Oops. ABC News hit by tech glitch

ABC News viewers in New South Wales last night were confused by frozen images and sync problems.

The Australian reported viewers were shown a frozen screen at the beginning of last night’s bulletin, while the disembod­ied voice of regular newsreader Jeremy Fernandez introduced a news story about Scott Morrison’s trip to the G20.

After several seconds, shouts could be heard as the show cut to Canberra newsreader Dan Bourchier, who apologised for the fault, but Fernandez’s voice continue­d to be broadcast over the top of Bourchier.

It’s understood the cause of the disruption was the broadcaster’s new editing system, part of the wider automation program recently installed across the ABC.

Bour­chier later thanked the viewers for persevering with him. Last month Ian Henderson’s farewell bulletin was also the subject of a technical problem which required him to return a night later for a second attempt.

So NSW @abcnews is from Canberra tonight and the sound is out of sync with the vision. Whoopsie.

— Andrew Faith 🏳️‍🌈 (@andrewfaith) November 29, 2018

To fellow Australians looking to watch a train wreck tonight I recommend tuning into the out-of-sync #ABCNews bulletin currently airing across NSW and ACT.

— DiabolikDownUnder (@DiabolikDU) November 29, 2018

@abcnews the 7pm news broadcast canberra/nsw tonight is an amateurish mess. What's going on?

— may tompson (@maydoglove) November 29, 2018

Oh dear. Lots of gremlins in the @ABCNews bulletin tonight. Starting with NSW having to piggy back on ACT's… :-/

— Wade 🐱 (@staticsan) November 29, 2018

What's wrong with the ABC? We're getting ACT news in NSW!#ABCNews #ABC

— 💧🍀Nick Trebla (@NickTrebla) November 29, 2018

Absolute cluster failure @abcnews NSW & @Canberra just now. Will it continue? #Canberra

— Tim Shaw (@TimShawTalks) November 29, 2018

https://twitter.com/jasewatson/status/1068052882832863232