Totally agreed, I think nets get two days a year when national networking is fine.
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Unsure if this the right thread, feel free to move if a better thread elsewhere.
Low audience of ABC 7pm Queensland bulletin
Whilst Melbourne’s ABC bulletin has similar numbers to that of ACA and Sydney not far behind, why is it that in Brisbane, the bulletin is way behind?
Decline began some years ago but seems to have really dived this year.
It’s an audience number that doesn’t seem to gather much attention yet is considerably down and consistently so.
What are your thoughts as to why and what should be done to improve numbers?
Keen to read thoughts and suggestions.
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NT viewers won’t notice especially…
Haven’t there been comments on this forum before about how ABC News Queensland sometimes doesn’t have quite an adequate level of local/state content? I think there’s also been something of a revolving door of presenters up there as well.
From a NSW perspective the content & presenters are excellent but I wouldn’t mind seeing a new set, HD production and perhaps a slightly tweaked graphics package (think something similar in scale to the 2014 update of ABC News’ 2010 look) at some point to keep things fresh.
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Hard to know but some thoughts.
The ratings we are talking about are for the SEQ TV market and yes ABC News underperforms compared to other markets. On average ABC News has 23% of the share of the 4 major news bulletins but in Brisbane it is around 19% (down to 18% so far this year).
My view (as posted several times) is that this is due to the way that what I would call ‘popularist’ stores about Queensland and especially Brisbane are covered. I have noted times where a Brisbane event of broad interest occurs e.g., house fire, and it is a lead story across commercial news. However, ABC News will open with a report on South Pacific politics. Viewers have heard about the local story across radio during the day, only to find it relegated to a short report late in the bulletin. So, you learn, not to turn to ABC for what is happening in your city/state. Sometimes, I feel that there is a deliberate snub to popularist stories.
Consequently, Brisbane is the only market when 10 News can outrate or come close to outrating ABC News. Brisbane is where ABC rates the lowest overall of the 5 markets; whether this is because of the news, there is no way to know. Also, I don’t think the parachuting of a non-local reader in the key anchor position a number of years ago helped.
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The graphics don’t need updating. Good design doesn’t date.
Similar things happen in Melbourne. But the ratings of ABC News are higher in Melbourne.
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So ABC isn’t hyper local or sensationalist, and therefore focuses on actual events?
ABC News Queensland rates lower in Brisbane because it has a lot more state-based and rural stories which aren’t very metropolitan. Which is fine. Queensland is more decentralised than other states and therefore would need more coverage of regional issues.
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Interesting to read the varying opinions about ABC Brisbane 7pm bulletin. Some feel too many obscure stories overseas to open bulletins, others mention non metro stories within the state. Interesting.
Gen Hussey has recently taken up this role:
Seems then that TV news in Brisbane is in a new cycle with time before any changes bed in and take effect that Gen may take.
The regional reporting seen on ABC News is some of their best, however, many stories are not same day news but more longer term in-depth coverage. I don’t think that would be driving viewers away from ABC News. There is just as much, if not more, coverage of topical regional news on the commercial news services’ one hour bulletins. The recent drought and subsequent cyclone and floods (!) have seen excellent coverage across all Brisbane services while regional viewers would be getting their local TV news from commercial sources.
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Agree, great post, that’s not what drives them away.
Tonight’s (Qld 7pm) bulletin opened with Sri Lanka and then another distant story second in.
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Any reason why the NSW bulletin is being presented in front of the video wall screen?
I would guess that tonight’s ABC News at 7pm for NSW is being presented from The Drum’s set/studio, with the latter program having a special edition presented on-location in Brisbane.
I’m also fairly sure the sound of a vacuum cleaner could be heard in the background during the closer! 
Turns out it was presented from that Studio last night as well.
who is the male news reader for the adelaide 7pm news monday to friday?
