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ABC reviews 7:30 Report format

The format and style of The 7:30 Report are up for grabs with the impending departure of host Kerry O'Brien.

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The format and style of The 7:30 Report are up for grabs with the impending departure of host Kerry O’Brien.

The Australian reports the ABC is mulling whether to overhaul the format after O’Brien leaves in December.

While a replacement host has not been chosen, the ABC is taking opportunity to review the format -something it couldn’t aggressively consider with O’Brien’s tenure of 15 years.

ABC Director of News Kate Torney has appointed two senior news executives to examine the format and style of the show along with Stateline, including whether to keep the latter on Fridays or extend The 7.30 Report to five nights weekly.

“We are taking time to look at the format and style of (The 7:30 Report) and Stateline for 2011 and exploring the best ways to deliver national and state-based current affairs to ABC audiences in the 7.30pm time-slot,” Ms Torney said in an internal memo.

An ABC source added: “The problem is resources. News 24 has stretched resources and there is no money to do any more state-based current affairs, even if they wanted to.”

O’Brien has indicated he will remain with ABC in a new role but yet to elaborate on what it may entail.

When he took fronted the national show 15 years ago the TV news landscape was much different. Now woth ABC News 24, and the 2011 expansion by TEN News, ABC has much to consider.

Source: The Australian

19 Responses

  1. Re 7.30 Report.

    Who the hell is Robert Malley, International Crisis group,why focus on his bias views. An obvious bleeding heart that our new interviewer seems to be giving headlines to. Hey 7.30 people ,what about the dying Libyans dying under Gadafi.
    You did’nt interview one here or there.

    You must be accused of “legging up” the reasons to do nothing.

    I just hope its not controvesy for ratings kicking in.

  2. I am interested in a past report by Kerry O’Brian on the topic “Schizophrenia”.
    Is there any way I could have access to this report?
    I am not sure if it was actually a 7:30 report or a panel discussion in Sydney on the 21 Sept 2010.
    I would greatly appreciate your help.
    Regards
    Tom Glattauer

  4. I agree with some people here that say each state’s 7pm ABC1 News should be expanded to an hour. SBS World News Australia have shown it can be done well. Maybe they could have state-station windows open up in the last 15 minutes for local stories, while 45 minutes for national stuff?

    Ironically with ABC News24 taking away resources, if they dump Stateline, how will News24 fill hours of their weekend schedule?

  5. Why do people keep suggesting simulcasting ABC1 news on ABC24? Besides the fact that you’re wasting a channel, you also have to ask *which* ABC1 news you want to use. There is a separate ABC1 in every state, but only one News24.

  6. @Nudge

    It’s spelt ‘you’re’ in this sentence, not ‘your’. The incorrect usage of your/you’re, their/there/they’re and too/to by Adults is very frustrating! They’re not interchangeable!

  7. If I was in charge I would…

    1. Expand the ABC1 News to an hour, merging it with the 7.30 Report and dropping the Business and Finance segments. Simulcast on ABC24.

    2. Drop Lateline.

    3. Maybe retain Lateline Business, but on ABC24.

    4. Retain a weekly Stateline program, but lob it onto ABC24.

    I see the current weak link as being the ABC1 7pm News program. It only shows about 17min of actual news (woeful) and business/finance that people probably get elsewhere anyway.

  10. Now here’s a radical idea for ABC, how about expand the 7pm bulletin into a one hour flagship broadcast live across News24 and ABC1 ala Channel 4 News.
    Even a 20 minute headline program followed by 40 minutes of current affairs and political programming.
    I hoped that Ten would do something similar however it’s looking more and more like two hours of rolling news with filler from CBS.

  11. 7:30 Report needs more stories about diet fads, botox, and Rice Bubbles vs Coco Pops which is the best for you. Naomi Robson is looking for a gig isn’t she?

    Leave all the serious stuff for an hour long Lateline. Dump Lateline Business from ABC1 as it is already on ABC News 24.

  15. I reckon 7;30 report shoudl take a more dignified format that could bring more respect like that of TT or ACA and have it hosted by Sarah Murdoch hehehe.

  17. Shows how silly the decision to launch ABC News 24 was. Why take resources away from a channel that grabs 17 per cent of the audience for a channel that’s significantly shed viewers and now daily trails SBS2?

  18. As much as I’m a fan of Kezza, his departure from the 7.30 Report could be a blessing in disguise. The show could definitely do with an overhaul. No doubt the ABC’s news/current affairs resources are stretched though. Some of the production and technical glitches on ABC24 are nothing short of amateurish.

  19. ABC should move “The 7.30 Report” over to News 24 and expand it to an hour as it’s flagship programme, weeknights at 7.30

    That opens up 7.30 for entertainment programming on ABC1

    One night of which (say 7.37 Wednesday) could be a new flagship weekly current affairs show for ABC1.

    “Stateline” should be axed and merged with ABC1’s state based 7pm news bulletins, which should become more state focused, and leave the national and international news to ABC News 24

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