This is indicative of just how dire COVID has been to the bottom line for FTA.
I hope they realise that this sort of decision is a point of no return, they can’t try and launch a new news/current affairs product ever again because nobody is going to trust the network to commit to news after such savage cuts.
9 Likes
Given all this, I’m actually surprised they decided to keep the 6PM half hour… thought that would’ve been one of the first things to be cut back.
It must be perform well in 10’s eyes? @TV.Cynic
3 Likes
cheaper than any other alternate programming that wouldn’t rate high enough to justify the additional cost.
4 Likes
Wow. That’s all quite something. I mean… what do you say. It seems VERY shortsighted but ultimately you can only afford what you can afford I guess. And like it or lump it, despite some success in primetime they are still very much the number 3 (or sometimes 4) network in the country. And that success comes at a price to license all these formats.
What a sad day and yes, lots of people will not find jobs at other networks, there are not enough to go around.
3 Likes
As I’ve said all along - the cost is not adding 30 minutes of news to an existing bulletin
The cost is Maintaining 5 newsrooms generating 5 bulletins
7 Likes
Its not a matter of a few bucks. Unfortunately, its the current climate we’re living in. All organisations are cutting back. We are currently living in the worst Recession since the Great Depression.
8 Likes
Rebecca Morse confirming that she is departing the network.
I’m presuming it’ll be business as usual until Friday, 11th September with the changes coming in effect from Monday, 14th September?
10 Likes
I am honestly surprised the weekend bulletin still exists. That should have been the first cut IMO.
I don’t read it like that. I don’t normally defend News Corp but I just think that it’s a national website and for the sake of a national readership, she’s probably the most known of the talent that’s been let go.
4 Likes
Totally agree. Since the merger of these two companies, first it was sport and now news is getting hit.
Shocking day for this network and some great people out of work today.
10 Likes
Also of note, rather than having a national weather presenter, I would much prefer that they just get the news reader to present the weather report (That’s if they are going to record one weather forecast like they do on the weekends - which I hate with a passion)
Mediaweek is also reporting the changes will still see separate bulletins for each market rather than merged.
Network 10 today informed staff about a restructuring of its News and Operations department. As part of the restructuring, the presentation of the weekday 5.00pm to 6.30pm 10 News First bulletins will be centralised in Sydney and Melbourne.
• Presentation of the weekday Sydney, Brisbane and Perth 5.00pm to 6.30pm news bulletins will take place in Sydney.
• Presentation of the weekday Melbourne and Adelaide 5.00pm to 6.30pm news bulletins will take place in Melbourne.
2 Likes
And if this is the case, it looks like Adelaide and Brisbane will be the biggest losers with pre-recorded bulletins.
Who knows what will happen with Perth…
1 Like
The bulletin rates fairly low across the county and it has not really shown any sign of momentum in the last decade.
Used to rate well 2000-2010. Weekends they used to gets 700/800k.
Probably been on borrowed time for a while, I guess this place is more about content, not so much financial stuff.
The ratings probably won’t move much they have essentially bottomed out.
3 Likes
I feel like this could be considered the beginning of the end, for Ten’s Local News across Australia.
Hopefully they somehow regain their Local News, though considering the numbers. I wouldn’t count on it. I hope this doesn’t spread to the other networks, God knows how bad that would be. And if it were to happen, it might just mean death to Australia News TV.
We can only hope that this change won’t be for long. Hopefully though, the presenters that were dumped will be picked up by other News Stations across Australia. Very unfortunate for Monika though, such terrific talent, dumped within only 9 months or so.
Elsewhere, I’m wondering who in-charge would actually be making these changes, and if any BTS people have also been dumped (i.e. camera operators, etc)
4 Likes
No, the weekend bulletins are watched by 500,000+ People
The Brisbane / Perth and Adelaide bulletins are watched by 35-60,000
She still has her other job at SAFM breakfast to rely on. Her colleagues may not be as fortunate.
6 Likes
Bingo. I bet this won’t change the ratings much at all from current levels.
3 Likes
While all media organisations are likely to make news service cutbacks in the future, after 10 News First I think Seven News is the one who’s future I’m most concerned about especially with their parent company CEO being one who would’ve made major cutbacks at Ten in the past.
1 Like
I cant see them doing separate bulletins. It will be combined bulletins for the following markets.
Sydney / Brisbane as one bulletin (from Sydney)
Melbourne / Adelaide as one bulletin (from Melbourne)
Perth as its own bulletin (from Sydney)
I feel like this is a temporary set up (for at least 12 months or so) until the market picks up again.
1 Like