News readers on WIN - we need a local Sandra Sully

fhakk said :

People should be more worried about content than they are about friggin cleavage.

Um, yes indeed. Give me a good journalist with an authorative air and good comms skills anyday. If you want T&A from your news bulletins, how much news are you actually after? Surely, there are other places to go to be titallated.

Which reminds me of being at a mate’s place one night and he put on his Foxtel and we watched one of the more surreal shows I’ve ever witnessed: ‘The Naked News’ (US). Yes, the newscasters (all female) presented the stories while progressively shedding every stitch of clothing. Bizarre.

Having said all that, and having checked the link above to the vision of the French newsreader, est-ce-que je puis direz: Oh mon Dieu! Formidable! But maybe wasted on the news broadcast: I’d get to the end of a half hour bulletin and have no idea what the news was.

heinous said :

As for any timing issues about when she’s doing some of her bulletins, I think the phrase you’re probably after is ‘pre-recorded’.

Overheard, surely this would be an anachronism for a news program.

I have no inside knowledge about this, but I recall it came up on Media Watch a while back wherein they showed how stations like WIN and Prime prepare all of their updates for the various regions (Canberra, Wollongong, wherever) from the one point and by the same people. I inferred that they were all recorded (not hours ahead of a time, but recorded early nonetheless). Hence, Ms Forest could conceivably knock over the evening updates for the various regions at, say, 8.30pm and then be in for the morning updates referred to above.

Again, I stress I have no intimate knowledge of their set-up, but I don’t believe you’re going to witness any up to the minute, late-breaking news on the little updates between the evening shows. I’m more than happy to be proven wrong.

Doesn’t the guy that used to read updates for Southern Cross 10 now work for Win?

I wonder if they’ll put him on the desk?
He had a good voice and wasn’t so rigid.

@ Vice – There’s no point in WIN doing national news when there’s so much of it already. If you want national news switch the tv on at 6 or 7 and watch any network you choose.

I like the local format and know that if something important happens in Canberra you’ll get some decent coverage from WIN.

Jessica is looking great tonight – nothing brown or maternity-like but feminine instead. Agree with others about Sandra Sully – attractive woman but total fem-bot who often fluffed her lines.

As for any timing issues about when she’s doing some of her bulletins, I think the phrase you’re probably after is ‘pre-recorded’.

Overheard, surely this would be an anachronism for a news program.

Or once at least do the news in a bikini.

BerraBoy68, I like your thinking. Perhaps more than just once would be good, I wouldn’t complain if it was every night for example.

DJ “What did it cost to buy your soul back?”

A lot of drinking in Europe, plus a significant boost in my salary 🙂

Dawndrifter – “consider this as feedback”

People should be more worried about content than they are about friggin cleavage. WIN’s got some problems, but no more so than virtually every newsroom in the nation. Plus I doubt they conduct focus groups or polling to gauge how it’s going, aside from the nightly AC Neilson poll. Either get used to it or do something about it, folks.

Gungahlin Al – I said I thought the ABC had done a smart thing (ie, picked a good structure by combining local and national news). It means there’s probably less than 10 minutes to be filled with local stuff (other than sport, of course) – much less challenging than trying to burble for 30 minutes (less ads). I was (pointedly) quite silent about the quality it produced or the journalistic skills it demonstrates.

I think it is good that one of the local stations has a full local news stint, shoestring resources or not, it’s better than nothing.

And I’ll take Jessica Goode over Saundra Sully any time – that contrived voice and ‘headline’ talk instead of complete sentences (last bit not her fault I know).

The Win reporters do a good job of chasing up local news, they take the time to get the story right, and they don’t usually go off skewing stories.

I disageee with VP about the combined ABC coverage – they seldom cover anything other than what pops up on the ACT Govt media releases – even though they could tap into a much broader range of local stories via their radio station, the two areas don’t seem to talk to each other.

Skidbladnir said :

Showing that you can embed a photo in a comment sets a dangerous precedent, Jb.

Next thing you know scumdog will be back showing us things we never want to see (especially at work, where it might get someone fired).

or the bluecoat server denies access to the site….

I reckon there’s a good reason Win News is so plastic. (apart from Phil Small’s voice annoying the crapola out of me)

There is a total of 1 (maybe 2) crew running the show.
How hollow would you feel reading the news to an empty room. It must suck.

ABC News apparently has 2 crew. The auto-cue person also does the makeup..

To get back to the news, is there anyone else fed up with (a) the attempt to drum up revenue by hilariously silly polls on issues and (b) the invite to anyone with anything resembling news to contact the station on the basis that it couldn’t find news if it was stapled to its nether regions? As if, and I fear that this approach is going to get (ab)used by all sides of politics as the election draws nigh – I just hope they’re careful and critical. And, golly, if I were in the PR trade, I’d find some stories of benefit to my commercial clients.

WIN local news is poor, but no worse than the “national” (ie Sydney) news that precedes it. Full of late trains, NSW pollies irrelevant to the ACT and miracle cures for illnesses we didn’t know we had. Plus endless cross-promotion. Prime/Seven is no better. The ABC did a smart thing by merging local and national. SBS has been good, but the quality is wobbling.

“Meanwhile, I can’t decide whether I like or hate the Prime weather guy. he alternates between hilariously insane and downright cringeworthy.”

You mean Daniel Gibson? I think he’s excellent and should be doing more than just weather. I met him a few years ago and he’s a lovely guy off camera too.

I also like Madelaine Colignon (ex Channel Vision) who shares the weather with Daniel.

