Karl Lijnders doing weather updates today as they have been put up on facebook as its on the prime7 news border and wagga pages also says there will be an update on the 7 news from 6
as well as updates with madeleine collignon
Both WIN and Prime7 should be made to produce something. Even if it takes someone taking a loaded gun (either a literal loaded gun or threat of license cancellation, or both) to the heads of WIN and Prime7 and told, in no uncertain terms…produce a bulletin for Newcastle. Do it. Or die. I’m serious.
Imagine if someone brought NEC and decided that the model of Sinclair Broadcast Group, that is, inserting politically loaded pieces that heavily favored one side of politics, especially if they have certain politically sensitive assets in the Newcastle market (like a coal mine, or a desire to build skyscrapers), and used NBN as a battering ram to get their way. Not good for democracy, especially with no competing local TV news, the Herald and ABC on shaky ground, two sets of commercial radio stations whose news departments I wouldn’t say are especially strong on news, and no out and out independent media. Not good for democracy.
You may think I’m over reacting, but you need some competition. Newcastle is treated with contempt by all and sundry. I’d be saying to Prime7, use this as an opportunity to shift Northern news production to Newcastle, solid 30 minutes news, ditch both Blockhead Fergurson and Daniel Gibson and poach from NBN folks to come across, you know Nine will start taking the scalpel to them soon, and take them on.
Not only will you be helping Northern NSW out by improving the news output, but I’d reckon the Canberra team would be getting a handy break too - less work to worry about by some degree.
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Completely agree that regional broadcasters should be forced to produce something. I would go so far as to say they must broadcast 22mins of locally produced content between 6pm and 8pm seven nights a week.
Once you force a network to produce something, it is in their interests to make is profitable. Home & Away, for example, is only produced because networks are forced by law to make Australian drama. It’s a huge international success due to investment in the production. Of course, local television is not meant to be an international success - but WIN moans that local news is a ‘drain’ on the business. Well, if you’re in the business of television I think you ought to actually make some!
I would love to see WIN broadcasting from Coffs Harbour again and Prime from Tamworth, but I think sadly, those days are gone.
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You could even make it a requirement of a metro network’s license - if your regional affiliate cannot be arsed to produce anything of substantial use across all its licenses, you fine the metro as well. Through scheduling and the fact that you can’t pre-empt any metro program without either rescheduling it or cancel it altogether by the fact that the cross promotion is so far up each others backside, the metro networks already control 99% of what the regionals put out - WIN’s bad effort of showing whatever Bruce has got thanks to his Paramount ties or Prime7’s decent efforts with its news specials being the odd man out.
How funny would it be if if NRN or NEN didn’t do local news across all its sub-market areas in Northern NSW that TEN or ATN would cop a fine. Best sort of revenue raising ever. They should be made to bend over and take it like a man - as I’ve said, they essentially control the regional stations already, they should make allowances.
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Under the media reforms passed in October, local content in the aggregated markets and Tasmania increased to 900 points per 6 weeks (news accounts for 2 points instead of 1).
I will provide a link to my previous calculations below, but under the new quota and considering a 5-day working week, they will be required by law to produce 30mins per day of local content. Using an example of all local content in that time being news, they would only have to produce 15mins per day of local content. Considering the old 700 points quota, that’s only a marginal increase (24->30; 12->15), a whole THREE more minutes of legislated local news (only if that whole quota is news-only).
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The newer style Seven News Sydney promo for Noodle Markets - Canberra and Wollongong/Newcastle/Gold Coast versions:
Wollongong Noodle Updates last night:
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The problem is there is not a requirement to air these minutes together. So it will just be more news updates and ‘community connect’ announcements.
They should be forced to put together content that viewers recognise as a program - rather than ad-break updates.
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This could be simplified even further by introducing a condition where there must be a minimum 30 minute “blackout” period per day in prime time (or a 60 minute “blackout” before 6pm) where regionals are not allows to simulcast network programming and must fill this slot with local content.
