He’s quitting at the end of the year.
The ABC’s article/press release says says that:
Director of ABC News Kate Torney says O’Brien’s retirement from the program marks the end of his reign as Australia’s leading current affairs presenter and interviewer.
“Kerry has consistently set the news agenda and this has never been more apparent than this year when he has delivered a number of game-changing interviews with industry and political leaders, including president Barack Obama,” she said.
For reasons which are, to be fair, largely not the fault of O’Brien himself – reasons which he’s (partly) identified and articulated rather well on occasion – The 7:30 Report hasn’t come close to “setting the news agenda” for some time.
I don’t know precisely what will work. But simply putting Leigh Sales or Virginia Trioli into O’Brien’s chair isn’t going to revive a very, very tired format.
With the greatest respect to Kerry, it’s about time.
I hope that Chris Uhlmann gets the job. He’s the best talent ABC news and current affairs has.
Excuse my lack of imagination, but there has to be some form of interrogative show in prime time where an important person is across the desk being asked hard questions and defending or making a point. For me, that’s still fundamentally important to policy and politics. I realise it’s not sexy, not suitably interactive, not 21st century enough for the kidz to choon in. But for once, sod ‘em.
Fair comment … and god-forbid they choose “Political editor” Heather Ewart – she’d be better on Sky News!
Give it to the Chaser boys. They’d do a better job probably than any of Kerry’s mooted replacements. Or Will Anderson. (Anybody who can piss John Howard off that much sure isn’t all bad. Or … na, they wouldn’t try Geraldine Doogue again, would they?
Its pretty clear whoever takes Kerry’s place, there’ll be a bit of chopping and changing and a few spills and thrills before they settle on a permanent frontman or woman.
Please no, not Chris Uhlmann- a no talent hack if ever there was one, too puffed up with his own importance to actually ask or say anything worthwhile. But even he would be better than Virginia Trioli.
Surely Tony Jones or Leigh Sales would be the best of a rather mediocre bunch.
You’re right though Robert, the format is tired, the host is tired, the stories are tired and I get tired just watching it!
To be fair, poor pallid Kerry was way past his use by date. He had fallen into the malaise that affected the rest of the ABC.
I stand by my claim that the ABC should get entirely out of local news and current affairs. They clearly don’t take it seriously and don’t put the resources into doing it properly. Doing it badly is worse than not doing it at all, IMO.
Oddly, the most impressive interviewer I’ve seen recently on the ABC was Tikki Fullerton (gosh she has to get a better name) who gave Barnaby a right working over.
Guess ABC News is a bit disappointed Kerry was too professional to deliver the real game changing interviews they really wanted to see during the recent election campaign : The Abbott puff-ball piece and the Gillard put-down that delivered the Coalition a definite victory. Onw wonders whether he’s just getting on, or whether he’s just plain disgusted at the appalling lowering of ABC News standards.
Fleeing the might of a ranga greater than he, perhaps.
Hard to think who in the current ABC talent pool could do a credible job at the mo’
Uhlmann’s a joke. He’s contracted to Sky but I wouldn’t mind seeing Peter van Onselen get the gig. While a right-wing station he’s proven himself to be balanced, pretty sensible & politically astute on his Contrarians show and also guest hosting on Saturday Agenda & Australian Agenda.
He usually pulls up his right-wing guests, criticises Tony Abbott for being too far to the right (VO was a former Abbott staffer) and often pulls up Paul Howes from a left-wing perspective.
When was the last time we learned anything interesting from a Kerry O’Brien interview of a politician – or, for that matter, any similar interview?
Politicians have largely mastered the format, and all it produces is a recitation of talking points.
To be honest I think Kerry overstayed his time.
Most, not all but most, of his interviews for the past year or so have been second rate gotcha attempts within the ABC echo chamber meme.
But I suspect that within a few weeks of his absence I will be begging for him to return.
The crop of potential replacements are far lesser performers with the standout worst being Uhlmann.
I prefer not to watch anything with Jones or Sales in it and for the life of me I can’t understand how Trioli manages to waste her obvious talent so egregriously once the topic turns to matters political.
