National Nine News

"National Nine News", or "Nine News", is the news service of the Australian Nine Network. It has traditionally been the most popular service in the country, however in recent years the Seven Network's "Seven News" has become the highest rating evening news service on a national basis.cite press release | title = Year in review | publisher = Seven Network | date = 2005-11-28 | url = http://www.sevencorporate.com.au/_uploads/Files/1133152167296_0.3523812150364673.pdf | accessdate = 2007-07-01] cite web
url= http://www.ebroadcast.com.au/enews/A_2006_Ratings_Reflection_041206.html
title= A 2006 Ratings Reflection
accessdate= 2007-06-27
date=2006-12-04
publisher= eBroadcast]

Its flagship bulletin is broadcast daily at 6.00pm. Individual, local bulletins are produced in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Darwin. In Adelaide and Perth "National Nine News"-branded bulletins are produced by WIN Television as owner of the two stations.

Owned-and-operated

National bulletins

Early Morning News

"National Nine News: Early Morning News" is a national bulletin shown at 5.00am weekdays, presented from the network's Sydney studios by Amber Higlett. This bulletin is also shown as the Morning Edition of the "Qantas In-flight News". The news bulletin is followed by the "Today Show" with Karl Stefanovic and Lisa Wilkinson, which starts at 5.30am.

In the past, it was aired at 6:00am and lasted for one hour, preceding Today and hosted by Sharyn Ghidella and Chris Smith. This bulletin was scrapped in 2005 when "Today" extended to three hours.

Today

"Today" is the network's breakfast program, shown from 5.30-9am weekdays. It combines talk, entertainment and human-interest stories as does rival program Sunrise. "Today" is hosted by Karl Stefanovic and Lisa Wilkinson. Georgie Gardner presents half-hourly news updates with Cameron Williams (sport) and Steve Jacobs (weather). Richard Wilkins and Hollywood correspondent Richard Reid report on entertainment stories.

Regular fill-in presenters include Richard Wilkins, Allison Langdon, Kellie Connolly, Leila McKinnon and Sarah Harris. Andrew Voss and Tony Jones fills in on Sport, with Joseph May and Gorgi Quill filling in on Weather.

Morning Edition

"National Nine News: Morning Edition" is a national bulletin shown at 11.00am weekdays, presented from the network's Sydney studios by news presenter Kellie Connolly, with finance presented by Ross Greenwood or Joanna Townsend.

Fill-in presenters include Allison Langdon, Wendy Kingston, Michael Usher.

Afternoon Edition

"National Nine News: Afternoon Edition", introduced in 2004, is a national bulletin broadcast at 4.30pm weekdays, presented by Wendy Kingston. Tim Sheridan presents sport, while finance is presented by Ross Greenwood or Joanna Townsend. Weather is presented by Jaynie Seal on Monday - Thursdays and Mike Bailey presents the weather on Fridays.

Fill-in presenters include Allison Langdon, Michael Usher or Brett McLeod (news) and Tim Gilbert (sport)

Late News Update

"National Nine News" Late News update was intoduced to replace "Nightline", Nine's former late news bulletin. Presented by Michael Usher or Wendy Kingston, this newsbreak runs for two minutes and is usually aired around 11.30pm weeknights.

unday Morning News

"National Nine News: Sunday Morning News" is a national bulletin airing 8am - 9am on Sunday mornings, presented by Michael Usher. Stephanie Brantz presents sport, and finance is presented by Ross Greenwood. Nine's "Sunday Morning News" is a one-hour bulletin that was introduced on 10 August 2008 as a replacement for the networks "Sunday" program. "Sunday", last broadcast on 3 August 2008, was axed due to budget cuts in news and current affairs at Channel Nine.cite news|title=Nine Network takes axe to Sunday, Nightline|url=http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,24076545-2,00.html?from=public_rss|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=2008-07-25|accessdate=2008-09-07] Nine's "Sunday Morning News" features the Laurie Oakes political interview, at approximately 8.35am every Sunday morning. The bulletin has continued to lag behind "Weekend Sunrise", which often triples the audience of the "Sunday Morning News".Fact|date=September 2008

The regular fill-in for the "Sunday Morning News" is Tara Brown.

Online bulletins

Nine News Now

"Nine News Now" is an online bulletin recorded at nowrap|3.00 pm weekdays, and released an hour later. Presented by Wendy Kingston, this service began in 2006 and can be seen and downloaded from ninemsn.com.au, and as a vodcast.

