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An answer to Nine’s News question

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There’s been way too much wild speculation this last week about Nine considering moving its news to 5pm, and Eddie stepping in to host some sort of chat show from 6pm.

Don’t believe a word if it.

It’s true that this year National Nine News has been under attack from Seven News, but so has the network as a whole. Seven’s national wins in news are, in part, bolstered by Nine’s poor performance in Perth. The PBL East Coast figures remain competitive.

In Melbourne, the audience is divided and an analysis of nightly news figures shows them flipping over who they watch on any given night. Seven News Melb has had a big boost in the last eighteen months, but Nine is easily in the fighting ring, including consistent wins on nights when big news breaks.

No, the problem is not so much the presentation or editorial. The problem for Nine is the lead-in.

While Seven has boomed with the lead-in from Deal or No Deal, Nine has chopped and changed from 5:30 shows including Bert’s Family Feud, Antiques Roadshow and Bargain Hunt. There has been talk that Temptation might even move to 5:30pm, but that all depends on what the Network would have for 7pm. Inconsistency is the worst message. If the network can’t decide what’s best for the timeslot, why should the audience?

Pushing Nine’s News to 5pm would be the equivalent of giving up the fight, and for a network that prides itself on News as fundamental to its brand such a move would be fatal.

Perhaps the answer lays in Brisbane’s Extra which screens at 5:30pm? It’s a locally made magazine format that used to screen nationally, and it helps give Nine good figures for News in Brissy.

Meanwhile A Current Affair needs to stop getting into the tabloid stories that thrive on Today Tonight. Where is the point of difference? Tracey Grimshaw is a good journo and interviewer. As an election is looming some meaty stories (y’know, the ones they used to do on Sunday?) wouldn’t go astray. I’m tired of comparing margarines. And is it just me or does Anna Coren give every story the same degree of editorial weight in her introductions?

While we’re on the subject, Seven could join the 21st century by moving tired old MASH from 5pm too. Now there’s a timeslot Nine could target….

3 Responses

  1. Maybe the networks should take abit of notice of the Brisbane market, as it should be noted that there are News Simulcasts being done on Radio Stations, that seem to only be happening in Brisbane. (see 96.5 Family FM and River 94.9).

    Both of these would attract those people still in there cars at least! (I know I tune in to either of these stations for this sole purpose). So this could boost ratings overall in itself around the country. (Not that it is monitored of course, but it is abit of an incentive).

    It costs barely anything to do…all you need is a tv tuner in a radio studio and someone to push a button and vo-la, its on.

  3. Its amazing how many people who work in the TV industry would think that Nine would move their news to an earlier time in the night

    If you live in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, you would probaby have to leave work at 3:30 to get home to watch the 5pm news. Given that Melbourne and Sydney have $12m budget for the news, they are not going to move it to a time where there is less audience available and isn’t even in prime time ratings – Whats the advantage !

    If anything, Nine would move their news to 7pm or even 8 pm; but more likely 7pm – more people available and suits peoples lifestyles. That would allow for ACA to run 5 nights a week at 7:30pm in all states except Sydney and Brisbane (where NRL will go at 7:30pm on Friday). ACA would be hosted by Karl Stevenovic. TODAY would be hosted by Lisa and Andrew Daddo (to give that less newsy feel). I would also say that Richard Wilkins days may be numbered as his appointment to Network Entertainment Editor was done by Eddie and it seems there is a bit of a purge on Eddie appointments.

    This move would allow for the “TONIGHT” program with Eddie and Tracey Grimshaw to go at 6pm. It would be a cross between the old midday show and the Today show with an extended news coverage from each state at the beginning of the show – probably a 10 minute news bulletin. It would have considerable live interview component as well as reports and music.

    The big challenage for Nine is for so many years they were leaders and others follow. Now those followers have delivered better products and there is nothing that separate the networks. A major change to the schedule would deliver this and also provide the necessary impetus to re-ignite the network . Even if it doesn’t work, atleast Nine would be seen as doing something as opposed to responding to everything

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