Ten News

"Ten News" is the news service of Network Ten in Australia. Its one hour flagship local metropolitan bulletin is shown at 5.00pm weeknights, alongside national early, morning, weekend and late editions presented from Sydney. A number of other news and current affairs programs are produced by the network including "Sports Tonight", "Meet the Press", and educational children's series "ttn".

History

Ten News introduced the concept of hour-long, co-presented news to Australia in the form of "Eyewitness News" in the late 1970s. The 1980s, however, was arguably the network's most successful period with its local Sydney and Melbourne bulletins often rating highest for their timeslot. After a number of names for the service, Ten has eventually settled on naming its bulletins "Ten News" (following the use of others such as "Eyewitness News", "Ten Evening News" throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s).

A major change to the service occurred in January, 1992 when all five of its local bulletins were moved to a "First at Five" timeslot.

"Ten News" has often been described as a 'training ground' for some of Australia's best-known television journalists. Some of the best-known reporters and presenters who launched or spent a major part of their careers at "Ten News" include Jana Wendt, Kerry O'Brien, Katrina Lee, Ann Sanders, Steve Liebmann, Tim Webster, Ron Wilson, Anne Fulwood, Juanita Phillips, Liz Hayes, Jo Pearson, David Johnston, Chris Masters, Larry Emdur, Eddie McGuire, John Gatfield, Kay McGrath, Graeme Goodings, Sharyn Ghidella, Laurie Oakes, Jennifer Keyte and Mike Munro amongst others.

Bulletins

National Bulletins

"Early News"

"Ten Early News" is an hour-long bulletin shown on weekdays at 6.00am. It began in January, 2006 and features a number of segments unique to its timeslot, such as morning newspaper headlines from the country's major papers. The bulletin provides a more traditional alternative to breakfast programs "Sunrise" on the Seven Network, and the Today Show on the Nine Network, both of which are shown from 6.00-9.00am.

The bulletin is presented by Kathryn Robinson on Mondays and Tuesdays and Bill Woods from Wednesdays to Fridays.

Finance segments are presented by Frank Coletta (Monday and Tuesday) and Kathryn Robinson (Wednesday to Friday). Other fill-in presenters include Belinda Heggen, Jacinta Hocking, Richard Davies and Frank Coletta.

"Ten Early News" is essentially two half hour bulletins, run back-to-back each containing news, sport, finance and weather. Many reports from overseas affiliates CBS and BBC are featured, and crosses to Ten's Melbourne and Canberra newsrooms are used frequently to cover overnight news.

Morning News

"Ten Morning News" is an hour-long national news bulletin shown at 11.00am weekdays. On Tuesday however, it is shortened to 30 minutes to allow the remaining 30 minutes to contain ttn. The bulletin is presented from Network Ten's national Sydney news studios by Natarsha Belling, and includes daily special reports, including Monday's Sports Report with Mark Aiston, Angela Bishop's Entertainment Report and Friday's Sports Report with Neil Cordy (or Rob Canning). The morning bulletin typically includes a 5-minute newsmagazine story from US network CBS. Bill Woods or Frank Coletta regularly fill in for Belling if she is away.

Ten Late News and Sports Tonight

"Ten Late News and Sports Tonight" is shown at around 10.30pm Monday to Thursday. It is occasionally shown on Fridays. The bulletin was first shown as part of the network's coverage of the First Gulf War, when it chose to use its exclusive access to CNN to show a 30-minute national news bulletin focused on the build-up to the war in January, 1991. It was initially hosted by Eric Walters and titled "Ten Evening News: Crisis in the Gulf".

Previous names for the bulletin, in line with various other bulletins produced by the network, have included "Ten Eyewitness News: Second Edition" and "Ten Second Edition News", usually with the presenter's name in the title. Walters presented the late news until April, 1991, when Ten undertook a major overhaul of its news programming.

The departure of Walters, who had been fronting two bulletins a night, prompted Ten to create a sole late news host position and a more separate, stand-alone program. Anne Fulwood, at the time a newsreader on "Good Morning Australia", was chosen to host the relaunched "Ten Second Edition News". The program gradually introduced its own elements, such as weather with Ray Wilkie and business with Robert Gottliebsen. Its straight news style was a clear point of difference with initial rivals, Seven's "Tonight Live with Steve Vizard" and Nine's "The World Tonight with Clive Robertson", quickly drawing attention and viewers.

