0/5

Meet the new team for Breakfast

And here is the team from ABC News Breakfast, set to launch on Monday November 3rd.

And here is the team from ABC News Breakfast, set to launch on Monday November 3rd on ABC2.

Back Row: Ben Worsley, Barrie Cassidy, Vanessa O’Hanlon, Paul Kennedy
Front Row: Virginia Trioli, Joe O’Brien

The ambitious programme will air live from ABC Studios in Southbank, Melbourne, looking to combine television, radio and online in one news-driven programme from 6 – 10am weekdays.

Press Release:
VIRGINIA TRIOLI – Co‐Host.
Two‐time Walkley Award winner, Virginia Trioli has an established reputation as a radio host, television presenter, news reporter, features writer and columnist. In 1995 she won Australian journalism’s highest honour, the Walkley Award for her business reporting and in 2001 Virginia won a second Walkley for her interview with the former Defence Minister Peter Reith over the Children Overboard issue. In 1999 she won the Melbourne Press Club’s Best Columnist award, The Quill. In 2006 she won Broadcaster of the Year at the ABC Local Radio Awards. For eight years she hosted the Drive Program on 774 ABC Melbourne, and the Morning Program on 702 ABC Sydney.

BARRIE CASSIDY – Co‐Host
Barrie is one of Australia’s most experienced political journalists. He has worked as political correspondent with both ABC TV News and The 7.30 Report; and has for seven years hosted the award winning political discussion program Insiders, on Sunday mornings on ABC TV. Barrie has also hosted programs and read news bulletins at Network Ten. Three years ago, he added a sports discussion program ‐ Offsiders‐ to his Sunday morning political duties, quite possibly a unique combination of national program hosting duties in world broadcasting .

JOE O’BRIEN – Friday Co‐host
Joe has been a reporter and presenter with the ABC since 1995. He’s presented the 7pm News bulletins in both Queensland and New South Wales and regularly fronts the national Midday Report news bulletin. He’s covered major national stories and breaking news as a presenter and reporter. Joe is originally from Queensland, but has been in Sydney for the last 10 years.

PAUL KENNEDY – Sport
Paul Kennedy is a senior television journalist, with 15 years news reporting experience. He has covered some of the biggest stories in Australia for networks Ten, Nine and the ABC. A former state league footballer, his coverage of the issue of drugs in sport has been a career highlight. He recently wrote and directed a Melbourne International Film Festival finalist called Drug Game, which played to packed cinemas.

VANESSA O’HANLON – Weather
Vanessa O’Hanlon has been providing helicopter based traffic reports for Sunrise and Channel Ten’s News at Five. She’s also a regular traffic reporter for various Melbourne radio stations including 3AW and Fox FM. In her varied broadcasting career, Vanessa has worked as a voice‐over artist, radio presenter and MC for large public events. She has a degree in Public Relations and Psychology.

BEN DARCY – Executive Producer
Ben Darcy is an award‐winning TV reporter and producer from the UK. No stranger to early starts, he played a major role in the relaunch of the UK Sky News’ breakfast program called Sunrise. Ben has been an executive producer at Sky News in London for some of the world’s biggest news events. He led production teams covering stories like the Asian tsunami, London bombings, wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and the execution of Saddam Hussein. Earlier in his career, while Ben was at ITV Central he became one of the youngest journalists to produce the main evening news, aged just 24. He won awards for Best Newcomer and Scoop of the Year from the National Union of Journalists. Ben was also a finalist in the Young Journalist of the Year category at the Royal Television Society awards. Ben has previously worked with Tim and Justine at Sky News and is particularly pleased to bring some former colleagues into his new team

14 Responses

  1. Thanks guys for providing not so much an alternative but rather a last a decent morning news service on Australian tv. Is it just my opinion or have the others just become “today,tonight, this morning”

  2. Beverley O’Connor is reading the ABC News for the Australia Network Channel most mornings – so we get to see here here in Asia even if you miss out in Australia. I agree – she is very good.

  3. Why didnt they give Beverly O Connor a role on this new show.Bev has been one of ABC best televison presenters for so many years,always happens in tv wrong moves by the guys who ran the stations.Bevs doing a great job with ABC weekend melbourne news.,and she should be on our screens weekdays .Yes Virginia is a very experienced journalist and radiohost l agree,but not a televison presenter like Bev.

  4. I didn’t know the ABC could afford to air TV shows in the morning, let alone hire stuff to host and run them…

    Next they’ll be saying the Spicks and Specks set isn’t made from Paper Mache and sticky tape.

  5. I’ve got over breakfast TV a couple of years ago as it got too painful for me. There was no reason to watch as it was just NOTHING. Bit of gossip here but I have access to a whole lot more news/gossip here on the internet and I don’t have to wait for it. This new breakfast show looks and has an adult feel to it which is kinda exciting. Can’t wait.

  6. looking forward to this. great line up. Would have liked to see Michael Brissenden as part of the team. And Jim Middleton. That would have made it the best line up imaginable!

    Annoying that it is on ABC2 and not the flagship ABC1 but good on the ABC for trying to push digital TV

  7. I can’t wait for this Breakfast show, should be more informative than the rubbish that the commercial networks are throwing at as, with more guts and less fluff and nonsense.

    So ABC, thankyou! I will be watching and hopefully, so will enough people to keep it going.

  8. Can’t wait. A serious news program for mornings, its refreshing for free to air TV! Lets hope they stay away from the New Idea & Woman’s weekly gossip & celebrity crap that pervades Today & Sunrise these days.

Leave a Reply