Seven News
 Seven News Logo |
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| Division of: | Seven Network |
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| Founded: | 1958 |
| Headquarters: | Martin Place, Sydney, Australia |
| Area served: | Worldwide |
| Broadcast programs: | Sunrise Weekend Sunrise Seven Early News Seven Morning News Seven 4.30 News Today Tonight Sunday Night |
| Parent: | Seven West Media |
| Website: | Seven News website |
Seven News is the television news service of the Seven Network in Australia.
National bulletins are presented from Seven's high-definition studios in Martin Place, Sydney, while flagship 6pm bulletins are produced in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth. The network also produces Seven Local News bulletins for parts of regional Queensland. The news service is retransmitted via a number of regional affiliates, including Prime Television, the Golden West Network, Southern Cross Television and WIN Television in South Australia. It draws upon the resources of BBC, NBC, CNN, APTN and Reuters for select international coverage.
Peter Meakin is the current head of news and current affairs for the Seven Network, and in recent years, Seven News has overtaken Nine News as the most watched television news service in Australia.
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[edit] History
Seven News, previously known as Channel 7 News, Seven Eyewitness News, Seven National News and Seven Nightly News, is one of Australia's longest-running television news services, along with Nine News on the rival Nine Network.
Falling viewers numbers in the mid-1980s, particularly in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, led the network to relaunch both its programming and its news service, which was renamed Seven Nightly News, as part of the network's growing alignment (in terms of branding) with the US network NBC – taking on both the name and well-known theme music (The Mission, composed by John Williams) of NBC's flagship news program, NBC Nightly News. During the worst period of low ratings, Seven Nightly News was forced to move their main bulletin to 6.30pm because Nine News was too strong in the ratings.[citation needed]
Shortly after the 1991 creation of the Seven Network as a company, a national populist current affairs program Real Life was launched, presented by former ABC reporter Stan Grant. It continued until 1995, when it was replaced by state-based editions of the current program Today Tonight, which airs in most markets straight after the 6pm Seven News. Today Tonight has since discontinued separate editions for Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane markets, which now receive a single east-coast edition.
The 2003 appointment of former Nine Network news and current affairs chief Peter Meakin[1] has led Seven News to take a noticeably more 'local' feel, which has proved to be a ratings success in larger markets such as Sydney and Melbourne. A greater amount of locally-focused output is now incorporated, such as the 2005 Seven Listens campaign, which involved small, one-person studios at Westfield Shopping Centres for shoppers to discuss issues, in addition to a number of online surveys. Data collected from these surveys contributed to special reports on issues deemed to have been of importance to the public.
Ratings have gradually increased since 2004. Seven News was the top rating news service nationally in both the 2005 and 2006 ratings seasons,[2][3] partly attributed to the success of television game show Deal or No Deal, which provides it with a significant lead-in audience.[4] Between 2007 and 2010, the 6pm edition of Seven News completed a clean sweep as the most watched news bulletin across the five major capital cities.
[edit] Bulletins
[edit] National Bulletins
[edit] Seven Early News
Seven Early News is broadcast at 5:30am on weekdays from Seven's Martin Place studios in Sydney, presented by Sunrise newsreader Natalie Barr and Sunrise sports presenter Mark Beretta.
The bulletin first aired on 14 July 2008, and draws upon overnight news stories from the network's international news resources as well as additional weather forecasts and financial news reports. The fill-in presenters for the bulletin are Samantha Armytage (news) and Simon Reeve (sport).[5]
[edit] Seven Morning News
Seven Morning News is broadcast at 11:30am on weekdays from Seven's Martin Place studios in Sydney and presented by Ann Sanders.
The bulletin was first broadcast at 10:30am on 29 January 2001 and presented by Garry Wilkinson. Following his departure, Chris Reason took over until 2004, when he was suceeded by Chris Bath. Ann Sanders has presented the bulletin since 2006, when she swapped roles with Bath, and also presents news updates during The Morning Show. (Sanders had originally been the Seven News Sydney weekend presenter from 2004-5, following Ross Symonds's retirement in 2003.)
Fill-in presenters for the bulletin include Mark Ferguson, Talitha Cummins, Rebecca Maddern and Sharyn Ghidella. The bulletin airs in the Sydney and Melbourne markets only during the tennis season - at the earlier time of 10:30am - and is occasionally broadcast from Seven's Melbourne or Brisbane studios if the main Sydney studio is unavailable.