Live Streaming

In June 2008 the Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane 6.00pm bulletins were made available to be streamed live from the Nine News website at ninemsn.com.au. These bulletins are avaliable east-coast wide, meaning the Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane bulletin can be viewed by anyone living in the east coast, or indeed throughout Australia.

Local bulletins

=Sydney=

"National Nine News Sydney" is presented from the network's national news studios by Mark Ferguson, with Ken Sutcliffe presenting sport Mondays to Thursdays and Stephanie Brantz presenting sport on Fridays. Jaynie Seal presents the weather Monday to Thursday, with Mike Bailey presenting on Friday. Michael Usher is the regular fill-in news presenter, with either Stephanie Brantz and more recently Andrew Voss as fill-in sports presenter. The bulletin also is simulcast on Sydney's 103.2 [cite news|title=National Nine News on Sydney's 103.2|url=http://www.fm1032.com.au/News-Detail.asp?cid=5&navid=5&NewsID=1532|work=Sydney's 103.2|date=2008-07-06|accessdate=2008-07-06]

Mike Munro presents on weekends, alongside sport presenters Stephanie Brantz on Saturdays and Ken Sutcliffe on Sundays. Mike Bailey presents the weather on Saturdays, while Jaynie Seal presents the weather on Sundays.

Mike Munro will finish reading the weekend news at the end of October following his resignation from Channel Nine. [cite news|first=Marcus|last=Casey|title=Mike Munro quits Nine|url=http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/story/0,26278,24091091-10229,00.html|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=2008-07-28|accessdate=2008-07-28] No replacement for Munro has been confirmed as of yet.

Sydney's National Nine News was presented by Brian Henderson for 38 years, a record that still stands today. Henderson retired in 2002, with then-"Sunday" presenter Jim Waley taking over as weeknight presenter. At the time of Henderson's retirement, the weekend presenters were Jim Waley, or Kim Watkins.Fact|date=June 2008In 2005, Jim Waley, who was one of the Nine Network's longest serving presenters, was dumped following a year of poor ratings (despite the fact that "National Nine News Sydney" was the leading service in 2003-4) and replaced with then weekend presenter Mark Ferguson. [cite news|first=Alan|last=Mascarenhas|title=Nine dumps Jim Waley|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/TV--Radio/Nine-dumps-Jim-Waley/2005/01/20/1106110882394.html|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=2005-01-20|accessdate=2007-11-18]

=Melbourne=

"National Nine News Melbourne" is presented from the network's Melbourne news studios by Peter Hitchener, with Tony Jones presenting sport, and Livinia Nixon presenting the weather. Weekend bulletins are presented by Jo Hall and sport presenter Heath O’Loughlin. This bulletin is also simulcast on local radio station Light FM.

Brett McLeod is the fill-in weekend presenter for the Melbourne news service, with Christine Ahern the fill-in sport presenter. Carolyne Randoe presents the weather in place of Livinia Nixon over the summer or as a fill-in.

Brian Naylor presented National Nine News in Melbourne for 20 years, (1978-1998). Following his retirement, he was succeeded by Peter Hitchener as weeknight news presenter, while Jo Hall took over Hitchener's existing position as weekend presenter.

Rob Gell was the weeknight weather presenter for 15 years until his surprise sacking in 2003, and was replaced by Livinia Nixon. Gell now works with "Seven News Melbourne" as the weekend weather presenter.

From January 2009, swimmer Grant Hackett will join Nine News Melbourne as the weekend sport presenter. Hackett will replace Heath O’Loughlin, who is to vacate the position to take employment with the North Melbourne Football Club. O'Louglin will depart in November 2008. [cite news|first=Megan|last=Miller|title=Grant Hackett dives in with Nine|url=http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/story/0,,24374430-10388,00.html|work=Herald Sun|date=2008-09-20|accessdate=2008-09-21]

In July 2008, "National Nine News Melbourne" began having it's weekend presenters read the news standing up. Jo Hall read the news standing up on a trial basis on the Saturday and Sunday 6pm bulletins, although Nine has no plans to introduce this new format into weeknight bulletins, opting for weeknight anchor Peter Hitchener to sit behind the news desk instead. [cite news|first=Kelly|last=Ryan|title=Channel 9 stands firm on new-look news format|url=http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,,23985299-2862,00.html|work=Herald Sun|date=2008-07-08|accessdate=2008-07-23]

=Brisbane=

"National Nine News Brisbane" is presented from the network's Brisbane news studios by Bruce Paige and Heather Foord, with Ian Healy presenting sport, and Frank Warrick presenting the weather.

