Nine News
National Nine News is the news service which operates on the Nine Network in Australia. The Nine Network spends more money per year on news and current affairs programming than any other Australian commercial television network. Traditionally, it has defeated competition from other television news services, but over the past three years Seven News (on the Seven Network) has become the highest rating evening news service on a national basis, although National Nine News occasionally wins over Seven News and frequently has victories in the east coast markets.
Its flagship bulletin is broadcast at 6:00pm every night, with a separate bulletin for Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Darwin. Note that the Adelaide and Perth bulletins are not operated by the Nine Network or PBL Media. National news services are broadcast during Today, National Nine News: Morning Edition, National Nine News: Afternoon Edition and Nightline. A bulletin of National Nine News, Nine News Now, can also be viewed online at ninemsn.com.au after 4:00pm Sydney time each day via Internet streaming and can also be downloaded using vodcast technology.
It is speculated by some that National Nine News will be relaunched on 2 July 2007 with a new set, graphics and music package. The news service will allegedly receive three U-shaped projection screens of city backdrops, dark blue and white supers and a renewed arrangement of the theme. However, these rumours have at no stage been confirmed, with the major source being anonymously reported tips on online discussion forums, the veracity of which have since been called into question.
Bulletins
National Bulletins
Today
- Main article: Today
Today is the name of the Nine Network's breakfast program. It runs on weekdays from 6:00am to 9:00am. In recent years Today has been beaten by the Seven Network's Sunrise, often by up to 100,000 viewers. The program is currently hosted by Karl Stefanovic and Lisa Wilkinson, with Allison Langdon presenting the news, Cameron Williams presenting sport, Steven Jacobs presenting weather, Richard Wilkins reporting on entertainment, and Richard Reid corresponding from Hollywood.
Today features news updates every half hour, which is currently presented by Allison Langdon. Georgie Gardner, who usually presents National Nine Morning News is the relief news reader.
Morning Edition
National Nine News: Morning Edition is a nation-wide bulletin broadcast 11:00am weekdays. The bulletin goes head-to-head with Ten's Morning News. This bulletin appeared on Prime Television New Zealand until the 7th of February 2007. The bulletin is presented by Wendy Kingston, with Joanna Townsend presenting finance.
Afternoon Edition
National Nine News: Afternoon Edition is a national bulletin broadcast at 4:30pm weekdays to most of the Nine Network's owned-and-operated stations. The bulletin began in 2004, and goes head-to-head with Seven's 4.30pm News. National Nine News: Afternoon Edition is presented by Kellie Connolly, with Nicole Livingstone presenting sport from Melbourne, Karen Tso presenting finance, and Jaynie Seal presenting the weather.
Nightline
- Main article: Nightline
Nightline is the Nine Network's late night news bulletin. It airs at around 11.30pm weeknights, and is currently presented by Michael Usher. Nightline consists of news, sport, finance and weather. Reports are sourced mainly from National Nine News reports nationwide, although the bulletin may also include reports from A Current Affair and other news services.
Nightline's main competitors are Ten's Late News and ABC News's Lateline. However, both of these bulletins usually air before Nightline. Stephanie Brantz presents sport, Karen Tso presents finance, with Jaynie Seal presenting the weather.
Nightline is not airing from the week starting 25th June, 2007, due to the 2007 Wimbledon Championships.
Online Bulletins
Nine News Now
Nine News Now is an online bulletin/vodcast recorded at 3.00pm and released at 4.00pm weekdays. This service began in mid 2006 and can be seen on ninemsn.com.au. The online bulletin is presented by Kellie Connolly, with Karen Tso presenting finance.
Local Bulletins
National Nine News Sydney is presented from the network's national news studios by Mark Ferguson, with Ken Sutcliffe presenting sport, and Jaynie Seal presenting the weather. Peter Harvey also features at the end of the bulletin for his The Last Word segment.
Mark Ferguson succeeded Jim Waley in 2005 as Sydney's main National Nine News presenter. Jim Waley had hosted the bulletin after the retirement of Australia's longest serving news Presenter Brian Henderson.
The bluescreen backdrop is of Sydney's central business district and the Sydney Harbour Bridge, as viewed from the northern suburb of Kirribilli.