Over the next few years, rival networks Seven and Nine introduced their own late night news programs, such as "Nightline" and "Seven News" Late Edition", witch have both been axed, which initially competed directly with the "Late News". Since its launch, "Ten Late News" has been the most-watched late news bulletin in Australia, and is currently the only to air at 10.30pm.

"Ten Late News" has been presented by Sandra Sully since late 1995. The bulletin was merged into the late weeknight edition of "Sports Tonight" from Mondays-Thursdays, currently hosted by Brad McEwan. Previously, it also aired on weekends, presented by the previous afternoon's news presenter until the Saturday version was axed in 2004, and the Sunday edition was axed in 2005. Sports Tonight Late Edition also aired before they were axed in their respective years. An early edition, shown at 5:30pm and hosted by Rob Canning (Saturdays) and Brad McEwan (Sundays) is only shown to this day. Deborah Knight, Kathryn Robinson or Belinda Heggan regularly fill in for Sully, whilst Rob Canning or Neil Cordy fills in for McEwan.

Weekend News

The "Weekend" news bulletin was formerly presented in local editions for each major capital city in line with weekdays, however was merged in the 1990s to a national edition, currently presented by Bill Woods, and sport presenters Rob Canning on Saturdays and Brad McEwan on Sundays. This version is aired into both Sydney and Brisbane which air the same bulletin. Perth receives a local bulletin presented by Bill Woods in a Channel 10 Sydney newsroom(Pyrmont, NSW). Natasha Belling is the #2 newsreader if Woods is absent, sick or has to go on holidays.

During the 2008 AFL season, Melbourne and Adelaide receive brief, half-hour bulletins at 6.00pm presented by George Donikian(Greek born) in place of the national bulletin seen in Sydney and Brisbane. Sport for the Melbourne and Adelaide bulletin is presented by Rob Waters. During the AFL off-season, Melbourne and Adelaide have the Bill Woods-presented Ten News aired into their important markets.

News at Five

Ten produces five separate evening news hours which broadcast at 5pm. A separate bulletin is produced for each of Ten's five main markets; Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. The Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne bulletins are broadcast statewide through their respective state via Southern Cross Television, while the Adelaide bulletin is the only bulletin not produced from its market city, having been produced from Melbourne since 2000 due to cost-saving measures.

Brisbane

"Ten News Brisbane" is presented by Bill McDonald and Georgina Lewis from studios at Mt Coot-tha. Sport is presented by Peter O'Dempsey or Michael Voss, weather by Amanda Fitzgerald, and traffic by Jayce Barker. Scott Braby presents a beach report on Fridays while Dave Downie presents a fishing report.

Fill-ins for the bulletin include Emma Dallimore, Max Futcher, Lexy Hamilton-Smith and Scott Beverage (News), Wesley Dening (Sport), Amanda McLeay, Chloe Simmons and Amelia Charlton (Weather) and [http://www.djmalcolm.com Mal McIntosh] (Traffic).

Ten News Queensland has three remote bureaus: Gold Coast (Nicky Haydon, Amelia Charlton, Simon Hooper) Sunshine Coast (Nicolas Boot, Sarah Horsley) and North Queensland (Brett Mason).

Former long time co-anchor Marie-Louise Theile left Ten News on December 14, 2007 to spend more time with her family [ [http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,22609775-3102,00.html Theile quits to read bedtime bulletins | The Courier-Mail ] ] .

Sydney

"Ten News Sydney" is presented by Ron Wilson and Deborah Knight from the network's Sydney newsroom. Sport is presented by Brad McEwan, weather by Tim Bailey, and traffic by Vic Lorusso.

The bulletin was presented for almost eleven years by Wilson and Jessica Rowe, between 1995 and 2005, when Rowe moved to present the Nine Network's Today. She was replaced by the network's US correspondent Deborah Knight in 2006 and recently presented The NightCap on Seven HD alongside former Ten presenter Matthew White.

Other fill-ins for this bulletin include Bill Woods and/or Sandra Sully (both news) and Neil Cordy or Rob Canning (sports). On Friday 30 May 2008, Tim Webster stepped down as sports presenter and has been replaced by Brad McEwan.

On Good Friday and Christmas Day, every city receives a national bulletin from Sydney, broadcast in the style of the Sydney bulletin..

