6PM with George Negus
He didn't land any punches on the first day, but George Negus was determined to prove his show isn't Today Tonight or A Current Affair.
- Published by David Knox
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- Filed under Programming, Reviews
If 6PM with George Negus wanted to drive home any message, it was simply: this is not A Current Affair nor Today Tonight.
Consumer stories look like they will be returned to sender on this show, and that’s a good thing.
This is actually the second time Negus has fronted a nightly programme in this type of timeslot. George Negus Tonight aired weeknights at 6:30pm on the ABC from 2002 – 2004.
“I’m thrilled to be part of what is a genuinely different way of looking at things that matter, both here in Australia and the rest of the world,” he said.
TEN’s new show led with an interview with PM Julia Gillard -a move most current affairs producers will openly admit is a viewer turn-off. But TEN appeared to be saying “hang the risk factor, we need a point of difference.”
In a pre-recorded interview about flood recovery, Negus wasn’t able to cut through the Gillard-speak, but she did manage to wish him luck. Even Julia likes George.
It was followed by a story on flood survivors, which didn’t tell us much that was particularly new. Nine and Seven would probably argue they covered such stories around the time the events actually occured, when TEN only managed one day of rolling coverage.
Hamish MacDonald filed a story on teenage girls in the Middle East training to become suicide bombers. It was a good get, if somewhat brief. Negus’ former Dateline would have delved a lot more beyond the brevity of this scoop. It was footnoted with a trademark Negus’ editorial about how suicide contravenes Islamic law.
Hugh Riminton spoke to Negus about Gillard’s standing in the polls. Given we had only just seen her, this was an interesting placement. Riminton will be a significant asset to this programme, with a long track record in news and carrying viewer credibility. He also touched briefly on the findings of the Christmas Island review.
There were brief wraps on Irish politics, the latest turmoil for Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi and a short 7PM style interview with Victoria Cross soldier Corporal Ben Roberts-Smith.
The mix of stories was the show’s best feature, but as The 7PM Project discovered, rushing through them for fear of viewers turning off does nobody any good.
The show also didn’t fulfill its promise to tell us “why?”
Why, on a day when an inland sea is headed towards Swan Hill, for example, are the Victorian floods lacking the same coverage as Queensland? Negus might have told us why news editors are so fearful of flood fatigue alienating their audiences.
Yesterday’s results of the Christmas Island review deserved a lot more analysis, having previously been a story of national interest.
Negus also didn’t land any punches on the first night. Fewer references to his globe-trotting past would be welcome (even George likes George) and the autocue seemed a bit too far for him to relax. Just one news update on 6:30 Evening News is also warranted.
But if history tells us anything Negus is just warming up. This was a promising start to a major reinvention of the 6pm timeslot. Between them, Seven News and Nine News (Melbourne) last night had stories on Tottie Goldsmith, Shane Warne, trainsurfing, and a beach box that cost more than an average house. Why, indeed…..
Briefly, the Melbourne edition of TEN Evening News appeared to be little more than recycled 5pm stories, some local, some national, some international. If it’s going to recap national / international stories, shouldn’t it cover the big ones? The first story on rising prices for fruit and veggies was woefully belated. And one young reporter surely had some first day nerves…
6PM with George Negus airs 6pm weeknights on TEN.
58 Responses
Three points:
1. Why have a news update 2 min into program after having a full hour of news.
2. Would’nt negus show be better suited at 6:30 if it is dealing in straight current affairs.
3. Sports Tonight would probably be better than ten evening news. You could build it as Australia’s version of Sportscenter.
Decided to give George a chance. Turned the TV off after his first stupid question.
@craig I don’t hate Ten at all. I love a lot of their programmes (Good Wife, Glee, etc).
I live in Adelaide hence the reason why I mentioned Adelaide’s numbers. You clearly have your rose coloured glasses on when it comes to Ten. I have always said this is a big mistake by Ten and the numbers prove that.
Sorry if my opinion isn’t to your liking Craig, but then that is why it is my opinion.
Was good but I agree it felt a bit rushed. Would have preferred just one story that was in depth. The jihad one was an absolute cracker!
Thank you for such an incitefull comment Bill
and @ jay jay… We know you hate TEN…. but findng fault in their Adelaide numbers is a stretche even for you. I expected much more cutting comments about the style, delivery and content…. But then I guess you would have to dissect 9’s content and credibility if you did that
Ten’s 6-7pm Newshour didn’t do very well in Adelaide. 44,000 viewers for George and 34,000 for Rebecca Morse.