Melissa Downes is the weekend presenter for the Brisbane news service, alongside sport presenter Steve Haddan and weather presenter Joeseph May. Paul Burt also presents Surfing and Fishing reports each Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening.

Wally Lewis was the weekday sports presenter until December 2006, when following an on-air incident, it was found he had epilepsy. He returned to presenting sport during the 2007/2008 summer period, and also files sports reports. He occasionally fills in if either Steve Haddan or Ian Healy is unavailable. [cite news|title=Lewis making good progress, says wife|url=http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=67283|work=AAP|publisher=ninemsn|date=2007-02-22|accessdate=2007-04-29] Chris Bombolas was the weekend sports presenter who preceded Haddan, before resigning to become a politician. John Schluter was the weather presenter until his resignation in September 2006, and now works for rival "Seven News Brisbane" as the weekday weather presenter.

Mike London was the weekend presenter alongside Heather Foord until his resignation in June 2003 following comments he made about weeknight presenter Bruce Paige, who was at the time co-presenting with Jillian Whiting. London had swapped roles with Paige in the mid 1990s following Paige's return to the Nine Network.

Paige and Foord have presented the bulletin together since late 2004; Jillian Whiting preceded Foord after she took up weekend presenting with Mike London in 2002. Foord returned to weeknight presenting in 2005.

The Brisbane bulletin was the last news program in Australia to use the dual-presenter format on weekends (when London was presenting with Foord), until the Perth bulletin revived it in early 2008. Regular presenter fill-ins for the bulletin, include former ABC News presenter Lisa Backhouse, Sarah Harris and Jillian Whiting.

This bulletin is also shown on Imparja Television as of 2008, however telecast is delayed by 30 minutes.

=Gold Coast=

"Gold Coast News" is a local news service for the Gold Coast region. Eva Milic presents the bulletin, after previously serving as weather presenter. Jillian Whiting or Melissa Downes were the previous presenters of the Gold Coast bulletin until Downes moved to presenting the weekend bulletin of the Brisbane news service, and Whiting went on maternity leave in 2007.

The bulletin was presented from news studios on the Gold Coast until July 3, 2006, when production was moved to Brisbane, however it is once again presented from Nine's Gold Coast studios. It airs at 5:30pm and is followed by Brisbane's National Nine News. It does not air on weekends.

=Darwin=

"National Nine News Darwin" is presented from the network's Darwin news studios by Jonathan Uptin, with Lisa Andrews presenting sport.

Lisa Andrews is the weekend presenter for the Darwin news service, which comprises then national news presented from the network's Sydney bulletin presented by Mike Munro, then local news and sport.

Affiliate

=Adelaide=

"National Nine News Adelaide" is produced from WIN Television's Adelaide news studios by Rob Kelvin and Kelly Nestor, with Kym Dillon presenting sport and weather presenter Brenton Ragless.
Georgina McGuinness is the weekend presenter for the Adelaide news service. Mark Bickley presents sport and Xavier Minniecon presents the weather.

The Adelaide bulletin was notable for having the last remaining all-male co-anchor lineup (with Kevin Crease and Rob Kelvin), which ended in early 2007 after Crease's death. This was one of the longest serving news duos in Australia lasting from 1988 until 2007.Caroline Anisle presented the news with Rob Kelvin until 1987.

Throughout the 1990s, Deanna Williams was the main fill-in presenter and state political reporter. Following her resignation in March 2002,either Kelvin or Crease would fill in for McGuinness on weekends, but in 2005 the situation arose where all three presenters were unavailable, and weekend sports presenter Mark Bickley had to read the news. Reporter Kate Collins is now the fill-in news presenter on weekends.

Troy Grey fills-in as sports presenter over summer, while Ali Carle from Triple M Adelaide occasionally presents weather along with her sport reporting duties.

=Perth=

"National Nine News Perth" is produced from WIN Television's Perth news studios by Dixie Marshall and Greg Pearce, sport with Michael Thomson and weather with Angela Tsun.

Sharlyn Sarac and Matt Tinney present the weekend news whilst Mark Readings presents sport.