Melbourne

"Ten News Melbourne" is presented by Mal Walden and Helen Kapalos from the station's Como Centre studios. Sport is presented by Steven Quartermain and weather by Mike Larkin. The bulletin also includes traffic updates presented by Vanessa O'Hanlon.

The bulletin was formerly presented by David Johnston, who was replaced, after his move to HSV-7 in 1996, by Mal Walden. Jennifer Hansen, co-presenter of the bulletin throughout this period and part of, with Mal Walden, one of the longest-serving news duos in television history was replaced in 2006 by Helen Kapalos.

Fill-ins for this bulletin include Mignon Stewart (News), George Donikian (News), Christi Malthouse (Sport), Kellie Morgan (Weather) and Elisa Pratt (Traffic).

The Melbourne bulletin is screened throughout Victoria and Tasmania. The bulletin has been produced from the Como Centre since 1992; before which it was produced in the old Nunawading studios. The set underwent a revamp to the current look in 2008.

Adelaide

"Ten News Adelaide" is presented by George Donikian and Rebecca Morse, from the network's Melbourne studios. Sport and weather, presented from the station's Adelaide newsroom are presented by Mark Aiston and Jane Reilly. Rebecca Morse is currently on maternity leave, Belind Heggen is filling in.

Fill-ins include Peter Sellen who often travels from Adelaide to substitute for Donikian, while Melbourne based reporter Mignon Stewart often fills in for Morse. Sports Director Corey Winguard is substitute sports anchor, while reporter Jodie Blewitt fills in as a weather presenter.

The bulletin has been presented from Melbourne since 2000, as it is claimed that converting Ten's Adelaide studios to an HD set-up would incur too much cost. Initially, Adelade based prsenters george Donikian and Nikki Dwyer moved to Melbourne, with Dwyer eventually resigning in 2001 after she decided to move back to Adelaide, citing the problems commuting away from her family. She was replaced by Kelly Nestor who herself resigned in 2006. From 23 June 2008 onwards, "Ten News Adelaide" remains as the only state bulletin not to be broadcast from its state capital.

Perth

"Ten News Perth" is broadcast from the network's studios in the Dianella suburb of Perth. It is currently anchored by Narelda Jacobs with Tim Gossage and Michael Schultz who present Sport and Weather respectively.

When news production was shifted from Perth to Sydney, then-presenters Greg Pearce and Christina Morrissy commuted to Sydney to present the bulletin. Morrissy later resigned from these duties after suffering deep vein thrombosis on a flight. She was replaced by Celina Edmonds. Pearce later resigned to return to Perth (Pearce now presents National Nine News in Perth), while Edmonds resigned to spend more time with her family. She now presents mornings on Sky News Australia three days per week. Following their departures, Tim Webster and Charmaine Dragun became the main anchors of "Ten News Perth" from 2005. After Dragun's untimely death on 2 November 2007 [cite news | last = Box | first = Dan | title = Newsreader found dead | work = The Australian | date = 2007-11-03 | url = http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22694565-601,00.html | accessdate = 2007-11-03 ] , Webster became the solo anchor and continued to present the bulletin until May 2008.

On 18 January 2008, Network Ten announced that studio production of Ten News would return to Perth. [cite news | title = Ten News heading back to Perth | work = Australia-Media.com.au | date = 2008-01-18 | url = http://www.australian-media.com.au/index.php?c=home&p=news&article=8007 | accessdate = 2008-01-18 ] . Ten originally moved production of the Perth bulletin to Pyrmont in 2000, citing high costs of converting the network's Dianella studios. The network denied that the move was related to the death of Charmaine Dragun.

On 27 February 2008, it was announced that local reporter Narelda Jacobs would anchor the bulletin. Jacobs began presenting in May 2008. On 23 June 2008, "Ten News Perth" presentation originated from the Dianella studios for the first time in eight years. The Perth bulletin is the only "Ten News at Five" bulletin not to use the dual-presenter format.

References

External links

* [http://www.ten.com.au/ten/tv_news.html Ten News Site]
* [http://colsearch.nfsa.afc.gov.au/nfsa/search/display/display.w3p;adv=yes;group=;groupequals=;holdingType=;page=0;parentid=;query=138304;querytype=;rec=0;resCount=10 Ten News at the National Film and Sound Archive]