Gloomy times ahead.
I’ve though that he’s looked bored out of his scone for a couple of years now. The only bits he looks like he enjoys are his Thursday night casual-tie-off interviews of some author or artsy type, and he gives the occasional chuckle at a decent Clark/Dawe piece.
I can see a regular casual-tie-off segment on a revamped 7:30 report in red kezza’s future.
My vote for a replacement, we need to go international – not sure if anyone else watches the Spanish TVE news on SBS, but the compere has the best eyebrows I’ve ever seen on a human. He’d be perfect.
For those of you bored with the head and shoulders, how do you suggest we make the ‘new’ 7.30 Report watchable?
What odds do we have on?
a. Andrew Bolt puts his own name forward for the job of replacement host.
b. He gets it.
Ooroo keza,
i don’t think that i have seen him catch too many of his guests off guard, and i don’t think that he listens properly, that said, i reckon it is a pretty tough gig.
Tony Biggs gets my vote as a replacement.
David Marr would be interesting. After all he does both politics and the yartz. Maybe we could split the show up between Bolt and Marr. Marr questions the Coalition, Bolt questions Labor and the Greens. That could make for exciting political television.
Paul @ 14, I reckon we could make it more interesting by following the Italian model – not much news of substance, but plenty of beefcake and cheesecake.
OTOH, what you suggest @ 17 would be too much like all-in wrestling. The thought of the Bolter being given that much airtime is distrubing, to say the least.
Andrew Bolt would do better on Channel 9 replacing Laurie Oakes
Hannah’s Dad, I see your Uhlmann, and I raise you Fran Kelly. If they give it to Kelly they may as well rename it Today Tonight.
Andrew Bolt and Steve Price at MTR Radio in Vic have proved a complete failures. Nobody listens.
He can’t make it on radio and would undoubtedly prove to be an even bigger loser with more tv exposure. My bet is people turn off when he is on Insiders.
A replacement should not merely be seen to be outside the system, but actually be outside the system in a way journalism has rarely been for decades. Someone who will short-circuit the syndrome Robert refers to, and not be afraid of being boycotted by frightened politicians.
No need to look overseas. Roy and HG are the obvious replacements now I think about it.
You win by a nose patrickg.
Stuart Littlemore [I miss the glory days of Media Watch]?
Maybe even Jonathon Homes?
they may as well rename it Today Tonight.
Call it This Day Tonight and bring back Bill Peach to host it.
(Does anyone know if he is still alive?)
Give 7:30 a host that befits its portentousness. Give it Jennifer Byrne.
Andrew Denton?
Give 7:30 a host that befits its portentousness. Give it Jennifer Byrne.
Nah, give it Jennifer Keyte.
OK, Andrew Denton and Roy & HG on alternate days. That ought to shake up the format a bit.
When Roy and HG were hosting it could be called The Rooting King Report, and when Denton was hosting it could be known as The Enough Rope Report.
Why don’t the ABC use a bit of imagination for a change?
How about Aunty Jack?
Jana.
“Oddly, the most impressive interviewer I’ve seen recently on the ABC was Tikki Fullerton”
Why oddly, Fran?
Quentin Dempster
Chris Masters (or is he working for commercial TV these days?)
The obvious hosts are Clarke and Dawe, they won’t even need to invite anyone else.
Oh, hell …. bring back Norman Gunstan. (He does the yartz as well. Sort of. Imagine, Gunston eating an ice cream and dropping it in Abbott’s crotch. The scenarios are endless.
Shake things up a bit: Alexander Downer.
Seriously, though, I’d say that ome of (if not all) the ABC’s best interviewers are hidden away in ABC Rural (Landline comes to mind) or on Gardening Australia.
“ome” = some.
I’ll nominate Darth Vader. I will enjoy politicians responding to remarks such as:
“You should not have come back!”
“You cannot hide forever”
“Don’t fail me again”
You have to ask, don’t you, what’s happened to a) journalism, b) the ABC – that so few of us can come up with serious alternatives to Red Kez, or with the names of current journalists who would without question be a fitting replacement for him. Its a bit of a worry.