Mike Munro and Michael Usher are fill-in presenters for the Sydney news service, with Stephanie Brantz or Ken Sutcliffe presenting sport, and Jaynie Seal presenting the weather.
National Nine News Melbourne is presented from the network's Melbourne news studios by Peter Hitchener, with Tony Jones presenting sport, and Livinia Nixon presenting the weather.
On weekends, Melbourne's National Nine News is presented by Jo Hall, with Heath O’Loughlin presenting sport.
Brian Naylor presented National Nine News in Melbourne for 20 years, 1978 to 1998. In 1998, Peter Hitchener succeeded Naylor as weeknight news presenter, and Jo Hall replaced Hitchener as weekend presenter.
Melbourne, along with Adelaide, use an older version of the "Cool Hand Luke" National Nine News theme. Melbourne changed from the new 2006 version after a decline in ratings following the revamp of the entire Nine Network at the beginning of 2006, which involved a complete overhaul of National Nine News presentation. GTV-9 returned to the previous version of the "Cool Hand Luke" theme in late February 2006.
In early 2007 the Melbourne news set was revamped. A new wood panel desk replaced the glass top desk, and a new 'blue' design background including photographs of Melbourne icons replaced the basic city shot.
Brett McLeod is the fill-in weekend presenter for the Melbourne news service, with Christine Ahern the fill-in sport presenter. Carolyne Randoe often presents the weather in place of Livinia Nixon.
National Nine News Sydney is presented from the network's Brisbane news studios by Bruce Paige and Heather Foord, with Ian Healy presenting sport, and Joseph May presenting the weather.
Melissa Downes is the weekend presenter for the Brisbane news service, with Steve Haddan presenting sport, and Miranda Deakin presenting the weather.
Gold Coast News is presented and produced from the network's Brisbane news studios by Jillian Whiting, with Eva Milic presenting the weather.
Prior to July 3, 2006, the bulletin was presented from news studios on the Gold Coast, however the bulletin is currently produced from the network's Brisbane studios.
National Nine News Darwin is presented from the network's Darwin news studios by Jonathan Uptin, with Angelina Anictomatis presenting the sport.
Angelina Anictomatis is the weekend presenter for the Darwin news service.
National Nine News Adelaide is produced from WIN Television's Adelaide news studios by Rob Kelvin, with Kym Dillon presenting sport, and Keith Martyn presenting the weather from Met Office . National Nine News was notable for having the last remaining news co-anchors who wer both male, however this came to an end in early 2007 with the death of Kevin Crease. Since Crease's death, a number of names have been mentioned in local media as possible replacemens however no replacement has yet been announced.
Georgina McGuinness is the weekend presenter for the Adelaide news service, with Mark Bickley presenting sport, and Xavier Minniecon or presenting the weather.
Throughout the 1990's, Deeanna Williams was the main fill-in presenter, however she was let go when she refused to cancel a holiday which clashed with a state election, even though she was state political reporter. For anumber of years, national Nine News exitistedwith only the 3 main presenters ever reading news. Kelvin and Crease would both sub for McGuinness on weekends if she was unavliable. This situation came to attention in 2005 when all three presenters were unavliable and weekend sports presenter Mark Bickley had to read the news. Since summer 2006, Sonia Madigan has been an occasionl presnter. Tory Grey fills-in as sports presenter, and Ali Carle from Mix102.3 presenters weather on occasion.
National Nine News Perth is produced from WIN Television's Perth news studios by Dixie Marshall and Sonia Vinci, with Michael Thomson presenting sport, and Natalia Cooper presenting the weather.
National Nine News Perth is the most poorly performing National Nine News bulletin in Australia, holding third or fourth place. This may be attributable to the popularity of Seven News Perth, which regularly attracts over 100,000 viewers more than National Nine News Perth.
Perth's National Nine News bulletin remains the first and only Australian news bulletin to have two female anchors, Dixie Marshall and Sonia Vinci. These two anchors are also the faces of Nine Perth's general operations and promos.
Sharlyn Sarac is the weekend presenter for the Perth news service, with Mark Readings presenting the sport.