Didn’t even realise Vic Lorusso had become a businessman let alone executive and CEO! Wasn’t he recently still reporting on KIIS for Kyle and Jackie O? Once 10 News Sydney’s traffic chopper face.
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Interesting the release mentions “25 years”, Caroline Ferguson in Melbourne celebrated 25 years at ATN a few years ago at a lavish function in Melbourne, but very soon after defected to Transport Victoria who set up their own traffic reporting, now in a contract with 3AW (via Nine - odd they didn’t opt for “NTN”) and ABC radio, where she returned to her old station in AW for afternoons which she did for many years previously at ATN.
Hi everyone, just thought I’d give some insight into how the traffic reports are done in Melbourne.
The reports originating from Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) are actually public service employees, they have the titles of “Communications Advisor - Broadcast and have a reporting line within the communications branch of the department. They seem to have access to the live camera feeds that VicRoads operate, haven’t heard anything to suggest they have internal feeds for Public Transport.
Have no clue which office they operate out of, think I heard one they operated out of the DTP office at Ringwood though I wouldn’t be surprised if they all worked from home, that said they did once do breakfast reports from the ABC at Southbank on Sammy J’s last day.
Question is, do any of the other commercials or community stations get their reports from them? Only heard them on ABC and 3AW
From my casual listening I think Magic and 3MP get reports from DTP but in 3MP’s case some tailoring to focus on the Mornington Peninsula/South East suburbs.
At one stage the traffic reports were free to the stations with the traffic company charging their own advertisers direct for the live reads. Some days the traffic helicopter is the only media flying machine in operation now.
The TV heli’s going really was the beginning of the end for commercial TV.