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Lateline confirmed for 2017

Update: ABC spokesperson confirms Lateline's return for 2017.

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Updated: An ABC spokesperson has today confirmed to TV Tonight that Lateline will be returning in 2017 with no changes.

Earlier: The future of Lateline appears to be in doubt after new ABC Managing Director Michelle Guthrie avoided confirming its return in 2017.

Speaking last night at the Wheeler Centre’s ‘New News’ event, Guthrie was pressed on whether the show was returning.

Without directly answering host Margaret Simons, she spoke more broadly about content within ABC.

“Is the mission of Foreign Correspondent to come up with a half hour weekly program? No. The mission of Foreign Correspondent is to explain what’s happening in the world to Australians and give it context and analysis,” she said.

“The way I think about it is it’s getting away from individual programs and individual output and thinking about it more as ‘What is our mission? What are we here to do and how can we do that effectively, and how do we have the dexterity to do that across different platforms -frankly some of which may not have even been invented yet? And to audiences whoever they are, wherever they are?”

Pressed on the question of Lateline returning in 2017, she replied, “I’ve given you the answer.

“As I said, it is about having the overall perspective of ‘What are we trying to do?'”

ABC will reveal its new and returning titles for 2017 on Wednesday.

5 Responses

  1. According to Michelle Guthrie the ABC revolves around ‘different platforms’. Some of us actually like to turn the TV on to watch our favourite programmes.

    I agree MHA, Lateline is the only decent current Affairs programme on the ABC. 7.30 has totally lost me, its becoming more like a magazine format and often manages to avoid the most pressing political story of the day.

    I am not on Facebook and have no intention of signing up. Cannot understand this partnership with a private company at the expense of TV content.

    I think she is proving to be a disaster, certainly nothing to encourage me that things are improving at the ABC. I know the cuts aren’t her fault, but she is destroying the remaining positive aspects of the ABC.

  2. Oh dear, very stupid if it goes. The only grown up intelligent TV nightly current affairs program I go out of my way to view, with great investigative journalism, way better than 7.30. If it means I have to trawl through an ABC Facebook News feed to find Lateline content, forget it. You will have lost me Aunty. It is all well and good to embrace digital webpage publishing, at your peril don’t forget the traditional broadcast audience which is still large in number.

    1. Good to hear Lateline is coming back in 2017. Hopefully not too late in the new year as in previous years. Why couldn’t Guthrie have confirmed this anyway instead of a long winded rant? Too focused on Facebook maybe?

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