Nine News Local

I like the idea of a local window, separately for news, sport and weather, inside the metro bulletin (still with a local newsreader for the regions).

For example:
6.00-6.12pm: Nine News Brisbane with Andrew and Melissa
6.12pm: After the preview of what’s coming-up, the anchors throw to Samantha Heathwood for the local news in a pre-recorded cross (you could probably film this also from the metro set).
6.12pm-6.25pm: Local News with Sam Heathwood (includes one commerical break)
6.25pm-6.40pm: Metro bulletin (cut to the live feed as the metro bulletin returns from a break)
6.40pm-6.50pm: Sport with Wally Lewis (Wally pre-records a local sport window for each region which is wedged into the metro segment).
6.55pm-7pm: Local weather with Garry Youngberry (pre-recorded).
Or this mock might explain it better:

The quality of the bulletin will be enhanced and perhaps replaces the confusion as to why there is suddenly a metro bulletin on weekends for an hour.

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30 minute local bulletin, then 30 minute statewide bulletin. Bump Gold Coast to 6pm

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I really like your idea!
In terms of the playout of the bulletin, that keeps the bulletin to 3 distinct local windows, exactly the same as now, but with a great improvement in utilisation of local content.

I like this. Instead of the fuel update we have now, having a local weather preview at the end of the local window would be an excellent change.

I really like this too, though I would have the finance and fluff stories air, then the local window would start with the fuel update before transitioning to the local weather, etc.

I disagree. Currently we have one national story before the local window starts. It’s great on nights when there is major national or statewide news, but most nights, we have a random filler story airing here before the local window starts 3-4 minutes later. Often the bulletin will start, the headline intro features entirely local stories, then the presenters appear and intro some random thing that is happening in Brisbane that no one local cares about. Perfect way to turn viewers away in my opinion.

I think they need to be flexible.
Some nights, straight into the local window.
Other nights, when something major is happening, start the local window later.
This is something that they just don’t do now.

In the regions, the best way they’ll keep viewers watching is to start with the news most relevant to them, and that’s normally going to be something local.

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Yeah, I didn’t really take into consideration the fuel update although I agree about the idea of having it before the local weather! :slight_smile:

I have heard whispers in the media community that Regional SA and TAS would be expanded into the SCA Nine local bulletins.

I saw this pop up the other day… is their confirmation on the validity of this video and if Nine is starting local news in SA and TAS.

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Do you mean will Tas and SA get a local 6pm bulletin, replacing the metro?

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Yes that’s what I have heard in the industry. It’s still up in the air but big discussions underway at the moment.

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Adelaide stays with its metro news… but regional SA gets a 6pm

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So would SC News on their Seven channel remain or would it be axed?

Well, I am hearing that the possiblity of launching local 6pm bulletin into those markets is not on the cards (at least not imminent). The biggest change would be SCA producing local news updates branded as Nine News. Like this:

I remember a rumour that Nine JV’s were getting a 6pm bulletin back when Nine Regional News launched. Didn’t think much of it. I guess it’s possible. Melbourne could do two more bulletins for Tas and SA and possibly expand one of their existing bulletins to include Mildura.

Anything is possible. Nine seem happy to work with regionals.

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So[quote=“nationalnews, post:4297, topic:2086, full:true”]
Well, I am hearing that the possiblity of launching local 6pm bulletin into those markets is not on the cards (at least not imminent). The biggest change would be SCA producing local news updates branded as Nine News
[/quote]

That would make more sense… I can’t see SCA launching full Nine branded news bulletins in markets where they’re already producing their own 60/30 minute bulletins.

They’d be competing with themselves. It’s conceivable they’d axe Southern Cross News in SA… but I can’t see them cancelling their Tasmanian bulletin.

And given that WIN owns 50% of TDT I can’t imagine they’d agree to competition for their 6pm local news.

And imagine SCA’s monopoly in SA and Tasmania receiving the Nine News launch. As what I’ve said back then, both newsrooms and production rooms will be terribly affected if Nine News entered their markets. In Tassie’s case, if Nine will take the SCA main channel from the Seven affiliation, then they’ll feel what Nine did to Darwin’s TV news industry: axing local nightly news, having another “Jo” in their screens on weeknights, and probably more Victorian stories and Melbourne news on weekends. A major blow, considering Seven Tasmania upgraded their local news production after decades.

A third bulletin in Tassie would probably kill all three affiliates. No one wins.

GTS/BKN is most likely too small to support two bulletins, while WIN would never let Nine into their SES/RTS monopoly regardless of there already being no local bulletin.

In GTS/BKN’s case, SCA would end paying higher affiliate fees for Nine to make a bulletin, and at the same time be spending money on their own Seven bulletin. One would have to go.

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Considering it’s position in the ratings, I’m reasonably sure that Tasmania’s Southern Cross News won’t be going anywhere in the foreseeable future despite the botched rebrand attempt.

If the island state’s most popular TV bulletin were was be axed the outrage generated would probably be so loud, you’d hear it reported on in the Sydney & Melbourne media!

Let’s be realistic here, there’s really only one logical reason that Nine News would want to enter the Tasmanian market for: To try and kill off WIN News Tasmania for good. And as much as I don’t have a particularly high opinion of WIN News generally, I certainly don’t think it’d be a good thing for Tasmania to lose the state’s original TV news service despite the (much deserved IMO) reputational battering WIN News Tasmania has received over their recent cutbacks.

While I’m not sure if three competing Tasmanian bulletins would kill all three affiliates, I do agree that three 6pm bulletins in a market who’s total population is only half a million or so is not something that’d be sustainable in the long run, particularly in the current media environment.

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Plus, as previously mentioned WIN owns 50% of TDT… they’re not to agree to a strategy designed to kill off WIN local news at 6

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They should axe the local news on the 7 station, and outsource it to 9 Adelaide to be produced similar as a kinda mixture of the Gold Coast News and the Regional News.

Sorry for the double post, but have those 9 News Tasmania updates replaced the generic ones from Canberra. Ruby’s twitter has her listed as a reporter in Hobart. I wonder why, given the joint ownership, they don’t whack some vision on.

Yep, they’ve replaced the ones from Canberra. I’d take a guess and say there’s probably no vision while they don’t want to dilute from Southern Cross News or if SC and WIN did have to talk about these airing WIN may have said it needed to be audio only.

Have only caught one of these on a recording since I got back home, keen to see a few more.

Can we just point out that there are and have been three competing commercial news bulletins since the introduction of a third commercial network… it’s just that one doesn’t contain local content. I don’t think that adding in some local content on Channel Nine’s news would be a bad thing. The GTV bulletin that already airs has an existing viewership so it could only be a positive change if it were to happen. As for killing WIN, well that’s it’s owners that have done that, not the viewers or lack thereof.

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