You have been outsourced: The future of network television news…
In this new world of cost cutting as television networks come under tighter financial constraints, the path of outsourcing news production will be inevitable. Last week rumours later discovered as true related to the Nine Network wanting to axe its Canberra news bureau and merge with Sky news.
Under the proposed plan the Nine Network would retain veteran political correspondent Laurie Oakes as the networks face of politics, filing reports for the 6pm news bulletins. However the resources of Sky News would be used to deliver these reports and Sky News political correspondent David Spears would file reports for the networks morning, Afternoon and late edition bulletins all branded as Sky News.
Nine’s CEO David Gyngell is under pressure to slash costs within the network with up to $30 million in savings needed to be made. This week five producers were given there marching orders, two of them were responsible for the now defunct ‘THIS afternoon’ programme and the afternoon and late news bulletins. The other three were believed to be freelance producers.
The news of the proposed merging of the Canberra bureau came about when Nine suggested that the Seven Network also merged its operations in Canberra with Nine and Sky News and leave in place political reporter Mark Riley. This would then save costs for Seven also, however Seven has ruled out any such move.
Seven’s news director Chris Willis said, “It came from the highest levels at Nine and as far as we know it wasn’t run past Oakes, Mark Calvert or Darren Wick. We discussed it with David Leckie and his response was that it ‘was a loser’s position’ and we agreed.”
Sky News would charge Nine between $500,000 and $600,000 for its services, a far cheaper option than the current $2 million a year in network salaries for the bureau alone.
It appears to becoming increasingly likely that commercial network news will become more streamlined with more and more shared resources, if not in the near future certainly in the distant future. In the end it will be the viewers at home who suffer the most not having choice and difference of opinion and reporting style.
Perhaps it’s time we say to Mr Rudd, give us ABC4?
Source: The Australian
Filed Under: Nine Network
Where is Daniel Street at the moment? He seems to be missing fron Nine News and ninemsn’s news team? John Kerrison has all of a sudden propped up… any word?
Good point, don’t hear much of him anymore