Nick queried why I found it odd that Tikki Fullerton should be competent doing a political interview …
Well firstly, she often does Business Lateline which you’d assume was strictly for people who’d be of a certain political pedigree, and secondly, it’s hard to imagine anyone who allows themself to be called “Tikki” could be serious.
What the hell are you talking about Fran?
what about the ranks of abc radio hosts?
Jon Faine is occasionally prissy and regularly innumerate, but he’s a pretty good cross-examiner.
Still doesn’t get around the bigger structural problems though.
Fran B “Well firstly, she often does Business Lateline which you’d assume was strictly for people who’d be of a certain political pedigree” Listening to the capitalists talk amongst themselves on the business shows is as close to the unadorned facts i generally get these days.
a serious option – How about Kerry Anne Walsh? last i saw she wrote for murdoch, used to produce Pru G on Aunty and she has taken rabbit to task.
not so serious, sad that Bill Hicks can’t apply
I find the current crop of presenters on the ABC rather smug and vindictive. They treat politics as a side show, interviewing one another with much rolling of eyes, little digs, and unsubstantiated gossip concerning polititians.
I liked how Kerry didn’t TELL us how bad the pollys were, nor did he ridicule them. He simply asked the questions and let them hang themselves for all to see.
7.30 Reportland may be an antiquated format, but I like it. I’m kinda over this modern concept of journos sitting around a table/lounge/desk backstabbing our elected officials, while ignoring everything they learnt at uni about balanced journalism and reporting of facts.
Maxine McKew needs a job, doesn’t she?
SkyNews’ David Spears. I’m not kidding.
He’s the only current TV presenter who can equal O’Brien’s ability to keep his ego in check, & is surprisingly good at parsing CW talking points for his viewers. Perhaps he and Red Kerry are the only benign political hacks in an era when even a Michelle Grattan besmirches hard reportage with commentary, so much bad commentary.
It’ll never happen. Instead it looks like the next 15 years will see Tony Jones in the chair, doing his Economist-magazine-excerpts-mixed-with-Larkin-quotes schtick. Just what we need.
Marieke Hardy or if that is too big a change Laura Tingle.
Why is Tikki a less serious name than Kerry?
The best newspaper is Oz is the Fin Review imo, and it’s a business paper. No reason to assume at all that a journo who works in business has a specific set of politics.
And perhaps the solution to the ABC not having sufficient resources to do its job properly, is to give it those resources.
But now is the perfect time to really look at the 7.30 Report and see how it might do better. All tv programmes get old and stale and it certainly has.
@Fran
A little birdy told me that Ms. Fullerton is by no means a conservative. In fact quite the opposite.
“Why is Tikki a less serious name than Kerry?”
Good question. While we’re at it, why does 2 plus 2 equal 4?
She is also a very good presenter on top of that and deserves a run at a better slot.
Didn’t Karl Marx do some business journalism back in the 1850s, to pay the bills and pay for his mistresses?
Terry @ 55:
I don’t think Karl Marx is available to host the 7:30 Report.
56 comments and you all missed the obvious choice.
Keating.
That would be very, very cool sg.
Anyone from Landline which is a show with real cred.
[Didn’t Karl Marx do some business journalism back in the 1850s, to pay the bills and pay for his mistresses?]
Is that where he got his expression, “humpintheproletariat” from?
I was going to suggest Marcel Marceau as Red Kerry’s replacement but according to wiki he is dead, so I’m now going with Humphrey Bear.
Tikki Fullerton earned the nickname “thick and full of shit” subsequent to the Australian Communications and Media Authority canning her unprofessionalism, bias and inaccuracy in the “Lords of the Forest” Four Corners episode: http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=5426
Accordingly Humphrey beats her paws down, unbearable as that may be to some.
“Didn’t Karl Marx do some business journalism back in the 1850 …”
Marx’s opinion pieces on European current affairs appeared in various newspapers, including the New York Times.
