If the Adelaide & Perth editions of Today Tonight were to be axed, I suspect the network would still need to keep most of the reporters & crew on so they can provide additional content for any extended weeknight news bulletins.
With the ratings as they are in both markets, Seven would probably just be better off maintaining the status quo until (at least) Rosanna & Monika quit/retire.
A small amount would stay in news and maybe redeployed in other cities, but you would find that most would be phased out. National stories would fill some spots, as they do in Sydney/Melbourne and Brisbane bulletins. Extended overseas stories would also get incorporated into the bulletins.
Today Tonight, in Adelaide at least, is a nice change of pace from the main news. Not to mention they’ve produced some top quality serious stories in the years since axing on the east coast (drought relief, the Murray-Darling report, and Onkaparinga Council frivolous private spending come to mind) easily trumping the sensationalist claptrap on ACA.
And thinking about it, is a full hour of news really necessary? A half hour condenses the bulletin to the most important stories, which probably covers the attention spans of today’s fast-paced, quick-information society.
In my opinion I think the two seperate programs work well (in Perth). The news can focus on news. The fluff n filler stories that everyone complains about in the east are then shown on TT. Thankfully there is not much of that, it is mostly content relevant to WA viewers with a minimum of filler from other states.
Both programs rate very well & have plenty of advertisers that would cover most if not all the production costs.
I can’t see Seven changing the status quo while both programs slaughter any and all opposition put up against them.
After Sunday night when 7news played the TT theme by mistake in the news closer, last night it was TT’s turn to have a blooper (although a lot minor!). In the closer, the screens on the desk weren’t changed from the news logo to the TT logo.
*This was from a moving ferris wheel, where Mark Sodastrom (7 News Sport) at the time was in the middle of breaking a world record for the longest time spent on a fairground ride.
As the network continues to cut costs, The Australian understands that Seven is reviewing the future of the Adelaide and Perth editions of Today Tonight.
It would be real shock if the axe fell on the Perth edition, given it’s been a regular staple for Seven in the West and Monica Kos’s main gig for over 20 years now.
If Seven eventually axe the Adelaide & Perth editions of Today Tonight, you’d think we’d most likely see the currently half hour weeknight bulletins extended to a full hour?
Mind you, I’m not quite sure much it costs to run another 30 minutes of news compared to 30 minutes of current affairs.