Mind you, if 7 does end up getting control of the Tasmanian station maybe they’ll take a leaf out of SCA’s book and could invest in consolidating the regional NSW bulletins to Tasmania. Guessing the land they’re currently sitting on in Canberra would be worth more as housing.
May also keep the ‘noodle update’ people that look after the 10 stations in a job as I assume they’d be first to go.
I’d have to think duplication of resources between Launceston and Hobart would be unlikely to survive a purchase, so at worst they’d just pick one of Hobart or Launceston to become the only headquarters, with just a small office in the other city, it certainly doesn’t make sense to have a full duplicated studio in both cities like they do now.
I’d assume that the short term lease back of the Launceston facilities is probably because that was SCA’s plan anyway. You’d still have a local Tasmanian news produced in the state, and I’d assume Seven would keep that given how well it performs.
I thought that there is only one control room for both Hobart and Launceston?
and use their reporters to cover Tasmanian news to other Seven national bulletins instead of getting someone from ATN or HSV going to Tasmania to cover stories there that are of national relevance.
They’ll still do this - Nine and Seven have regional stations with newsrooms and they still send their own metro staff
Seven sometimes use their Regional QLD reporters, although that’s mainly when there is breaking news situations.
People getting ahead of themselves here I think.
The history of Seven taking over regional TV assets is that they mostly leave them alone to keep doing their own thing mostly. As in business as usual. 7QLD still maintains studio operations in Maroochydore, as does 7Regional for NSW, VIC and WA out of Canberra.
Same will go for 7TAS for the short to long term. There is no spare studio capacity in Melbourne or Canberra to relocate 7News TAS.
In all seriousness,
Canberra does have a second studio which IIRC was used for the 6.30 news for sometime - whether if there is still a working control room for that studio or not is the next question.
Could 7 buy Space in Hobart’s CBD to Build a News Studio that matches their Metro Counterparts?
They could, but then they would be spending extra money to refit a new location, etc.
Also I doubt Seven would build a metro standard set for Tasmania.
Seven would likely consolidate some back-end things but I suspect they would leave the news as is, it does well and is pretty cost-efficient. Doesn’t need a bigger set or any other changes.
Issue is that their Launceston studios have been sold to developers, and SCA have a short-term lease. What happens after that lease ends is up in the air.
Just like every other market, a city based office with a small studio to do the news out of. No need for a big old studio.
Which is why there is a chance that there will be changes, which you said that there wouldn’t be.
On air changes I said if you read my post correctly
I did - a new office means new studios, which are seen on air.
Consolidate 7News TAS into their Hobart studio? Most of the back office has already gone or been outsourced out of Launceston as it is. Playout moved out around 20 years ago. And is currently performed in the same outsourced playout facility in Sydney alongside 7metro and 7QLD stations. TX maintenance is now via BAI. So not much else left at Launceston apart from 7News TAS and some SCA Sales and Admin.
No doubt SCA10 noodle news updates currently produced in Hobart? will end up being produced by TEN themselves, most likely Melbourne I guess when and if they swallow up the SCA10 stations?
Issue is SCA’s radio stations are based in the same facility, and Hobart and Launceston share the same control room in Launceston (although @Techster and @DJPizarro might know more than I do on this).
They could use an interstate control room, but then it raises the question of if Seven has a spare control room available at 6pm.
True, consolidating into Hobart would mean moving the existing control room into Hobart if they come to an arrangement with SCA? Is more an historic anomaly that Southern Cross/7News TAS was produced in Launceston at the TNT facility for so long. Makes sense to move it fully to Hobart where State Parliament is anyway, with a slimmed down local news bureau in Launceston. Same as 7QLD moved out of both Maryborough and Mackay. 7QLD consolidated studio operations into Maroochydore while still retaining upto eight local news bureaus across regional QLD. Same may well occur for 7TAS when SWM takes over?
Weren’t the Maryborough and Mackay studios already decommissioned before Seven purchased the station?
Another potential issue would be where would they put the control room if there isn’t enough space. Seven would also need space for it’s own sales, admin, etc.