Give it to Jonathan Holmes – he’ll do his research before he does an interview, and might even force politicians to properly justify themselves.
I’d say the latter, Paul. BTW, off topic etc, is your phone up and running and your chest any better?
But he’s still probably better than any of the other candidates. Having said that, I rather like Tikki Fullarton. She seems to be pretty straight forward and no nonsense. I can’t see her simpering at any of the Smuggles Set; they’d be made to answer the hard questions or end up being exposed.
OTOH, I’d love to see Keating savaging the Smuggles Set! Ratings for the 7.30 Report would soar.
WD40@61. Funny how Four Corners didn’t come under scrutiny for their OTHER biased piece on the Government’s Insulation Scheme. Not even a whiff of the other side of the story.
This format, if it is to survive needs a combative, gutsy journalist. I am afraid Leigh Sales wouldn’t cut the mustard.
What we need is “do you have blood on your hands, Mr Hawke” type of stuff. Tony Jones is the only TV journalist with the credentials to be able to handle himself in the face of overwhelming spin and bullshit by the truckload we get from politicians nowadays and other carpetbaggers who are thrust into the news cycle. We’d need for someone to say, will you please answer the goddam question or piss off and don’t waster the viewers’ time. An interviewer (a woman) did that once and got the sack. Can’t remember her name but she was all right – went into PR I think.
You are right, Mt Wilful, KOB is well past his use-by date. Did he jump or was he pushed? I hope this isn’t part of a Mark Scott cleanout.
I am not very happy with the ABC of late. It has gone rotten (it always starts with the head, as in fish, the Russians say).
Apart from Jones, Mark Colvin – if his health would stand up to it – or even, at a stretch, Ticky Fullerton. Apart from that, it would have to be an import. The ABC cupboard is bare of talent.
Her name is Ticky Fullerton, no doubt a childhood nickname that stuck. If what you thought wasn’t serious enough was the twee spelling that someone made up back there upthread a ways for no apparent reason (I think someone’s been reading too much Jungle Book), then that should fix it.
But really, surely people ought to be allowed to call themselves whatever they like without being trashed for it.
Sir Henry, indeed. Re Ticky F, comments crossed.
M r Holmes and/or Ms Fullerton are excellent suggestions. Also Mr Fullilove from Lowey. What about some ‘cut to the chase’ Mr Scott.
Mr Marr would also enrage everyone.
Tony Jones is much too happy with himself to be any good o the 7.30 report. He’s already hopeless on Lateline, and seems to believe research into the substance of issues is beneath him, not to mention he already has two television shows.
Chris Uhlmann is in such a strong conflict of interest it’s impossible for him to do anything, and ‘m sorry, but Ticky is a silly name. It’s the name of a cartoon mouse, not the anchor of the flagship current affairs show. Laura Tingle would make a good choice, but her manner on television is somewhat awkward. I reckon Johnathan Holmes would be good at it, though.
John Clarke has my vote. Shines a very harsh light on the latest piece of bullshit.
Agreed P.C. That initial comment from Fran@7 was tacky. Though, WD40 @61, should be struck out by a moderator.
How about Liz Jackson? I’ve been quite impressed with her style of reporting and the quality of her interviews.
“Tony Jones is much too happy with himself to be any good o the 7.30 report.”
Very true, but that seems to be the case with most of them these days. Smug insiders all.
WD40 deserves a bit of time in the sin bin.
Fullerton should have been sacked over the “Lord of the Forests” story. It isn’t like she made only one or two or three or four mistakes- she almost fabricated the whole story.
I dunno. Ticky. Kerry. They sound very similar in structure to me. Thanks for reminding us of how her name is actually spelt.
Tony Jones is way too impressed with his Silver Fox tag.
What about another former presenter of Landline: Kirsten Aiken.
(disclaimer: I went to Uni with her — she went on to use her degree in Journalism to work at the ABC, but I went on to use mine to drive trains (something didn’t quite go according to plan there).)