[edit] Seven 4.30 News
The bulletin was introduced in 2003 as Target Iraq, during extensive coverage of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and presented from Sydney by David Johnston. The program was retained after the initial invasion and moved production to Melbourne. Johnston retired in September 2005 and succeeded by Rebecca Maddern until production returned to Sydney in July 2006. Former US correspondent Mike Amor took over as anchor but was replaced three months later by Samantha Armytage. On 3 December 2010, the bulletin was extended to 60 minutes and began to feature a sports bulletin.[6]
Fill in presenters include Ann Sanders, Talitha Cummins, Sarah Cumming, Rebecca Maddern & Sharyn Ghidella (news), Tony Squires, Matt Carmichael, Leith Mulligan and Michael Felgate (sport). The bulletin is occasionally broadcast from Seven's Melbourne or Brisbane studios if the main Sydney studio is unavailable.
[edit] Seven News Updates
State-based updates are presented throughout the afternoon by reporters or presenters.
Until 2003, a 30-minute late-night bulletin aired Seven Network airing around 10:30pm or 11:30pm. Presenters included Nick McArdle, Natalie Barr, Chris Bath, Garry Wilkinson, Simon Reeve and Anne Fulwood amongst others.
A three-minute summary now airs at around 10.30pm on weeknights (subject to scheduling), covering major national and international news stories in brief along with a sports story and a national weather summary. The late updates are presented from Sydney by Samantha Armytage presents (Monday) and Sarah Cumming (Tuesday - Friday). Fill-in presenters include Sophie Hull, Pippa Gardner, Robert Ovadia and Rebecca Maddern.
In 2007 and 2008, Seven Late News was revived in the form of a Friday night bulletin during the AFL season. The half-hour bulletin was introduced in 2007, broadcast at 10:30 p.m. into Sydney and Brisbane. In 2008 the same bulletin was also shown delayed in Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth at the later time of 11:30pm (aired later on occasions). As of 2011, the half-hour late bulletin is no longer produced by the network, with 10:30pm updates now presented on Friday nights.
[edit] Local Bulletins
[edit] Sydney
Seven News Sydney is presented from ATN-7's Martin Place news studios in Sydney by Chris Bath (Monday - Friday) and Mark Ferguson (Saturday & Sunday) with sports presenters Tony Squires (weekdays) & Matt Carmichael (weekends) and weather presenter Sarah Cumming (weekdays).
The Sydney bulletin is also simulcast live by Prime7 Television stations in the Canberra (including Goulburn, Yass and Cooma), Newcastle-Hunter, Illawarra-NSW South Coast (Wollongong, Southern Highlands, Nowra, Ulladulla, Batemans Bay, Bega) and Gold Coast (QLD) markets. The program airs on delay at 6:30pm in the Wagga Wagga-Orange-Dubbo, Tamworth-New England and Mid North Coast-Northern Rivers regions following local Prime7 News bulletins.
Between 1998 and the end of 2003, the 6pm news was co-presented by Ross Symonds and Ann Sanders (who started presenting the weeknight news in February 1995) - a combination which had long struggled against the then long-time leading 6pm bulletin, National Nine News Sydney. Symonds has since retired, whilst Sanders moved to presenting the weekend bulletin from 2004-5 before being appointed as presenter of the national Morning News in 2006.
Seven News Sydney's attempts to boost ratings began in late 2003 when Ian Ross was appointed as main weeknight anchor and the news service relocated to new street-level studios in Martin Place in late 2004, allowing bystanders to watch bulletins being broadcast live. After two years of presenting the national morning news, Chris Bath returned to her former role as weekend news presenter in 2006. Ross presented his final bulletin for Seven News Sydney on Friday 27 November 2009. Bath took over as main weeknight presenter from Monday 30 November 2009 while former Nine News presenter Mark Ferguson took over as weekend presenter on Saturday 28 November 2009.[7]
Seven's 6pm Sydney bulletin retained its ratings lead until 2011 when the rival Nine News bulletin overtook Seven in the ratings for the first time in seven years, winning 21 weeks compared to Seven's 14 weeks.[8]
News updates for Sydney are presented by Chris Bath (weekdays) and Mark Ferguson (weekends) throughout the afternoon and the early evening, with national updates broadcast during the late evening. Fill in presenters include Chris Reason, Natalie Barr & Samantha Armytage (news), Mark Beretta, Jim Wilson & Simon Reeve (sport) and Talitha Cummins (weather). The Sydney news director is Chris Willis.