Numbers speak for themselves.
Considering 7 News did 143,000 and TT did 127,000 in Adelaide – I don’t think 10 will be at all happy in Adelaide this morning.
I thought 6PM was great, although a bit rushed.
Ten Evening news was pretty redundant given the 5pm bulletin. I think it’d be better if they decisively were a rehash of 5pm, or a completely local bulletin with no repeat stories. I think they should pick a side, rather than hovering somewhere in the middle to make everybody happy.
Maybe they should give Negus the full hour.
…Or better yet, give Shaun Micallef 6.30 for Newstopia.
They’ll want better ratings than they got last night. Thought they’d be higher. Didn’t see it myself as was watching KFC Big Bash.
Not perfect, but great alternative to 7 and 9, I’ve been waiting to switch them off since they discontinued the HD feed.
I enjoyed this, but if they keep at 6PM then i won’t be watching because i like to flick to Seven News after Ten news. I really wish they’d move this to 6.30. And then it could compete with trashy TT & ACA. I think it would offer a better alternative to those two.
Not sure another half hour bulletin is needed if it just recaps everything from the 5pm news. Isn’t that what news updates during the night are for?
I’m loving all the News critics here on the blog today.
I agree 6pm did rush through the stories a bit but that’s understandable. They probably thought “let’s rush through all the stories to fit more in so we can give the audience a snippet of what our show is about”
Expected for a debut show. Give it time.
Fail.
I’ll try and watch it tonight. I agree – any program different to ACA and TT garbage has got to be good. Let’s hope it can bring some viewers up from the gutter to watch it.
A good start and let’s hope there is no dumbing down from now on. It almost seems to good to be true that it is on 10, so I am a bit worried that it will not last when the dispensable program should be the 6.30 News that follows. The audience needs a bit of relief at that time if the aim is to keep viewers glued to 10. Just rehashing 5.00pm stories for 6.30 is not the way to go and perhaps starting the 7.00pm report at 6.30 would be a better option.
Much better than TT or ACA. I hope that 6PM is in the 6.30PM timeslot with TT and ACA to provide competition. Theme from 5pm news is like a BBC World News intro.
@steven guy – then you’ll have to watch ACA to know which is the best new TV to buy and how it will change your life LOL
I wish them luck with trying to show Australians serious news, but I’m not filled with optimism unfortunately.
1. 6PM is just too early for this sort of program, most potential viewers are still at work, or in the middle of their home commute at 6 PM. Those at home at 6 clearly want stories of dodgy builders, miracle face creams and weight-loss programs rather than what’s happening in the Middle-East and Canberra.
2. Australia is a nation who’s top-rating commercial TV program last year was a competitive cooking show starring children. And that was on well after 6pm! It could be argued that there simply aren’t enough viewers of ‘real news’ programs in the whole country to support a commercial news show like this. Stealing viewers from SBS and the ABC isn’t going to be enough even if it were possible for TEN.
I’d love to be proved wrong on this, I hope I am.
@John… i agree. It sounds to me like a tap dripping !
What is with the robot sound that tries to take out Sandra when going through the headlines??
While I am a big fan of Sandra and she did a great job, I’m not sure how local all her stories were. I thought it was meant to be about Sydney.
Loved the 6pm show and it will only grow and the kinks will smooth out as they relax and get through some more shows.
Fantastic. Actual journalism and cred. What a breath of fresh air in a saturated marketplace full of garbage journalism. Thank you ABC.
Deciding to go with your first interviewee as Julia Gillard on message certainly wasn’t inspiring, just as leading with veggie price rises wasn’t for the 6:30 bulletin. I’ll certainly watch these shows, if just to play my part in pulling down the intellectual wasteland that is TT and ACA.
I’m glad it isn’t like the others, If I see one more story about speed cameras, parking cops, people who don’t read the fine print on contracts or new wonder diets, I’ll scream and throw the TV off the balcony. I hope George keeps his promise !
Is 6pm done in Sydney or Melbourne??
My ratings guesses for the 5 city 6pm slot last night
18-49
Nine News – 330k
Seven News – 320k
6pm w/ George Negus – 300k
Total Viewers
Seven News – 1.1m
Nine News – 1m
6pm w/ George Negus – 750k
Ten what’s with the tocking sound during the 5pm theme?
You gotta change that quicksmart…really annoying.