WD40, your source as linked to, purporting to be a bit of serious reportage, seems to be by someone who didn’t even bother to check the spelling of Fullerton’s name, and who first published that piece at Jennifer Marohasy’s blog. Excuse me if I don’t take it very seriously. Or, given that you seem to regard your own comment at #61 as not only rational and civilised but witty as well, that I don’t take you very seriously either.
Moderated!
It was M*r*h*sy, wasn’t it.
“It was M*r*h*sy, wasn’t it.”
No, it was Roger Underwood is a former General Manager of CALM in Western Australia. And ACMA who made the finding.
But why let a fact get in the way of a good smear.
Peter Mares? Monica Attard? Someone different each night?
Magda Szubanski or Mungo MacCallum would be a gas.
To the Kerry detractors, I suggest their memories are short and faulty. The best political interview of the year was where Kerry forced Tony Abbott to admit his oral statements could not be trusted. How about some credit where credit is due?
The problem is not replacing Kerry; the problem is the format of the show. See my blog The Failed Estate
Maybe they could even go back to having state-based 7.30 reports. Stateline’s a poor replacement (a Brisbane Stateline reporter told me their budget for one episode was $50), and it’s the only news we get in Queensland that’s not about Sydney or Melbourne. I remember when the 7.30 Report was the only part of the media who would speak out against Bjelke-Petersen, when ABC Radio, the Courier Mail and the commercial radio stations all fawned over that old bastard.
Yes, you are right Mr Denmore, but I doubt if the ABC has the will or ability to undertake the radical surgery required. FFS, the show was tired, outdated and predictable 20 years ago. Since then it’s just stagnated. A bit like the ABC itself.
The sort of work you’re talking about on your blog did start to appear on ‘Hungry Beast’, Mr Denmore, which was a programme that started dreadfully, but improved a good deal. It may provide a few hints as to how to rejuvente the 7.30 Report. But I suspect the ABC sees it as a flagship programme that shouldn’t be tampered with.
WD40 @ 76: “Fullerton should have been sacked over the “Lord of the Forests” story. It isn’t like she made only one or two or three or four mistakes- she almost fabricated the whole story.”
The ACMA ruled that the tone and language used were not impartial. ie. the story set out to prove its premise: ‘Lords Of the Forest’. It identified the following statements:
‘the fate of a national asset…now in the hands of an industry that is self-regulated, self-serving and unaccountable’
‘aggressive forest policy’
‘voracious appetite for timber’
‘indiscriminate blades of the wood chipper’
‘turning forest giants into woodchips’
The ACMA found three factual inaccuracies:
- The report incorrectly stated that Tasmania was ‘discovered’ by Van Dieman, when it was ‘discovered’ by Abel Tasman.
- The report incorrectly stated that huon pine is a hardwood and mingles with common eucalypts. Huon pine is not a hardwood.
- A map of Tasmania gave the false impression that only part of south-west Tasmania is reserved from timber harvesting. The ABC acknowledged that the map was oversimplified and misleading. It was not detailed enough to indicate smaller areas outside south-west Tasmania which also form part of the reserve.
But why let the facts get in the way of a good smear, WD40 asks.
This is funny. Here we are, making airy suggestions on who should be the next presenter of the 7.30 Report. And whether the program should retain its current format. But as nobody at the ABC will take any notice of us, we are wasting electricity and fingertip epidermis. Totally.
On format – the 7.30 Report was a state thing – sort of like Stateline is now but all week. And when it was suggested that it ought to go national the pundits and those with vested interests said that the sky was going to fall in.
But Red Kezza seized the day and has been there ever since for about 15 years so it now seems that the 7.30 Report was always thus and now the puntocracy is all nostalgic for the national construct. So Mr Denmore, the Ancient Journalist, has a point there.
Funsters at LP – we could all have a live radio or TV show soon once the NBN rolls out. Because broadcasting direct from a website will become a reality. Just like we now have IP radio, there will be IP TV. And the 7.30 Report and even the ABC will become largely irrelevant.
How about Liz Jackson?
You’re kidding right? Her 4 Corners eps are terrible. Her delivery and depth are straight out of the 60 Minutes playbook. She’s A Current Affair for the Left.
