This bulletin continues to impress.
I was never a huge fan of Michael Usher but this format really suits him.
I love the informal approach yet in-depth stories and interviews.
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More than 3 hours later sometimes, last night it aired around 11:00pm in Perth.
It should be called Seven’s Late News in Perth as sometimes the local 7 news & ABC News are going out live after The Latest went to air on the east coast
Does it really matter? It’s the name of the show, The Latest, not necessarily Seven’s Latest News.
No need to have a separate brand for WA, it should just be called “Seven Late News” in all markets IMO!
Although either way, I still have my doubts that this program will last beyond the duration of the cricket season. Sure, a later evening news bulletin might get a decent enough audience during the warmer months of the year but is that going to be the case in June or July when there’s typically single digit (or below) temperatures at 10.30pm-ish in most parts of Australia?
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Doesn’t seem to phase ABC Late News and SBS Late News.
Maybe they are aware of it and want to bring numbers to the late slots?
Having it on might get people watching and up their share for the nights.
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Comparing what Seven and the ABC/SBS do with news (and indeed how they operate their entire network) is like comparing apples and oranges.
Again, it probably should be said that I’m not entirely against the idea of late news on commercial TV but so far remain unconvinced about “The Latest” being a long term project for Seven.
As previously stated, Seven are trying to gain traction with the weekend edition. I agree, I don’t think it will last, but if so, Seven may need to get a second presenter to fill in.
If The Latest continues next year, Seven will need to start looking for a new weekend presenter in Sydney.
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I would go with Melissa Doyle or Angela Cox.
That is not needed. You just rearrange Mark Ferguson’s 6pm days to suit.
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Wow… I’m impressed… Jessica Ridley was reporting on Sydney Hobart from Early News, Sunrise, 6pm news and now a live cross on The Latest.
Extraordinary effort from her. Disappointing that Michael Usher keeps interrupting her. Gosh he’s frustrating.
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Why couldn’t someone else just do The Latest on Sunday and Monday and Michael Usher could work Tuesday to Saturday on The Latest and still do Fri/Sat 6pm…
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This. This is why I can’t watch. I don’t understand why he keeps interrupting everyone. It’s infuriating.
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I was just coming on to write the same thing!
I really like the idea of The Latest and I like Michael Usher but I’m so sick of him interrupting everyone, trying to wrap them up all the time, constantly looking away as though he’s trying to rush through things. It’s a really good feel for a bulletin but that one thing is really getting on my goat!
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You can’t really blame Usher. He has an earpiece and the Director tells him to wrap it up along with the Floor Manager making the signal. He has to follow the directions of the Director.
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Yeah that’s what I put it down to originally but it seems more than that. It seems very quick or when they’re already explaining something interesting he’ll interrupt to ask something unnecessary which just breaks the flow. I haven’t seen Usher on this type of thing before do I don’t know if it is something he just can’t handle, which is fine. Everybody has different strengths and talents and he has enough career cred to be a good journalist but this might simply be not his thing.
To be fair, Jess was struggling in the live cross last night.
But I do agree Michael shouldn’t be interrupting all the time. I am at the point where I am betting when he will interrupt next.
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Seems there was trouble at St Kilda beach again yesterday evening with a far right group provoking African Australians. Meanwhile The Latest was stationed at a pitch black Chelsea beach for their live cross where there had been trouble the previous day with no mention of what had happened at St Kilda just hours earlier.
Yep, developing, breaking, following, latest, up to the minute etc etc.
I hate pointless live crosses.
All Australian networks seem to do them; “I’m standing here at court where nothing is actually happening… but 8 hours ago…”
Live crosses are an invaluable tool when they serve a purpose… the audience just isn’t that stupid.
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I agree that many live crosses are pointless, but they’re probably being done for psychological reasons (research finding that viewers find live crosses to feel more “happening now” compared to a pre-packaged report, etc.) because every network is doing them these days, even the ABC and SBS to some extent.
That’s exactly the reason they’re done… the 2 most powerful words in news are “live” and “now” just as many years ago “via satellite” was a big deal for the audience.
I just don’t think the audience is that stupid, they know when a live cross is actually adding something and when it’s window dressing.
For some bizarre reason some networks still insist on faking live crosses. Amazing how a correspondent can appear “live” on a network’s Sydney and Melbourne bulletins. Again the audience is more sophisticated than that.
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