on a mix of human interest, showbiz and entertainment alongside half-hourly national news & sport bulletins and weather updates.
The program is hosted by David Koch and Samantha Armytage with news presenter Natalie Barr, sport presenter Mark Beretta, entertainment presenter Edwina Bartholomew and weather presenter Sam Mac.
Weekend Sunrise Edit
Weekend Sunrise is the weekend edition of Sunrise, aired Saturday and Sunday mornings from 7:00 am to Ten:00 am. The display is formatted much like its weekday counterpart, broadcast live from Seven’s Martin Place studios, and is based on a mix of human interest, showbiz and entertainment alongside half-hourly national news & sport bulletins and weather updates.
The program is hosted by Andrew O’Keefe and Monique Wright with Sally Bowrey as news presenter, Simon Reeve as sport presenter and James Tobin as weather presenter.
Today Tonight Edit
Today Tonight is the network’s tabloid current affairs program, aired weeknights in Adelaide and Perth at 6:30pm following their 6:00pm news bulletins. The Adelaide edition is introduced by Rosanna Mangiarelli, while the Perth edition is introduced by Monika Kos.
The program previously ran local editions in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne before being cancelled in two thousand fourteen with their respective news bulletins expanded from thirty minutes to a total hour.
Sunday Night Edit
Sunday Night is the network’s current affairs and investigative journalism program, aired on Sunday nights at 8:30pm and introduced by Melissa Doyle.
Outing of David Campbell Edit
The news service, and in particular its news director Peter Meakin and reporter Adam Walters, came under strong criticism in two thousand ten for the decision to air a story on then-New South Wales Transport Minister David Campbell as homosexual. [39] Campbell, a Member of the Fresh South Wales Legislative Assembly for over two decades, was coerced to resign after Meakin chose to air a story by Walters displaying Campbell leaving a gay bathhouse. Amidst criticism of the story former NSW Labor Premier Barrie Unsworth condemned Campbell’s deeds.
“Campbell has been the police minister and he’s been on the state crime commission, and he’s frequented places where he’s lightly recognised,” Mr Unsworth told The Australian newspaper. [40]
“The threat is not from Channel seven stashing outside but by the people inwards. We’ve got a criminal milieu in this city and he laid himself open to all sorts of threats and blackmail.”
Seven’s decision to run the story was derided by other politicians and several rival media outlets as “not a good moment for the media coverage of Macquarie Street”, [41] “old-fashioned” [42] and an act of “pathetic snooping”. [43]
Seven’s justification for airing the story was originally that Campbell had misused his Ministerial vehicle, [39] however this allegation was quickly shown to be untrue by other media outlets, as Fresh South Wales Ministers have total private use of their Ministerial vehicles. [42] The justification later put forward by Seven to defend its deeds was that it was in the public interest to make the allegations public because of the risk of blackmail. The Australian Communications and Media Authority instigated an investigation into Seven’s conduct in this matter, under the industry’s self-regulated code of conduct. It accepted the public interest justification put forward by Seven, that Campbell’s deeds left him “vulnerable to compromise or blackmail”. [44]
Tony Abbott “Shit happens” Edit
In 2011, under the freedom of information laws, Seven News obtained footage demonstrating Opposition leader Tony Abbott speaking about the latest death of an Australian soldier in Afghanistan. Seven News edited the clips, then broadcast them that evening. After the incident, many media websites labeled the story a “ratings grab” for the network.
The following morning, rival networks, obtained the same footage as Seven News and broadcast another part of the interview not seen on the original report showcasing military leaders agreeing with Tony telling “It certainly does”, backing his claims that his words had been taken out of context. [ citation needed ] Mr Abbott maintains that he was discussing whether the unit had had sufficient firepower support during the incident. Seven News reporter Mark Riley appeared on Sunrise and many other radio shows defending the claims and the report that aired. [45]