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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.

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

  1. Obviously Charlie Sheen is a sick man……..people should be offering him support…..not helping him air his break-down …..he has given us years of entertainment. It is easy for us mere mortals to all sit back and judge!!!!!!

  2. George you are pathetic, Channel Ten is pathetic, at least give us something to laugh at rather than 2 hours of news and current affairs! Bring back Homer!!!

  3. Its interesting that people are happy to accept that they can pay $13000 for a car or $130000 and not expect the same quality.. but when it comes to insurance they are happy to go for the cheapest and think its all the same… If it looks to good to be true … it normally is. if your not sure… ask the question.

  4. Dear George Negus

    When will someone have the courage to speak to Benjamin Creme, and see the future that he describes and why things seem to be falling apart at this present time, it would be refreshing to viewers who know nothing about the solutions that Benjamin Creme is advocating in solving the current problems.

    With Great Respect
    Antonio Palena

  5. Dear George,I thought I would give your programme a fair go but you never change do you? Fawning all over our leftie PM whilst trying to make the Coalition leader appear a meanie.Also your comment at the end of the programme which included Palestinian women aspiring to be “martyrs”.You can’t have it both ways George! I think it is ludicrous to air such sensational images and then expect viewers to swallow your politically correct comment, which was obviously designed specifically to appease the Muslims who might be viewing, that Islam is a religion of peace. Islam may indeed be expressed peacefully in many ways by the majority of Muslims but ‘ the notion of a “martyr” as someone who kills others viewed as enemies of the faith ,and in the process gets himself killed, is a distinctly Islamic construct’ [Islam unveiled – Robert Spencer p11] IThat is a fact hard to get away from and I think I would rather believe this eminent scholar than your contrived journalistic double talk which can only do harm to the majority of law abiding Muslims in Australia. Tell me what useful purpose it is serving to show us gun-toting, bhurka clad Palestinian women with hatred for our Western culture in their hearts?I suggest all it is doing is stirring up hatred for Muslims in this country which will benefit no- one.There is a lot I don’t like about our Western culture too but as a Christian I will continue to think that ‘the pen is mightier than the sword’ and act accordingly. I am sure many Muslims in Australia will do that too. Hope these comments are useful

  6. A lot of Austrlians already are Not donating to appeals due to the widespread rumours that there is 1 million dollars still in the Victorian Bush Fire Fund and many thousands still in The Newcastle Earthquake Fund. Some investigative journalism please

  7. cant wait for the stories on oz’s best bras,or the supermarket comparisons/adverts coming soon.wake up Australia! Demand more
    than this mindless drivel. Turn off your televisions. Get active, .Educate yourselves.Dont rely on the corporote media to do it for you!

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