Fullerton, Attard, Colvin, maybe Holmes, maybe Faine. I think there’s a few there who could do it, and I totally agree that Stateline produces journo that still know how to do their jobs.
Not Jones, Uhlmann, that blonde “political editor” who popped up before the election (can’t remember her name), Kelly, and definitely not Trioli. Ugh. The crap they all produced during the election campaign should disqualify any of them for ever talking politics in the media again
I would love to see a show like Hungry Beast get that budget and/or Timeslot. They genuinely surprised me last year with some of their pieces.
I was actually praising Ms Fullerton for her acumen. The fact that her name makes her sound frivolous was neither here nor there.
WD40 at #81, my initial comment had been moderated and at #80 I was asking the moderators whether my mention of M*r*h*sy, at whose blog the Roger Underwood piece was originally published according to the note at the end (I read things carefully before I post comments about them), was the trigger for moderation. Which seemed likely. But why let the facts get in the way of a good smear?
Nick, the ACMA report says this:
“In the program (which was 45 minutes in duration), the reporter uses emotive language such as ‘aggressive forest policy’, ‘voracious appetite for timber’, ‘indiscriminate blades of the wood chipper’, ‘turning forest giants into woodchips’,‘. It is noted that a number of the phrases quoted above occurred within the first 10 minutes of the program, while the statement, ‘John Gay would have you believe’, which indicated that the reporter was not willing to believe him and had preconceived views about his claims, occurred approximately mid-program.
In this case, ACMA considers that in many instances, the program’s tone and choice of language was emotive and carried negative connotations against the forestry industry. ACMA considers that overall, the tone and choice of language would convey to the ordinary reasonable viewer an unduly negative view of some perspectives as opposed to others presented in the program.
In this case, ACMA considers that in many instances, the program’s tone and choice of language was emotive and carried negative connotations against the forestry industry.
ACMA considers that overall, the tone and choice of language would convey to the ordinary reasonable viewer an unduly negative view of some perspectives as opposed to others presented in the program.”
http://www.acma.gov.au/webwr/_assets/main/lib100638/lords%20abc%20tv.pdf
Fullerton was found to be dishonest and deceptive. She should have been sacked and she is unfit to host the 7:30 Report.
#93 PC- My mistake. Sorry and please give my regards to your cat.
“Fullerton was found to be dishonest and deceptive.”
Really, WD40? I thought Fullerton “almost fabricated the whole story”?
And, frankly, no. She was not found to be “dishonest and deceptive” either.
In this case, ACMA considers that the manner in which the report was presented would have given an ordinary reasonable viewer the impression that the program favoured the anti-forestry, anti-logging perspective.
Her report was found to give the impression it was partial to a cause, and the ABC was slapped on the wrist by the ACMA for breach of charter in that regard. However, apart from the inaccuracies listed above, nothing in the story, including those statements found to be impartial, was found to be false.
The forestry and logging industries may not have liked the light they were painted in, but Fullerton/the program was specifically found by the ACMA to have reported the balanced truth, and, deservedly, she received the Eureka Environmental Science Journalism prize that year.
Oops: “nothing in the story, including those statements found [not] to be impartial, was found to be false.”
Someone who has studied and qualified to pass as a regular on the Jim Lehrer Report. That would set the standard now missing from ABC and Oz MSM.
So Ticky was slapped on the wrist for portraying old-growth forest woodchipping as a bad thing. Presumably, then, the media is not allowed to portray anything as bad. Osama Bin Laden? Let’s have a bit of BALANCE in the portrayal of this poor, misunderstood guy!
“The fact that her name makes her sound frivolous was neither here nor there.”
The frumps still drooling over their share portfolio, around midnight, have not found it an issue, Fran. And we are talking about the replacement of a bloke called “Kerry”, do not forget.
jane @ 64,
See Saturday Salon.
I sort of liked the idea of Bolt and Marr alternating, and I also liked the idea of Keating.
How about Keating one night interviewing those on the right, and say Mad Uncle Tuck on the other night interviewing (and I use the term loosely) those on the left? I reckon that Latham could stand in when either of the above were not available – he certainly has no political allegiances that one can discern.