The Perth bulletin is currently the most poorly performing National Nine News bulletin in Australia, typically holding third or fourth place. This is commonly attributed to the popularity of rival station TVW-7's "Seven News Perth", which regularly attracts over 100,000 viewers more than "National Nine News Perth". Fact|date=July 2007

Perth's National Nine News bulletin was the first and only Australian news bulletin to have two female anchors, Dixie Marshall and Sonia Vinci. They were also the faces of Nine Perth's general operations and promotions, until Sonia Vinci was appointed to host a Perth version of A Current Affair and former Network Ten newsreader Greg Pearce appointed in her place, in early 2008.

Natalia Cooper presented weather on Perth's Nine News until her resignation in June 2008. [cite news|title=Natalia Cooper resigns from Channel Nine|url=http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,23517631-5012990,00.html|publisher=PerthNow|date=2008-04-10|accessdate=2008-06-11]

This bulletin is also screened on WIN Television throughout Western Australia.

Current Affair Programs

A Current Affair

"A Current Affair" is a Week-Nightly Current Affair program broadcast on the Nine Network at 6.30pm. It is presnted by Tracy Grimshaw. "A Current Affair" was first broadcast in Black & White on 22 November 1971 with Mike Willesee, screening week nights at 7.00 pm, and was broadcast for GTV-9. When Willesee left Nine in 1974 to move to the rival 0-10 Network, journalist Mike Minehan took over presenting the program. The program ended on 28 April 1978 due to strong competition. In 1984, Willesee returned to the Nine Network to present a mid-evening current affairs program titled Willesee, screening Monday to Thursday nights at 9.30pm. The following year, Willesee moved to the earlier 6.30 pm timeslot and extended to five nights a week but ran until 1986. On January 18th 1988, on the same week when Channel 7's Australian soap Home And Away was introduced, former 60 Minutes team presenter Jana Wendt became the very first host of the program when the title A Current Affair was revived. Followed by the strong competition of Channel Seven's Real Life (later to become Today Tonight in 1995), Jana Wendt left the program in November 1992. The Presenters since then have been: 1988 Version:1993 Mike Willesee,1994-1998 Ray Martin,1999-2002 Mike Munro, 2003-2005 Ray Martin, 2005-present Tracy Grimshaw

Currently Leila McKinnon is the main fill-in for Tracy if she is sick or over the holidays, however both Eddie McGuire and Karl Stefanovic have filled in for Tracy before. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Current_Affair]

60 Minutes

"60 minutes" is an Nine Network Current Affair program presented by
Liz Hayes,
Tara Brown,
Peter Overton,
Liam Bartlett and
Peter HarveyIt airs on Sunday's. Please see the Main article for more details. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/60_Minutes_(Australian_TV_program)]

Former Bulletins

Nightline

"Nightline", beginning in 1993, was Nine's late news bulletin broadcast in varying timeslots from 10:30pm to 11:30pm most weeknights. Over the years it was presented by Jim Waley, Hugh Riminton, Ellen Fanning, and finally by Michael Usher. Stephanie Brantz was the sport presenter prior to the programs axing.

Nightline was axed on Friday 25 July 2008 due to budget cuts at the Nine Network, with the final news bulletin airing on the same night.cite news|title=Nine Network takes axe to Sunday, Nightline|url=http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,24076545-2,00.html?from=public_rss|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=2008-07-25|accessdate=2008-09-07] Wendy Kingston presented the final bulletin.

unday

"Sunday", was an Autralian Breakfast News Program, that was axed [http://sunday.ninemsn.com.au/sunday/] on August the 3rd, 2008. The program was presented by Ellen Fanning prior to it's axing. News was presented by Michael Usher and sport was presnted by Stephanie Brantz. Laurie Oakes presented politics. the program was axed due to budget costs on the Nine Network. Here is a list of the previous presnters. Jim Waley (1981-2002),
Jana Wendt (2003-2006),
Ellen Fanning / Ross Greenwood (2006-2007),
Ellen Fanning / Ray Martin (2007-2008),
Ellen Fanning (2008) [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunday_(TV_program)] [http://sunday.ninemsn.com.au/sunday/]

References

External links

* [http://news.ninemsn.com.au/ National Nine News Site]
* [http://colsearch.nfsa.afc.gov.au/nfsa/search/display/display.w3p;adv=yes;group=;groupequals=;holdingType=;page=0;parentid=;query=138132;querytype=;rec=0;resCount=10 National Nine News at the National Film and Sound Archive]