This is probably getting off topic, but since Nine (company wide I imagine so radio like 2GB and 3AW and programs like Today) ended their long-term associations with ATN (Australian Traffic Network) and seemingly came up with a similar name… How does everyone feel it’s going? Do we know city/state differences or specifics? Such as Sydney and Brisbane seem to get the same traffic reporter and studio.
For Melbourne, Nine did a deal with the VicRoads TMC (Traffic Management Centre), now known as the DOT (Department of Transport and Planning) who also liaise with other stakeholders such as tollways CityLink (Transurban), EastLink (ConnectEast) and PPP Peninsula Link (Service Stream previously Lend Lease).
DOT managed at a similar time to bring across former long-time ATN reporters to them, such as Chris Miller, Jimmy Wirtanen, Brad Arnoldt, Andrew Crook (who used to do Today) and Caroline Ferguson (who has been back on 3AW afternoons for a couple of years - after celebrating 25 years at ATN at the end of 2021 I think with a function in Melbourne).
What I do like about them, compared to ATN, is not only are 3AW’s reports every 10min during peak (used to be 30min during peak) and I assume live, but they’ve got the latest info/data being at the same location or department where traffic and incidents are first detected and managed. Whereas with ATN, it can take a report or two until an incident is fully understood and bring it to viewers/listeners, which can cause outdated or incorrect information.
Not necessarily true all around the country. ATN is based in different offices depending on their agreements around the country.
I believe in WA it’s quite the opposite. Where ATN seem to be housed within Mainroads and have a longstanding agreement.
It seems that 6PR relies on the emails put out by mainroads now that they come under NTN. So they are at a disadvantage if content isn’t put out timely but ATN are positioned within the department.
Also looks like all nines reporters on today are both prerecorded, and produced interstate. But it’s very interesting to see nine go in house.
Yeah I forgot to mention that, it’s almost like the stars aligned for DOT too, whether Nine not renewing their ATN contract prompted them or they were already considering their own traffic reporting team (which I think is part of their broader media/comms/PR team). Or maybe ABC saw what Nine and DOT did and asked if they could acquire their services. Wonder if DOT sell themselves or shop around too.
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On another note, I see whenever ATN can’t get the chopper in the air (bad weather etc) the reporter on Sunrise/Today/afternoon news’/10 News appears to come from the CityLink/Transurban control room in Southbank. Used to be the VicRoads TMC in Kew. Is VicRoads’ compound still in Kew, it was a very old, massive site? I know previous state governments wanted to move HQ to Ballarat but I feel maybe they’ve merged into the DOT building that was already in the CBD (when the department marger happened in 2019), with the old VicRoads now responsible for just licencing and registration.
I always try to remember to check Snarl before leaving home. More reliable that radio traffic reports.
ABC uses ATN throughout Queensland; the same person seems to do all reports in the morning at least.
Sometimes a bit surprising to realise that there might be traffic somewhere in the Wide Bay or Toowoomba!
In Victoria for mine, I think the editing factor (like Wiki) has its issues however (unlike Melway or more official mapping which emergency services and government still use), as well as the accuracy of traffic data and incidents (based on location services & reporting) and travel times have all been questionable (heightened by the West Gate Freeway disaster over Christmas/NY in 2022 when VicRoads had to work with Google Australia to change things for next year - which they did and worked well). But for what it is and offers, it truly is a magnificent service, which has only got better over the years.
That’s odd, you’d think they’d use one or the other, guessing ATN are still their main one, but do a segment with the transport centre for a more broad transport report etc in a specific segment as you suggest after 7am
This is where you might get the best of both worlds - TfNSW does a really good job of tracking (and reporting through LiveTraffic) incidents, but their capability to report delays/snarls/heavy traffic is nowhere near as robust which seems to be where ATN is quite good with their in-air monitoring
Interesting, I heard Vic Lorusso (a foundation ATN reporter made famous on 10 News Sydney in the chopper with Ron Wilson/Bill Woods and Jessica Rowe/Deb Knight - does he still do that?) this morning on KIIS 1011 radio in Melbourne while I was checking out the new Kyle and Jackie Show…
I take it he hasn’t moved to Melbourne and was coming from Sydney. Why not use a Melbourne reporter? Maybe short staffed? Or perhaps a KIIS Sydney decision or the show, guess he does KIIS 1065’s at breakfast.
I haven’t seen him on television recently but he is heard on Sydney radio. Notorious for outing Anthony Callea on live radio in 2007.
Because the whole point of networking is to cut costs by cutting jobs. So he would do both Melbourne and Sydney reports cheaper than using two reporters.
ATN provides their reporters so it would make no difference to the arrangement whether the existing ATN melb AM staff did the report or someone in Syd.
I’m assuming it’s a KIIS request to have the Syd traffic reporter cover melb, or it could even have just been a cover situation?
Kyle Sandilands has described Vic as “the best in the business” or something similiar so I would say it would be his decision to have Vic in Melbourne too. Kyle’s show has the same newsreader (Brooklyn) to read local news for both Melbourne and Sydney, obviously prerecorded as the news goes to air at the same time and is localised for each market.
I also think Vic has a sales or possibly management or coodination? role as he is known to have liased with radio stations.
Interesting to note that they only have 2 reporters listed in Melbourne, so they might have a lot coming out of Sydney now.
That wouldn’t play into it. ATN actually pay the radio stations to air the traffic reports because it’s ATN that sell the embedded advertising. It’s big business - ATN did a 10 year deal with SCA some years back that was worth $100 million.
