Seven News (Regional Vic/NSW/ACT/WA)

Former Imparja News presenter Emma Groves read the Prime7 News update last night (credit to South Coast TV for the video)

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How interesting.
I hear that Imparja had studio damage in Alice Springs, and as a result have stopped doing their local news updates.

Emma has been with Prime7 for a while now and yes, the studio was damaged

Which sub-markets get full Prime7 News bulletins?

I know VIC just get updates throughout the day. Natalie Forrest & Daniel Gibson have been doing them for years.

Also great to see local footy updates, from regional/rural teams across the state.

Central West (Orange, Bathurst, Dubbo)
Riverina (Wagga Wagga)
Border (Albury/Wodonga, Wangaratta)
North West (Tamworth, Armidale, Moree)
North Coast (Taree, Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour, Grafton, Lismore, Tweed Heads)

All of them are read & produced at Prime7’s HQ in Canberra. All of the above full bulletins can be seen on YouTube via each of their respective region’s YouTube pages.

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Adding onto what TV-Expert said above, most full bulletin regions get Prime7 News at 6.30pm with Daniel Gibson after their local news, which can basically be described as a Prime7-ised and condensed version of Seven News Sydney without some of the more Sydney-centric news. The Border region is the exception, still receiving a condensed Seven News Melbourne as far as I’m aware.

I think that Newcastle, Wollongong, Canberra and most of regional Victoria just gets short News/Weather Updates throughout the day/night. As far as those updates are concerned, I think it’s been Natalie Forrest (news), Daniel Gibson (weeknight weather) and Craig Moore (weekend weather updates, which at least NSW gets) on those for over ten years now.

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Correct. This is made up of approx the first 10 mins of the Melbourne 6pm bulletin, then at about 6.40-6.45 they pick up sport and weather live.

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Prime is all over the shop with Presenters.
One person reads the statewide news but also does weather updates, another does half the news bulletins and half the weather updates. Another does a smattering of news updates then the other weather reports.

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Nothing wrong with having multi-skilled staff. As long as viewers in each separate market get consistency in their viewing this shouldn’t be an issue.

They don’t though, you get people filling in here and there and everywhere. Why not have a few dedicated weather presenters, a few dedicated news readers. Seems so inefficient.

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That’s interesting! I guess I just assumed Albury got the Daniel Gibson bulletin too.

It must make for some interesting timing issues when they cross to the ‘live’ part of the Seven Melbourne bulletin.

I would have thought it’s more cost effective (and efficienf) to have staff who can read a bulletin or a weather update, rather than having a few staff who can only do one or the other sitting around waiting to be called up when one of the main readers calls in sick.

So why don’t 7 start getting Chris Reason to fill in for David Brown? or for Sam Mac?
Fair enough filling in, but day to day, having everybody all over the shop is bizarre.

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I don’t think it’s a newsflash to consider regional TV presenters needing to be more multi-skilled.

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Seems to work for Nine on their early/daytime bulletins.

Because the money isn’t as tight, yet…

With costs increasing like mad and steady/declining revenues, things will eventually become more tighter for the metrop operators.

When you look closely at the regional ratings for Prime7, even though NBN is a clear winner, figures are still good in Northern NSW. Particularly for “Molly” (highest-rating in that market so far for Prime7, probably beaten by today’s Melbourne Cup), MKR, House Rules and others.

BUT…

“Seven News” with Mark Ferguson is seriously underperforming in that market, lower than the other east coast regional markets (unbelievably) & on-par with markets like Tasmania and regional WA.

“National News” with Peter Overton beats it by up to 100k some nights.

Seeing as Northern NSW (Newcastle, et al) is the largest regional TV market, both by reach and by the average ratings…

Wonder how or if Prime7 can fix it?

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considering Pete Overton doesn’t even screen in NNSW that’s a seriously good effort.

Nine News up in that region is Paul Lobb and Natasha Beyersdorf. It’s branded NBN News still.

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7 News does not air on Prime stations in Newcastle, Tamworth, Taree, Gold Coast, Lismore, Coffs Harbour, Orange, Dubbo, Wagga, Albury etc.

Those Prime7 stations carry “Prime7 News” at 6 (local) followed by “prime7 news at 6,30” which is a bulletin done out of Canberra with national news.

7 News only airs on Prime7 stations in SNSW areas such as Canberra and Wollongong.

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Seven News Sydney does air on Prime7 in Newcastle & Gold Coast, as they don’t have full local news bulletins in both markets.

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