It would be a bit like current affairs meets world wrestling federation.
If Fullerton getting the job is going to piss off the Right, then it’s Fullerton for the job.
Heh, heh, imagine Erica Betz’s reaction. That’ll be worth the price of admission alone.
OK, another hat in the ring…..Ali Moore.
She has had stints on Lateline Business, Lateline, and 7.30 Report. On Lateline Business she was always naturally on top of her subject. She allows interviewees the chance to show their grace should they have it, while not letting the dogs off the hook.
And is completely wasted in current role as newsreader & reporter on ABC News TV 24.
Ahem, WD40, the “failed to ensure that …factual content of the program was accurate in relation to the discovery of Tasmania and the nature of Huon Pine”. The rest was true, especially the bit about woodchipping old growth forest.
Annabel Crabb
They’re probably considering giving it to Fran Kelly, vanguard of ABC “balance”.
Cuppa @ 107,
well, it is balance. If like Fran Kelly you consistently make predictions about the destruction of a Labor Government which never come true … thinking about it, that’s got to be balance.
Cor, they could get The Parrot.
107 comments and nobody has mentioned Mark Latham yet?
Going way back to Paul Burns @5, the Chaser boys are not such a crazy idea. Craig Reucassel absolutely flattened Christopher Pyne on Q&A last week on his duplicity over pairing the deputy speaker. After Tony Jones had just let it go through to the keeper.
Comedians tend to be much quicker on their feet than journalists and are also prepared to risk upsetting people.
7.30 Report has been tabloid for years now under O’Brien’s editorship. Rather than a “celebrity” ABCer, they should look at a talent.
Sir Henry,
nice idea in principle.
But:
a) The ABC, by dint of being the ABC, has access that random people doing blog posts in the spare time just can’t get.
b) Journalists can call people up and ask questions in a way that bloggers can’t.
c) The ABC can bring resources to bear on a story in a way that part-time amateurs can’t.
As such, what ABC current affairs does still matters in a way that LP can’t hope to replace.
He should have quit last year. The 7.30 report was noticeably MUCH more interesting when he was on leave.
KOB is a predictable & boring interviewer. Little point watching the 7.30 report with him on it.
Craig Reucassel? Yes, he “absolutely flattened Christopher Pyne on Q&A last week” (shows promise) however he failed to “absolutely flatten” Chris Bowen, over something even more serious & even easier to pin him on.
This makes Reucassel sort of like KOB, who dishes it out in spades to the Liberal Party, but gives the the ALP a free pass.
Example: “Julia Gillard, please tell us something negative about yourself?”….
…. then when interviewing liberal party politicians subjects them to a bitter harangue of KOB’s opinions, underlined by a seething glare, rather than eliciting information. (it was almost as if KOB had his shirt riding on the election outcome, & was sour on the Liberal party for daring to rise in the polls)
As a current affairs format this is boring. There is no new information in it. I can monologue at home about Liberal party failings & KOB’s opinions, without having to switch the TV on.
If I watch a current affairs show (say the 7.30 report) I expect to see, you know, an actual interview, one that actually elicits information.
John Clark? Put him in the same boat. On a special extra-ordinary just-for-the-occassion edition of the 7.30 report, after a week when the biggest (only) event was the removal of the sitting Prime Minister by a clique within his own party, what was the Clark & Dawes special extra-ordinary just-for-the-occassion comedy skit about? Tony Abbott’s dishonesty!
Yeap, the 7.30 report badly needs turning into a current affairs program, the ABC could do with one in that time slot!
SATP, does the teev jouro without (perceived) bias in either direction exist?
If so, could you please name it? We hang upon your omniscience…
Something like The Daily show is needed for the timespot.
I nominate Shaun Micallef for the job. I reckon he has the smarts to move from comedy to serious stuff like Jon Stewart.
Micallef’s Newstopia show on SBS a few years ago was excellent. I was really disappointed it didn’t come back after the third series.