[edit] Melbourne
Seven News Melbourne is presented from HSV-7's Broadcast Centre studios in the Melbourne Docklands by Peter Mitchell on weeknights and Jennifer Keyte on weekends with sport presenters Sandy Roberts (weeknights) & Tim Watson (weekends) and weather presenter David Brown (weeknights).
The Melbourne bulletin is simulcast throughout regional Victoria and New South Wales/South Australia border areas that receive television services from Victoria through Prime7, and to viewers in Darwin, Northern Territory through Southern Cross Television (TND-34).[9]
Current weeknight anchor Peter Mitchell prsented weekend bulletins between 1987 and 2000, when he replaced a short-lived partnership between David Johnston and Anne Fulwood. Jennifer Keyte had previously anchored the weeknight bulletins from 1990 to 1996, as the first solo female anchor of a commerical news program. She resigned after the network attempted to pair her with David Johnston, but returned in August 2003, assuming the role as weekend presenter, succeeding Jennifer Adams.
Production of the Melbourne bulletin moved from HSV7's South Melbourne headquarters in Dorcas Street to the network's Broadcast Centre in the Melbourne Docklands, from where transmission for Seven's owned-and-operated stations is based. After decades of coming in second place to Nine News Melbourne, Seven News Melbourne dead heated in 2007, winning 20 out of 40 ratings weeks. This was subsequently followed by a series of advertisements and promos which have touted Seven News Melbourne as Melbourne's New #1. Despite a poor start to 2008, Seven News Melbourne won 25 out of 40 ratings weeks, officially becoming Melbourne's most watched television news program.
Fill in-presenters include Rebecca Maddern (news), Michael Felgate & Leith Mulligan (sport) and Sara Groen (weather). The Melbourne news director is Steve Carey.
[edit] Brisbane
Seven News Brisbane is presented from BTQ-7's Mount Coot-tha studios in Brisbane by Kay McGrath and Rod Young on weeknights and Sharyn Ghidella on weekends with sport presenters Pat Welsh (Saturday - Wednesday) & Shane Webcke (Thursday & Friday) and weather presenters John Schluter (weeknights) & Liz Cantor (weekends).
The bulletin is also simulcast in Brisbane on local radio station 96.5 Family FM, to regional Queensland viewers in the Sunshine Coast, Wide Bay-Burnett, Toowoomba, Rockhampton, Mackay, Townsville and Cairns television markets via Seven Queensland and across central & remote areas of eastern Australia, on Southern Cross Central.
Kay McGrath has co-presented Seven's weeknight Brisbane bulletins since 1989, initially alongside long-serving anchor Frank Warrick until his retirement in 2001, and then presenting solo, until Rod Young joined from ABC News Queensland in October 2002. Following several years coming second to Nine News Brisbane, Seven News Brisbane regained its ratings lead by 2007, helped by the recruitment of ex-Nine weatherman John Schluter and director of news Rob Raschke. By 2008, Seven News Brisbane had become the #1 rating bulletin in Brisbane, winning all 40 ratings weeks. Tracey Challenor presented weekend bulletins for many years until her resignation in February 2007. Her replacement, Sharyn Ghidella occasionally presents on weeknights, filling in for Kay McGrath.
Other fill-in presenters include Patrick Condren, Bianca Stone & Jillian Whiting (news), Ben Davis, Shane Webcke & Rohan Welsh (sport) and Angie Asimus (weather). The Brisbane news director is Rob Raschke.
[edit] Adelaide
Seven News Adelaide is presented from SAS-7's Adelaide studios at Hindmarsh by Jane Doyle and John Riddell on weeknights and Graeme Goodings on weekends with sport presenters Bruce Abernethy (weekdays) & Chris Dittmar (weekends) and weather presenter Melody Horrill (weeknights).
The Adelaide bulletin is simulcast to the regional areas of South Australia on Southern Cross Television GTS/BKN in the Spencer Gulf region and Broken Hill in New South Wales, and through WIN Television South Australia in the Riverland and Mount Gambier/South East regions of the state.
Previously, Goodings presented on weeknights and John Riddell on weekends, until 2004. Both presenters agreed to swap roles in 2004 and had been presenting Seven News Adelaide alongside Jane Doyle since 1989, which had proven a success.
