Agree, it’s quite ridiculous, how do they expect to a build an audience? I almost wonder if they’re just putting it on late so it gets low numbers and therefore that would justify axing the show at the end of the year.
In fact, I think they should just axe The Latest and start fresh in 2021 with Seven Late News, to air 8:30pm-9:00pm on Sunday’s, and 9:00pm-9:30pm from Monday to Thursday. It would just be a straight up news bulletin, which would also include a sport and weather presenter. There would be no interviews because it would just slow down the pace of the bulletin.
And then the dramas/U.S. imports would proceed immediately after the Late News.
I think there is demand for a 8:30pm/9:00pm news bulletin. A lot of people would work later in the evening and miss the 6pm news, so they could then watch a 8:30pm/9:00pm bulletin instead.
I would ideally have Angela Cox or Angie Asimus. I’m not really fussed, as long as they can do all five days from Sunday to Thursday, so that the audience can get used to that one presenter.
Sport would be presented by Mel McLaughlin and Weather would be presented by David Brown.
He would be replaced on the Morning News otherwise his work day would be too long.
It’s not economically viable to air the bulletin seven nights a week with lower viewing numbers on Friday & Saturday’s, however it may be scheduled on the odd Friday & Saturday here and there after major sporting games to capitalise on that audience.
Please. We have 5am 11am, 4pm, 5pm, 6pm,7pm, 1030pm straight up news bulletins. It’s taken us 20 years to get something that is different and has some innovation and new ideas behind it. And you wanna cull it?
The Latest is a pretty good show on the whole, but unfortunately it’s buried late at night with not many people watching it. Surely there’s more demand for a news bulletin at 8:30pm/9:00pm than The Latest which roughly airs around 10:45pm/11:00pm each night?
Otherwise put The Latest earlier in the night where more people will watch it and it can develop a loyal following. And choose between Angela Cox or Michael Usher so that they can become the “face” of the bulletin, instead of having a different presenter every 2-3 nights.
“Loses it’s audience” or it’s audience starts going to bed? Is there a reason they don’t exist?
The ratings at 9:30 just aren’t bad enough to justify changing the line up from entertainment, and at the end of the day those ratings justify the advertising sales.
I’ve spent most of my life working shift work, at no time have I ever had a late shift get me home in time to watch a 8:30/9:30 bulletin.
I was a late news fan back in the day, but like most people I’ve moved online.
The reason people switch to streaming may just mean people want better entertainment offerings than the FTA channels can provide. Doesn’t mean news is the answer.
Also, I’m asking out of serious interest, do you have a reference for these studies?
I thought I’ve read that streaming has only been recorded over a 24hr period (mainly in covid articles).
There’s no way to tell where viewers go… some change channels, some turn off the tv, some do other activities, some switch to YouTube etc… hard to tell
