SydneyCityTV

Sadly, it's no major surprise that WIN have decided to decimate NBN News. It's more or less exactly what I expected to happen from the moment the sale announcement was announced, and certainly after NEC shareholders formally approved it less than two weeks ago. As for there being "more local stories and content" under the relaunched bulletin - that is an outright lie IMO. At the very least, output quality is going to decline on the basis of it becoming a pre-recorded bulletin (the current version of NBN News, includes live crosses!) and from my observations of other markets, WIN News does rely somewhat on "generic regional issues" reports that can be played in multiple regions to pad out their "cut and paste" half hour bulletins. Now don't get me wrong: WIN News also get decent reporters but most of their really good ones tend to move onto bigger and better things within time. I'd probably expect most if not all of the current Wollongong-based reporters to eventually get a big break on metropolitan TV (Ten Sydney seems to like ex-WIN talent!), as a number of others already have in recent years. Job losses are unfortunately inevitable, especially in Newcastle where they have 2-3 times the on-air presenters/reporters that major WIN markets like the Illawarra and Canberra do. As he was a Sports presenter on WIN News before moving up to NBN just before the sale announcement in January (wouldn't even be surprised if this may have been part of the plan...), I think we'll likely see Jack Mahony eventually move back to Wollongong. It'll be quite interesting to see if Jane Goldsmith stays with a WIN-run NBN News or takes up a Sydney-based presenting role with Nine. Given that she's continued to receive network presenting opportunities even after the sale announcement (most notably presenting Nine's Late News on Sundays & Thursdays but also presenting news on Today over Easter IIRC), the powers that be obviously see talent in Jane. She'd be my pick for the role of 2nd in-line Sydney presenter, which since Georgie Gardner's departure on April 17, has been filled by the absolutely woeful Mark Burrows. Finally, one hopes that Nine News Sydney plan to make an effort of properly introducing Peter Overton, James Bracey, Belinda Russell, Sophie Walsh and co to Northern NSW viewers who currently don't see them on a nightly basis. Although I certainly won't be holding my breath for that!

Sadly, I wouldn't be surprised if even the standalone program expected to run during the FIFA World Cup period won't be quite enough to stop Ten slipping into 5th place behind SBS at that point in time! ...who can now be heard presenting Breakfast on 2SM: The Sydney commercial radio station with a dubious distinction of being the only one not to participate in radio ratings surveys for more than two decades! Interestingly enough, Tim Webster took over 2SM Breakfast from another ex-Ten presenter in Ron Wilson (who after defecting from top rating music station Smooth 95.3 where he was a newsreader for ages, only lasted six months!) but that's for another time and topic. Which was a more panel-based format with analysis and commentary, as opposed to being an extended version of a news bulletin's Sport segment. Perhaps the revived Sports Tonight might find a niche amongst hard-core sports followers, but I have a feeling the original format (which the new version is expected to be closer to than the 2018/19 incarnation) might be considered somewhat redundant in this day and age.

While it (somehow) scored top ratings, here's one Sydneysider who's not particularly heartbroken that The Kyle & Jackie O Show have come to an end. It's in part due to K&JO's $200 Million contract that their sister station's actually good breakfast show of 20 years+ was bumped to National Drive, in favour of Englishman-turned-Melbournian Christian O'Connell whose show from Gold 104.3 down there is now relayed on 101.7 up here. Only time will tell, but I'm predicting that the Nova Entertainment-owned competitor Smooth 95.3 will gain further ratings inroads and finally conquer the breakfast timeslot. Rather ironically, "Kyle & Jackie O's Haunted House" is/was expected to be a returning attraction at this year's Sydney Royal Easter Show (which I guess may be sort of our equivalent to the US' state/county fairs) from early next month - not sure we'll be likely to see something based on a now defunct breakfast show at that event now!

It's been a while since I logged into this place, but just on one of Australia's recent broadcast media happenings... I'll be rather interested to see if Nine retains some of NBN's current on-air talent after the Northern NSW station is offloaded to WIN. In particular, NBN News weekend presenter Jane Goldsmith who has not irregularly presented Nine's Late News and done the occasional Sydney-based fill-in gig aside from that during the past few years.

I'd imagine that most if not all usage of station campaigns and news themes from US networks on Australian TV would've been licenced and above board though, since the graphical elements in Nine's original "Still The One" promo are basically the same as ABC's but with a different logo. Similar deal with Seven's versions of the NBC Idents & Launch Campaigns during the 1980s, etc. In my personal opinion, the Cool Hand Luke-derived news theme currently used on Nine News here in Australia doesn't really work with their rather flashy graphics or sets. I also have my doubts that Americans would really enjoy listening to the versions of The Mission which Seven News introduced only a few years ago.

The Sydney market has had many legendary broadcasters on TV and radio over the years, some of which are still on the air today. But I think Brian Henderson was this city's best ever TV newsreader. His style of reading set the standard in the market that most others (particularly at Nine) emulated to some extent, including Nine News Sydney's current lead presenter Peter Overton. Another point of interest with that old bulletin is looking at the other presenters/reporters who had/are having very long Australian media careers, some of whom are still at Nine to this day!