Apologies for the double post, but I can’t possibly let this milestone go by without a brief mention on Media Spy.
Five years today (doesn’t seem like that long though, does it?) since the now infamous 2014 Seven News theme music was launched, a major Australian TV news blunder which is probably on the same level as THISafternoon, the 2011 Ten News Revolution, Breakfast (on Ten) with Paul Henry and Wake Up.
What I’d imagine was supposed to be theme music which was to serve Seven News for a decade ultimately lasted just 4-5 days before the previous theme was reinstated, which is probably for the best. Having that almost cartoon-esque music played under headlines such as the Martin Place Siege or Dreamworld Tragedy would’ve sounded just a tad inappropriate, I think!
The sad thing is, Seven didn’t learn their lesson little over two years later when the current (and IMO, rather undercooked) version of the theme music was launched even if the signature from The Mission was kept intact.
I don’t see some of those as blunders. Putting Paul Henry on Australian television was ill conceived but those other things were creditable ideas poorly executed.
The theme music change was a stupid idea but it pales in comparison to both Seven and Nine installing Ferguson as their weeknight newsreader, Seven sacking Mal Walden in 1987, Seven Perth’s virtual set abomination, Ron Wilson’s dumping from First at Five and then TEN-10 in Sydney, Nine letting Lisa walk from Today. Those things have had long term ramifications. The news theme change was easily fixed when the idiots who made that decision came to their senses with the help of loyal viewers.
Maybe the Ten News Revolution & Wake Up could’ve worked if the execution was better, but the ideas of Paul Henry on Australian TV and THISafternoon honestly should never have made it to air. Who at Nine thought it was a really good idea to try a breakfast-like show (even right down to the On-Air Presentation elements) between 4.30pm and 5.30pm? No wonder it was probably one of the major reasons why Fergo moved to Seven!
But I digress…
Can’t argue with the others, but sadly the virtual set on Seven News Perth doesn’t seem to have had any negative impact on the ratings.
I mean, Nine News Perth brought in a far bigger & better set around 1.5 years later, yet they’re sometimes 4th in the ratings while Seven News Perth are an extremely consistent #1.
Each to their own, but I don’t think it’s a great sound.
For all the criticism about Nine News’ current theme music being tired and dated (and yes, I still think it should’ve been replaced for the 2012 graphics relaunch), the Nine Network absolutely has the right philosophy when it comes to the theme music for their news & other programs. Update if you can do a remix which genuinely sounds like an improvement on the previous version but aside from that, if it ain’t broke…
Nine News Now also doesn’t have infomercials (except maybe for the 9Honey segments) but it is barely any more watchable than The Daily Edition IMO.
Anyway, back on topic now. Have Seven been airing any promos highlighting Mark Ferguson’s return to the Sydney newsdesk for 2019? If so, Antonio will be excited!
A ‘Medibank Health Update’ aired tonight during the first ad break of Melbourne’s bulletin presented by former reporter Mia Greaves, bit of a flashback there! It had the border like the Officeworks ad with the ‘coming up’ down the bottom. It was essentially a one minute ad for Medibank.
I was recently in Sydney for a holiday and decided to take a visit to ATN7 over the weekend. Here are a couple of pictures of the studio. There’s not much to see as most of the windows were covered up by the Sunrise/The Morning Show set.
As you can see it looks like the weather presenter does the weather from a green screen near the plasma and window that the Sunrise desk normally sits.
Adelaide bulletin being run as a “Special Edition” hourlong bulletin. Three live reporters scattered across the suburbs to cover the record-breaking heat of 46.2C, beating the 1939 record of 46.1C.