This would leave the gate open to produce different types of local content (chat shows, travel programs whatever), with acknowledgement that prime time content minutes are more ‘valuable’.
It also acknowledges that Prime and WIN’s current model (where they make news) is the benchmark of bare minimum. I would however extend it to weekends.
At the moment there is a cosy relationship where Seven sells ads nationally, including those screened on Prime and GWN. This is the same for all networks. The problem is, this removes an incentive for the networks to want their affiliates to make local programs as it’s harder to ‘sell’ them. It’s easier for networks if they know the exact product they’re selling across the board. ie: Dear Bunnings, your ads will run during 7 News with Mark Ferguson in Syd, Woll, Cbr, Newy in one package - about 6 million people in that area. Boom. That’s one of the reasons Nine wanted a consistent product on SCA and it worked. Regional ad spends went up the minute Nine came to town.
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In the latest instalment of “Graphical changes you might’ve missed”, Prime7 Local News has slightly tweaked (mainly font wise, but there’s also some other minor differences) looking supers and OTS graphics as of last night:
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They still don’t have the 6.30 news’ “Now” tweak for the NSW Newshour regions, ever since they unified presentation. I missed the Border closer version from the old graphics, though. They should’ve tweaked the endtag with the current graphics when the edited 7News Melbourne is next after the Albury news.
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That red swoosh on the new OTS looks much more subtle than the previous one, much nicer.
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I don’t think Prime7’s Weather graphics have been updated at all since 2013.
Which isn’t an entirely bad thing, because the other On-Air Presentation elements of Prime7 News have gone downhill in quality since then IMO.
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CONFIRMED: Keeping the “tradition”, Prime7 News will be closed on Christmas and Boxing Days. This means 7News will fill-in across the state for the 6pm hour. News Service and local news bulletins will return on Wednesday (27 Dec).
(UPDATE) GWN7 will have its annual Year In Review special of WA’s stories notably covered by the service at 5.30pm AWST, in place of its regular news bulletin, on Christmas Day. Presumably, the team in Bunbury either had or will be pre-recorded given that the WA newsrooms are closed on Christmas break.
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Wagga Wagga, including shots of the modified supers:
Madelaine presented the 6.30 bulletin, and also did the weather from the desk:
Updates:
Promos:
The Pop-up also appears on 7Two and 7mate. HD on 7mate shown:
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I know there’s been a tonne of montages of Prime7 Local News posted to YouTube throughout 2017 but here’s a few more which I recorded during my North Coast trip in March for what they’re worth.
Prime7 Local News NSW North Coast, 17/3/2017 - Featuring Guy Fenton’s Final Local Forecast.
Prime7 Local News NSW North Coast, 20/3/2017 - Featuring Karl Lijnders’ First (in bulletin) Local Forecast.
Prime7 Local News NSW North Coast, 28/3/2017 - Recorded from the Taree version of Prime7 (as opposed to the Coffs Harbour version which the others were recorded from) so you get to see a different local Sponsor Billboard.
Prime7 “National” News at 6.30pm Regional NSW, 14/3/2017 - With Natalie Forrest filling in for Daniel Gibson, three months before she permanently moved to Seven’s Canberra bureau.
Prime7 “National” News at 6.30pm Regional NSW, 17/3/2017 - Featuring Guy Fenton’s Final Statewide/National Forecast.
Prime7 “National” News at 6.30pm Regional NSW, 20/3/2017 - Featuring Karl Lijnders’ First Statewide/National Forecast.
Of course since these bulletins were recorded further changes have taken place at the news service (reporter changes, additional slight graphics tweaks, etc.) but overall these clips should give you a fairly comprehensive look at what the On-Air Presentation of Prime7 News was like in 2017.
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Did we ever hear why Guy Fenton was replaced so suddenly? Thought a bit of eye candy on the regional news would’ve been a plus?
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Probably because Karl Lijnders is a meteorologist and Guy Fenton wasn’t?
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