A Merry Christmas wink from Rob
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It is not advertised that way at all.
Seven even cover up the clock that is shown on the live bug in the corner. So instead of saying “Live 6:01pm Southbank” for example, the regional bulletin gets a coverup which just has the 7 News logo with “Live” written underneath (even though it’s not actually live).
99.9% of viewers would have no idea and wouldn’t be able to tell that the bulletin is cut down. There are a few minor things you notice as someone who knows about the format, but most people wouldn’t have a clue.
It’s definitely the best of both worlds. Viewers get half an hour of their own local news, sport, and weather, then get the “national” bulletin with all of the irrelevant Brisbane centric stuff cut out of the news.
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I wonder if this is helped by Seven proactively doing it for the Brisbane News, knowing it’s going to be cut down, using that to help structure their hour.
I’m sure people in Albury watching the cut down Seven Melbourne news would find it a bit more obvious, as I’d expect that’s basically just yanking 30 minutes out of the middle of the bulletin, hence them taking the strategy of the bespoke half hour in NSW.
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I’ve started to watch the Brisbane news after the regional bulletin, however I noticed that the regional news seem to be desperate for content as they always go running to the opposition for an opinion which is always a winge fest
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As long as they don’t cut stories off mid sentence it’s fine. Which is what I remember Prime doing in the past.
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Dang, not the way it should be. Since last year, a CNN-branded channel in the Philippines (my home country) had to shut local production for disinfection purposes; gladly it wasn’t 2020, when the channel had to shut off twice after detecting positive cases.
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7 News Townsville not airing again tonight as a staff member has tested positive.
News article from Townsville Bulletin:
https://12ft.io/proxy?q=https://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/news/townsville/7news-townsville-has-closed-due-to-a-staff-member-testing-positive-22-new-cases/news-story/f309f0ba84a59de940d67922da3d4dbb
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Gives WIN News a free kick. Oh wait 
I guess no Freelancers to cover?
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The station is out of action due to COVID cleaning. Easier to just air the Brisbane news than try to run a bulletin entirely with freelancers. It’s not just the on-air people, it’s also the behind the scenes staff.
Things can be done remotely in 2021. That’s if Seven has invested in the technology.
Also cleaning can be done overnight but it’s possible Townsville doesn’t have an endless supply of covid cleaners available on short notice.
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Just imagine the Maroochydore studios recording an apology to Townsville viewers once the North QLD newsroom gives the all clear to resume local news production.
They should be airing a notice from Rob Brough at 6.00 tonight, accompanied with a VO or even a package about the cases. Then do a handover to Katrina.
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Too clunky. Just show the Brisbane bulletin.
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Maybe a crawler graphic at 5.59 at most, in fact I’d expect this, but that would be all.
Even a QLD wide crawl if that’s the only way to do it, as long as it’s specifically just Townsville missing out.
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Just a short sorry by Broughy and one his trademark winks would win them over.
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That’s a good suggestion. 
Clearly you’ve never seen a regional newsroom. They run on the smell of an oily rag, and it’s not as simple as just ‘working from home’.
Also, I can’t imagine Townsville has enough freelance journalists to cover. The idea is ridiculous.
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Well actually I have and I currently work in one.
I would think if anyone was going to have a better kitted out newsroom it would be Seven.
Townsville has a Journalism University course at James Cook. Since when have they even bothered to advertise for Freelancers? I know of a few who would have flown up there for a last minute gig.