Newstopia on Liberal vs Labor:
I hope they give the gig to Annabel Crabb, Fran Kelly or Tony Jones. Then I will have a ready made excuse to go cold turkey on television news.
If, on the other hand, they get someone of the calibre of Monica Attard or Jonathon Holmes, I might have to keep watching.
The stagnation at ABC is a good motivator for switching to Twitter/blog news feeds.
It’s so going to be Chris Uhlman. Or if they really want to piss us on the left off Gerard Henderson.
As for the 7.30 report being tired, we weren’t saying that back when they were allowed to ask tough questions of the Libs.
The ABC is just doing what is does best as an ex-left wing organisation. Getting along with one arm tied behind it’s back while using the other to smack itself in the face.
tssk said:
It’s so going to be Chris Uhlman. Or if they really want to piss us on the left off Gerard Henderson.
Nope. I’d actually prefer Henderson. Firstly, he’s officially a rightwinger, and secondly, he would miff some rightwing populists as he favours “a big Australia”, and IIRC, an ETS.
Farewell to Kerry O’Brien, he has served us well over all these years. He is part of a vanishing breed of dedicated and intellectually responsible journalists, and many of us will miss him, probably the day his replacement is announced.
My two bob’s worth is that he left because he was fed up with the shabby and offensive decline in journalistic standards at our ABC. And he is 65 years old.
I recall some passing reports that he was unable to work with Chris Toolman, which is presumably why Toolman was shunted off to ABC24, and replaced with stalwart Heather Ewart (one of the unsung jouneywomen of the ABC who always steps up to the plate when needed). ABC Newsrooms have morphed into processing centres for the Murdochracy, and a spineless ABC management is now obsessed with weird ideas about “balance” in news presentation, which apparently involves replacing experience and judgement with stopwatches. Kerry is no stopwatch.
I look forward to his memoirs, or an interview with Andrew Denton perhaps.
Maybe Bob Ellis and Glenn Milne could co-host the show. They both now seem to be on the ABC payroll.
Mr Merkel @114.
Some among us, blogging, are in fact working journalists who are hamstrung by their employers’ expectations in what they say (if they want to keep their jobs) and hence have been unloading their frustrations in the blogosphere.
I know of at least three MSM byliners who regularly blog here and at Crikey.
Furthermore, some bloggers are full-time bloggers and part-time workers. It’s talent not resources that makes for a good read.
Suddenly we have another distribution channel with the NBN. Probably an unintended consequence. There is a lot of verbiage on medical imaging and so on. Very little about the potential to break up a cosy MSM oligopoly.
Remember life before blogging? Punditocracy like of Shanahan, Kelly and the Poison Dwarf were getting away with murder.
Before blogging, we didn’t have the opportunity to share our outrage, disdain or test out the veracity or otherwise of our critical faculties in front of an audience. Now we can, and what is more, this has a major effect on the MSM. Increasingly so. The emperor is often very threadbare indeed. Now, perhaps, the outrage and frustration is on the other side. Who was it that physically attacked Steven Maine? And why?
Medical imaging is terrific and all that but fibre to the home may provide us all with another accident we are all waiting to happen. One has to wonder whether someone in the backrooms of the ALP saw this as the perfect revenge on for the years of getting a rough end of the stick from the MSM.
This kind of digital serendipity is already the case when serious filmmakers and videographers have stumbled on the humble Canon D5 MK II camera ($4 grand, body only). It was intended as an entry-level semi-pro stills camera, which incidentally also offerred full HD 1920x1080p video recording up to a VistaVision 8/35 frame. It wasn’t long before people realised they could easily modify it to shoot for cinema release.
I’m excited, Mr Merkel. This has implications.
Henderson or some other paleo-con might actually work, in a homeopathic sort of way.
I hope they can find a presenter/ journalist who can think ‘on their feet’ a bit better than Kerry managed over the last few years.
He’s missed heaps of moments because of reliance on his prepared script when a response potentially opened up whole new lines of questioning. A predictable interviewer makes it too easy for the spin merchants, we’ve watched to many prepared statements come from interviewees with no serious dissection.