Prior to 27 December 1987, the presenters and production crew of Seven News Adelaide produced Ten News Adelaide (then known as Ten Eyewitness News). However, as the television industry was consolidating in Australia, these news services had each become associated by ownership with inter-state news services being broadcast on opposite frequencies; therefore, to simplify network interaction, their respective networks agreed to swap channel assignments and network affiliations in Adelaide.
During the AFL season, Seven News Adelaide does not air at the regular time on Sundays if there is a twilight match involving Port Adelaide or Adelaide, in which case, a shortened edition is broadcast at half time, replacing analysis of the AFL matches broadcast.
Fill-in presenters include Jessica Adamson, Susan Couhbor & Mike Smithson (news), Mark Soderstrom, Tim Noonan and Caroline Kelly (sport and weather). The Adelaide news director is Terry Plane.
[edit] Perth
Seven News Perth is presented from the network's Perth studios by Rick Ardon and Susannah Carr on weeknights, with sports presenters Basil Zempilas (weeknights) & Adrian Barich (weekends) and weather presenter Natalia Cooper (weeknights).
Weekend bulletins are presented by a rotating team of reporters and newsreaders including Paula Voce, Emmy Kubainski, Natalia Cooper, Samantha Jolly and Sally Bowrey.
Seven News Perth is also simulcast across regional and remote areas of Western Australia via regional affiliate GWN7. The 6pm bulletin has been a long-time ratings leader - its main anchors, Rick Ardon and Susannah Carr, have presented the program together since 1985. Short news updates for Perth are presented during the afternoons and early evenings by the main presenting team.
Long standing Seven Perth personality Jeff Newman spent nine years as a newsreader and presented weather forecasts for 18 years until his retirement on Monday 10 August 2009. He was succeeded by former Nine News Perth weather presenter Natalia Cooper.
[edit] Regional Queensland
Seven Local News bulletins are broadcast each weeknight with six separate editions for Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Wide Bay, the Sunshine Coast and Rockhampton. They are followed by Seven News Brisbane, in place of Today Tonight.
The bulletins are presented by Rob Brough, with Joanne Desmond co-anchoring the Cairns, Townsville and Rockhampton editions. Nathan Spurling presents sport with Livio Regano presenting weather for all six sub-regions.
In early 2004, Seven Local News was re-introduced in the Townsville and Cairns sub-markets as a result of regulations regarding local content on regional television introduced by the Australian Broadcasting Authority (now the Australian Communications and Media Authority). Reporters and camera crews are based at newsrooms in each of the six regions with studio presentation for the Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton and Wide Bay bulletins pre-recorded at studios in Maroochydore. The Sunshine Coast edition of Seven Local News is broadcast live. News editing is undertaken by the local newsrooms, and sent to the main Maroochydore studios for transmission.
The most successful edition of Seven Local News is broadcast on the Sunshine Coast. In early 1998, WIN Television launched a competing service publicly stating that it would beat Seven in the ratings within six months. At the end of the 1998 ratings season, after a new station head oversaw a comprehensive re-vamping of the program and its external promotions, Seven Local News had actually increased its audience share by six ratings points.
On 5 March 2007, Seven Local News bulletins commenced production and broadcasts in a widescreen standard-definition digital format. Seven Local News was the first regional news service in regional Queensland to convert to widescreen. On 22 November 2010, Seven Local News launched a sixth edition for the Rockhampton/Gladstone and Central Queensland region.
[edit] Controversy
[edit] Outing of David Campbell
The news service, and in particular its news director Peter Meakin and reporter Adam Walters, came under heavy criticism in 2010 for the decision to air a story on Seven News in Sydney outing then-New South Wales Transport Minister David Campbell as homosexual.[10] Campbell, a Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for over two decades, was forced to resign after Meakin chose to air a story by Walters showing Campbell leaving a gay bathhouse.
