Ten News First Content and Appearance (2015-Sept 2020)

[Bob]

At what time? Still 5pm?

[Nicholas]

Sure…

[PointJules]

I’m not sure how much purchase Nine News Now has in the general audience, but I figure it may be a bad association with puff and fluff.

Still, in a generic sense, Ten News Now would do well to be branded across all news updates and bulletins.

[jens]

@killy06

They’ve got to start somewhere and simply having a bulletin on air in the morning before the competitors to claim first is ridiculous. I don’t think any earlier than 6:30am to start with is needed and can be extended once it’s bed in.

This is ridiculous. I’ll say it again - it’s not rocket science. A “Ten News First” starting at 6:30 would just seem completely amateurish, considering Seven and Nine have already been on air since 5am - and they are later than ABC and Sky as well. Is the title the major issue? No. But it is a joke to call it “Ten News First” when they are last with News at 6:30.

Second - of course they need to start before 6:30. Any rip-and-read old-school-style bulletin is going to rate terribly - especially after about 7:30. Think about it.

I believe the brand positioner will be first because that’s associated with the Ten News name, not necessarily by virtue of being first with the news but first on air at 5pm currently (for an evening bulletin) which they will likely try to retain in some form and expand on that as a point of difference.

I do think that they’ll try to switch it around though as an overall brand, first with the news (more resources, less fluff tell me how it is type thing) rather than trying to get the jump on the others with start times etc which was really their aim all of those years ago by moving to 5pm.

Interesting times ahead.

[jens]

@SydneyCityTV

I agree with everyone who’s saying that if Ten wants to re-enter the breakfast market, they should take the slow burn approach by introducing an Early News bulletin and gradually evolving it over a few years.

But just on a couple of other things…

Words I would probably use to describe Sunrise & Today include toxic and unwatchable, not inviting and entertaining.

Realistically this won’t happen but perhaps the best promo idea one can get for a Network Ten breakfast program would be to remind the Australian public (through use of news article snippets) of how Sunrise & Today have recently let down their viewers by disrespecting various laws that broadcasters have to follow: Eg, Sunrise indigenous children segment, Today ANZAC Day competition scandal

Saying Sunrise is “toxic” is just a slight exaggeration. Have you been force-fed Fairfax articles? Sunrise is going through a ratings high at the moment. There is nothing toxic about it.

Just on another thing you say - no, I don’t think they should introduce “bulletins” in the sense that I think you mean. Bulletin brings to mind a 6pm-style news bulletin with very little that is off-script. What they need is a “show” that is off-the-cuff, spontaneous, lively, fun, watchable. They may as well not bother with a “bulletin” (in their old 6am style). Correct me if I am wrong.

[lexington]

5.30-8.30 then.

I’m guessing

[ShadowDan]

@lexington

5.30-8.30 then.

I’m guessing

… you’re just fueling the fire in this thread haha…

[jens]

@lexington

I’m guessing

We know.

[newsatten]

TEN News First at 4:59am.

[WAtvVideos]

@jens

A “Ten News First” starting at 6:30 would just seem completely amateurish, considering Seven and Nine have already been on air since 5am

What if it’s Ten’s ‘first’ bulletin of the day and has nothing to do with whether it’s aired before or after the competition? It makes sense then.

[SydneyCityTV]

@jens

Saying Sunrise is “toxic” is just a slight exaggeration. Have you been force-fed Fairfax articles?

I do read some articles from Fairfax but haven’t been “force fed” them. Besides, I think it’s reasonably clear that sentence was personal opinion (which you are allowed to disagree with) rather than a fact.

@jens

Sunrise is going through a ratings high at the moment. There is nothing toxic about it.

Just because something in the media is popular doesn’t mean it’s not toxic. You’ll probably disagree with me on this but arguably, talkback radio and the News Corp press come to mind as examples of media outlets which are popular but continually serve toxic content/opinions to a mass audience.

@jens

Just on another thing you say - no, I don’t think they should introduce “bulletins” in the sense that I think you mean.

I personally think gradually evolving an Early News bulletin into a breakfast show would be a better strategy than rushing into the launch of another expensive breakfast show which ultimately only lasts 6-12 months.

Again, I know this was a very long time ago now but Sunrise started as a straightforward early news bulletin for Seven before gradually evolving into the program it is these days.

@jens

Bulletin brings to mind a 6pm-style news bulletin with very little that is off-script. What they need is a “show” that is off-the-cuff, spontaneous, lively, fun, watchable. They may as well not bother with a “bulletin” (in their old 6am style). Correct me if I am wrong.

Obviously any breakfast program (even more news-based ones like News Breakfast on the ABC) has to have some presenter banter at the appropriate moments, but for Ten it shouldn’t be promoted as the main reason for people to tune in IMO.

If I was ever in charge of running a Network Ten breakfast program, I’d probably want to aim it at people under 40 who are unlikely to be currently regular viewers of Seven or Nine in the morning. I’d probably also take a look at younger-skewing current affairs programs like The Project and The Feed to see what elements of those shows could work well on breakfast TV.

[jens]

There’s nothing here I particularly disagree with. Except the idea that those media you mentioned serve up stuff that is “toxic”. It’s a loaded term that I think underestimates the audience’s ability to suss out reliable sources for themselves. I also have a different take on this whole “bulletin” thing and the idea that a “show” would necessarily be expensive. I have, for years here, advocated a morning news along the lines of (let me think, among my first suggestions about 10 years ago was) “Fox and Friends First 5am version” which is very much a cheap show - but highly watchable (way more than Ten’s effort at the time), and more recently KTLA and some of the other especially high-rating morning newscasts in the US. These are cheap and very, very, very cheerful news “shows”.

[Techster]

[AvidViewer]

78 new posts

Me: Oh my God, Ten must’ve finally relaunched their Early, Morning, Afternoon and Late News bulletins again…

Oh wait, they just registered a domain.

[Tom_TV7]

Damn you beat me to it!

[Nicholas]

…and that was only for a website! Wait until the full relaunch happens! Better scale up the servers.

[lexington]

I think that anything they come up with will be measured and considered.

I hope so at the very least… they don’t need to spend another $1m on a breakfast solution.

[Dm86]

I think for a fresh take on mornings, ten should take some direction from the AM show in New Zealand.The multi-platform show has been going strong and building a strong following as well as being different.

[TV.Cynic]

WIN New car and mic flag on Brisbane News.

[Korero]

If Ten were to ever relaunch a brekky show, now would be a good time while Today is down. Lisa, Hamish and Sarah? Otherwise I can’t see anything working except for a bulletin in the slot.