Seven axes Today Tonight in Sydney, Melbourne & Brisbane.
Seven moves to a one hour news bulletin in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, confirming the axing of Today Tonight.
- Published by David Knox
- on
- Filed under News, Top Stories
Seven has confirmed its move to a one hour news bulletin in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, confirming the axing of Today Tonight after 20 years.
Locally-produced versions remain in Adelaide and Perth.
The news follows ongoing rumours amid Nine’s move to a one hour news bulletin, and the departure of host Helen Kapalos last month.
Seven CEO Tim Worner sent an email to staff today:
Today we are announcing plans to transition to a one hour news bulletin at 6pm in our Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane markets, effective from tonight.
In Adelaide and Perth, we will continue with Today Tonight where the programs serve as really important local windows.
All staff previously working on the East Coast editions of TT will continue in their roles and will contribute to News Investigations and Features as well as TT ( Adelaide and Perth) under Executive Producer Max Uechtritz. Max will now report to Rob Raschke.
This move is about building and investing in Seven’s leading news coverage . In recent times we have increased our level of news across the day with great success. We plan to do even more in the future.
We see this as an exciting opportunity to serve our news audience in a better way.
I want to take this chance to pay tribute to Today Tonight and the TT team on the East Coast. Over many years, and as recently as last week, the program has broken big stories, kept consumers informed and held people to account.
Thank you for your continuing efforts and commitment.
The change comes despite Seven programmer Angus Ross telling TV Tonight last week, the news hour was “business as usual for us.”
“Nine have opted to go with their one hour news but I always look for flexibility in our news hour depending on news events and we still look for that.
“We’re experimenting in the hour as Nine is, but we’re not going to a one hour news.”
Today Tonight has come in for its share of tabloid criticism under hosts Naomi Robson, Anna Coren, Matt White and Helen Kapalos, including for its extraordinary use of the word ‘Exclusive’ across multiple stories.
It has been a regular target of Media Watch and The Chaser’s War on Everything with some of its more controversial stories involving faked recreations on the chase for Christopher Skase, Papuan child “Wa Wa,” ‘chaining’ up a nursing home resident for visual effect, defaming Mercedes Corby and, last week, was criticised for airing a ‘breakthrough’ story that was filmed 3 years ago.
But it has also been a successful ratings winner for Seven for two decades, as part of the network’s early evening line-up, including several years of beating its rival, A Current Affair.
Today a Seven spokesperson said Seven had been expanding its news department in recent weeks including to a 24 hour newsroom and indicated a stronger news brand was the way forward.
Share
- Tagged with A Current Affair, Media Watch, Seven News, The Chaser's War on Everything, Today Tonight
71 Responses
Like others have said, not a good idea, slow news days producing more filler etc, But at least now we know whats going on instead of the stuffing around of the last 3 months where they made up their minds on the day if its going to be 1 hour or 1/2 hour 6pm news.
I really don’t think they’ve thought this through well, it seems like 7 & 9 are just too caught up in ‘out newsing’ each other. Now we have 2 hrs of news on Seven, 4-5pm, then 6-7pm but Nine has outdone them with a massive 3.5 hrs (3-5.30pm, then 6-7pm) & thats not counting ACA.
I mean who cares if most of the stories are now irrelevant filler/fluff, as long as we have more
‘news’. *rolls eyes*
Over all there isn’t the quality in news, so quantity will not make it better!!
I will change my viewing habits! I hate 60 mins news on any channel!
I will watch the 6pm headlines and perhaps catch the before 6pm weather if I am home, or the 5minutes to 7pm!
@David Knox 3-2 -14.. 2-51pm
Are you referring to ‘7’s ‘ use of ‘Exclusive’ that dubiously only refers to that exact second, minute, and hour of that particular day?.
I think this also explains why 7’s ‘add’ volumes are now lower than most of their programmes, are they trying to hide the background ” cheep cheep cheep Cheap” of their frantic chickens having problems because of the growing mounds of executive B/S hiding the ramp, for them to come home roost?.
I refer to B/S statements such as [quote] “This move is about building and investing in Sevens leading news coverage..In recent times we have increased our level of news across the day with great success…We plan to do even more in the future. plus “as recently as last week, the program(TT) has broken big stories” [end quote], the trouble is from 5-30 am through to sometimes the next day its mostly the “…
I personally think the newsreaders and reporters are talking slower when they do 1 hour news – especially Nine’s. I can play back Nine’s news hour on my PVR at 1.5x speed and perfectly understand everything said. After fast forwarding ads, coming up next promos and non-newsy bits, its easily done in just under half an hour!
Regional areas would have these options:
1. extend their local news to 1 hour and add some of Seven’s national stories to fill up the time – sort of what NBN Newcastle always has done with stories from Nine mixed in with local news.
2. Keep 1 hour news, plus local news, and shift the whole programming for the night back half an hour. Again, NBN used to do that as they’ve had ACA on at 7pm for years and the rest of NIne’s programming would full back half an hour (except when 7pm was BBT repeats – they’d just be left out).
3. Dump local news – which would be a blow for local news services and staff etc in some areas – I think 1st option would be best.