Seven's decision to run the story was derided by politicians, other media outlets, academics and the public as "not a good moment for the media coverage of Macquarie Street",[11] "old-fashioned"[12] and an act of "pathetic snooping".[13]
| “ | But this was an act of naked homophobia. Well, I’ve got a message for Channel Seven. In Australia, we’ve gone beyond that. Or most of us have. Your action was shameful. | ” |
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—Former High Court Justice Michael Kirby[13] |
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Seven's justification for airing the story was initially that Campbell had misused his Ministerial vehicle,[10] however this allegation was quickly shown to be untrue by other media outlets, as New South Wales Ministers have full private use of their Ministerial vehicles.[12] The justification later put forward by Seven to defend its actions was that it was in the public interest to make the allegations public because of the risk of blackmail. Allegations also emerged that Walters had undertaken the story not for its public interest, but as the result of a grudge: Walters' relationship with Campbell's ministerial colleague Reba Meagher had broken down the previous year.[14] Walters had also lost his job in a strategy unit for the Labor government under former premier Morris Iemma after Iemma was ousted by a group of Ministers, including Campbell.[14]
The Australian Communications and Media Authority instigated an investigation into Seven's conduct in this matter, under the industry's self-regulated code of conduct. It accepted the public interest justification put forward by Seven, that Campbell's actions left him "vulnerable to compromise or blackmail".[15]
[edit] Tony Abbott "Shit happens"
In 2011, Seven News obtained footage under freedom of information laws showing Opposition Leader Tony Abbott speaking about the recent death of an Australian soldier in Afghanistan. Seven news edited the clips broadcast that evening taking the comments out of context. After the incident, many media websites labeled the story a "ratings grab" for the network. Seven News reporter Mark Riley appeared on Sunrise and many other radio shows defending the claims and the report that aired.[16]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "AM - Peter Meakin changes channel". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2003-02-11. http://www.abc.net.au/am/stories/s781431.htm. Retrieved 2007-03-19.
- ^ "Year in review" (Press release). Seven Network. 2005-11-28. http://www.sevencorporate.com.au/uploads/files/1133152167296_0.3523812150364673.pdf. Retrieved 2007-07-01.
- ^ "Seven dominates television in 2006" (Press release). Seven Network. 2006-12-03. http://www.sevencorporate.com.au/uploads/files/1165195762613_0.7959107373196659.pdf. Retrieved 2007-07-01.
- ^ Brown, Rachel; Huntington, Patty (2004-07-04). "Bulletproof Waley wouldn't dare to quit". Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/07/03/1088488206089.html. Retrieved 2007-07-01.
- ^ Knox, David (11 July 2008). "Early News to boost Sunrise". tvtonight.com.au. http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2008/07/early-news-to-boost-sunrise.html. Retrieved 2008-12-10.
- ^ Seven extends 4:30pm news, TV Tonight, 3 December 2010
- ^ Chris Bath to replace Ian Ross at Seven News, ebroadcast.com.au, 9 November 2009
- ^ Nine News Sydney takes ratings crown from Seven, Media Spy, 22 October 2011
- ^ http://www.scmedia.com.au/content/sctvguide.aspx
- ^ a b "Seven Goes Public on the Private". Media Watch (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). 24 May 2010.
- ^ Marr, David (22 May 2010). "Outdated Seven fails on public interest". The Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/1016_marr.pdf. Retrieved 17 January 2011. "Channel Seven has other, old-fashioned ideas that hark back to a time that's all but disappeared in this country when being gay was scandal enough. ... [B]lowing his cover could only be justified if, once again, his hypocrisy affected his public life. That's the rule."
- ^ a b Salusinszky, Imre (21 May 2010). "Disgrace for the man, and the media". The Australian. http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/1016_imre.pdf. Retrieved 17 January 2011. "What was the public interest in putting to air last night the story of Campbell's visit to a gay sex club?"
- ^ a b Washbrook, Cyril (22 May 2010). "Kirby: Seven News filled with "serial homophobes"". Media Spy. http://www.mediaspy.org/report/2010/05/22/updated-kirby-seven-news-filled-with-serial-homophobes/. Retrieved 17 January 2011.
- ^ a b Crook, Andrew (21 May 2010). "The minister, the gay sauna and a reporter with scores to settle". Crikey. http://www.crikey.com.au/2010/05/21/the-minister-the-gay-sauna-and-a-reporter-with-scores-to-settle/. Retrieved 17 January 2011.
- ^ O'Brien, Natalie (16 January 2011). "Seven cleared over Campbell's outing". The Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/seven-cleared-over-campbells-outing-20110115-19rvm.html. Retrieved 17 January 2011.
- ^ Farr, Malcolm (9 February 2011). "Channel 7 defends 'ambushing' Abbott over 's*** happens' comment". news.com.au. http://www.news.com.au/national/s-happens-tony-abbott-to-troops-after-lance-corporal-jared-mackinneys-death/story-e6frfkvr-1226002350040.
[edit] External links
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