International Out and About

[SydneyCityTV 17]

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!