@David: I wonder how many mis-directed emails will be headed your way after the axing announcement…
Maybe you should publish a few, sanitised of course.
I have before, but yes I was thinking it might be time to do it again given this news.
And nothing of value was lost…
“This move is about building and expanding our leading news coverage”
…really we’re copying Nine because we’re losing in the ratings.
I guess Southern Cross will follow suit as most of their content is Seven anyway, otherwise they would have half an hour to fill with……ads…..promos…..ohh sorry that is what they do now with the odd bit of news thrown in.
I personallyl ike TEN and their hour of news.
Prediction: pieces that are broadcast as “news” items in Syd, Mel, and Bri will appears as TT stories in Per and Ade.
I’d like to say “good riddance to bad rubbish” but I think most of us know that this is simply a re-branding of TT as “News part 2” in the eastern states. Seven can’t fill 30 mins with proper news now so they’re going to be really struggling with an hour.
I’ll stick with SBS and ABC, thanks.
Agree that news items will still be shuffled to TT in Ade / Per, as noted in the story. Staff still producing content. It will be interesting to see if “Exclusive” is as prevalent.
It’s only just dawned on me, maybe now I can look forward to no more misdirected (and often abusive) emails by people who confuse the names of my site and Seven’s show! It’s always been charming to open an email to be told off about “what you said” when I never said any such thing.
It appears 7 are more caught up with what 9 are doing then producing a decent hour of news & ‘current affairs.’ By no means do I believe TT is a credible current affairs program, however, last week it won its timeslot nationally every night against 9s extended news (Mon it wasn’t shown in all states.) Its lowest ranking in overnight figures for the week was 5th, and on tues gained a higher audience then 7 news. These figures appear to mean nothing however. Bizzare!
Just a little off topic, but has Seven News reverted back to ‘The Mission’ for it’s theme music? I thought I heard it in a news update yesterday.
Yes reported 5 days after it was dumped.
“Guy February 3, 2014 at 10:09 am –
So what about regional areas? If Seven are having 1 hour news bulletins does our schedule get pushed back 30 minutes or what? Have they thought about that?”
Would be interesting to know as Prime in Northern NSW has local news at 6pm and then shows 7 news at 6:30pm and they never showed TT.
Hey seven here is an idea instead of having an hour long news with constant promos for upcoming stories in the very same bulletin constant weather snapshots sport snapshots and blatant advertising for DJs myer Costco etc how about you have an hour of real news you would then have a point of difference from nine
It’s as simple as viewers in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane preferring to watch Nine news instead of TT while waiting for other shows to come on.
TT is getting beaten up by Nine’s 6:30pm segment of the news in those cities. TT still does well in Adelaide and Perth, where Seven still holds top spot as the dominant local station, so it is staying there.
There’s easily enough news to fill a one hour bulletin. Just not if they wish to only run sensationalist crap!
What to do? Have not watched The Project since Hughsey left (not a fan of Pete’s grin) and an hour of news is too long. I will switch to ABC news. Will now have a life between 6 & 7pm. @micaelOz – I don’t know how either ACA or TT get away with calling themselves current affairs shows.
This is really going to mess up news in regional areas. Recently while 7 was doing 40 minute news bulletins, Prime7 shortened their news by a few minutes, but were still unable to show the entire 7 news bulletin due to Home and Away. A 1hr bulletin will potentially mean that regional viewers continually miss out on national sport, finance and weather. There are only 2 ways I can see this working in regional areas, 1. move the local news to an earlier time slot, i.e. 5 or 5:30 by axing Deal or No Deal or 2. move Home and Away to 7Two for regional areas.
‘Frontline’ had more credibilty in its short time than ACA & TT have ever had.
Good to see the back of TT, but like others I fear that the similar content will surface within the new “news”
Also what does everyone make of this quote:-
“The change comes despite Seven programmer Angus Ross telling TV Tonight last week, the news hour was “business as usual for us.”
“Nine have opted to go with their one hour news but I always look for flexibility in our news hour depending on news events and we still look for that.
“We’re experimenting in the hour as Nine is, but we’re not going to a one hour news.”
Is there a communication issue within the 7 network? Some folk left out of the loop?
Sounds like Ch 9 has Ch 7 well and truely rattled…
It says a lot when 7 decides to follow what 9 are doing. Especially when last week 7 were quoted as saying “we’re not going to a one hour news”.
I like smit0847’s suggestion of pairing up Peter Mitchell and Helen Kapalos, she is very popular here.
Wow. Now picturing Paul Barry with a black armband on during tonight Media Watch.
@Kirk – yet another reason never to visit Adelaide.
But on topic – Adelaide and Perth editions usually had one local story and 2 or 3 east coast stories to fill up the 23-odd minutes.
Not sure how that works now – I guess they just take the east coast “investigations” and re-badge them.
Or they run a lot more interviews and live crosses.
It’s a pain for Adelaide and Perth either way.
Wow 20 years….Shame it was not axed 15 years ago. This show is probably more responsible more that any other for dumbing down our TV credibility. the problem was – it worked and ACA followed. Now we just need to get ACA axed and TV might become watchable again.
This is a huge issue for The Project. The Project’s numbers have been low of late even though its daylight savings. Big issues for them.