Jessica Good looks much thinner in real life, borderline Anna…maybe it’s true about the TV adding 5 kgs.

On another note Anne Fullwood, previously of Ten fame now does Newsradio day shift, and quite well too imho.

Sandra Sully sounds like she has taken far too many anti-depressants.

Alan Kohler makes finance sound exciting on ABC TV.

I’d like Jessica to show a bit more cleavage.

Ditto! Or once at least do the news in a bikini. Can we get at least one of the parties to lobby for that in the upcoming election? That’d improve ratings and nobody would care what the news actually was.

And I’d rather have Jessica Good on air than Sandra Sultry any day 🙂

I like sultry. Rawwrr. 🙂

Meanwhile, I can’t decide whether I like or hate the Prime weather guy. he alternates between hilariously insane and downright cringeworthy.

Tom Petrovsky from Commsec went from slightly unusual to brilliant when he started doing the bits on Rove, even though that’s probably scripted. His delivery is great though.

fhakk they should consider this as feedback then.. small sample i know but there are some common views re the set design, program format and the zero emo style of presentation… they should direct them to lighten it up a bit…

Getting rid of Phil Small, or pairing him up with someone who can display emotion and has a human personality would be a good start, too.

fhakk: “As a former journo…”

What did it cost to buy your soul back? Not that I have anything against jurnos….

You know every journalist in Canberra will read these comments and go “oooooooo”…It’s a very tight-knit industry here and this is a widely-read blog. To WIN’s credit, they’ve actually stuck around and provided a TV news service over the years, unlike Southern Cross Ten and Prime where they stripped back the news to the bare minimum. As a former journo, I know the ppl at WIN work with average pay and tight deadlines. It’s not an enviable position to be in. I doubt things have improved over the years, either.

And I’d rather have Jessica Good on air than Sandra Sultry any day 🙂 Sandra’s a bloody fembot whose voicebox is broken.

Er, that should read ‘Blonde + thin [does not equal] hot’.

My symbol thingies got wiped out.

SBS has gone way downhill too. (No pun intended, he says, glued to to the Alpine descent.) Their EP has obviously told Anton Eanis and [insert Tweedledee’s name here] to ape the commercial network’s cheesey interactions and it just sucks like an Electrolux. Bring back Lee Lin Chin or Mary Kostikidis (excuse all spelling, alstuwblieft).

Now in my opinion, Jessica is a very good-looking woman and probably very engaging, great personality, etc. But ‘babe’? ‘Hot’? I can’t see it.

Blonde + thin hot.

Natalie Forest: I’d bet a fistful of fifties that she’s been to elecution lessons or some ofther form of speech lessons, because deadset, she used to sound like a chipmunk. She’s got the silky smooth delivery down-pat now, but it’s very deliberate. As for any timing issues about when she’s doing some of her bulletins, I think the phrase you’re probably after is ‘pre-recorded’.

Kee-rist, I watch more TV than I thought…

The ABC team for sure. Virginia Hausegger is good, but she used to freeze the previous weatherman solid. “Thanks. John” brrrrrrr. And poor Mark Carmody copped it, and raised eyebrows, when he first got going. But now she interacts better with him, although she refuses to do any gardening. Carmody’s great.

Jessica Rowe was good when she was first on, she fluffed and stumbled her way through the simplest phrases, battling gamely on. Funny as hell. Melissa Doyle was nice but rather boring. I do rather miss Richard Morecroft. The commercial channels seem to go for plastic, rather ignorant people. I’m not even sure who their newspeople are.

Correct she was 25 when she started reading, so 26 she would be now. She does look like she’s in her 30s though, I think the photographers that cover the social stuff in the middle bit of the CT stalk her too, barely a week goes by where she isn’t in a photo there.

Agreed Erin Molan is a hottie too, Janine isn’t bad either and there was another one that used to be there but disappeared, snapped up in Sydney no doubt.

As for overall WIN news, I occasionally watch the first 5-10 minutes for a hit of local news, the rest is crap though, especially the sports wrap when it’s full or Raiders bullsht. Phil Small must have the worst wardrobe adviser going around, his suits are terrible.

fnaah said :

Personally I think they need to do somehting about the quality of the digital backdrop – their tech has improved recently (no more green jaggies around people’s heads) but it’s not as nice to look at as an actual set. Ten’s “working” set where you can see stuff in the background is awesome.

Awesomely terrible and cheap looking perhaps, but then WIN’s is worse and fake also. Thank god they’ve actually built a proper newsroom backdrop for the TEN news bulletin now, still slightly see through to the happenings behind, but a big improvement. Sports Tonight presenter has suffered though, they stole his chair for a bigger TV or imposed image, haven’t looked close enough yet.

Jessica Good is only 25??? I don’t think that’s right

Jessica’s in her 30’s for sure

I remember reading that she was 25 when she took over the main gig, and her Wikipedia page says she was born in 1981, so she’s around 26-27 years old.

VicePope said :

The WIN news is pretty dreadful and it’s not helped by the Jessica Good (but not quite good enough for first grade) thing or the Phil Small stuff where he tries to make local sport sound serious. And there’s something not quite right about the shape of his head, or maybe it’s just the hair.

Brain explosion idea. Why doesn’t the ABC give Mark Carmody the Gardening Australia gig vacated by Peter Cundall and let us have an English speaker doing the weather?

Ahhh Vice Pope you read my mind. What a classic to hear Peter Cundall read the news then finish with “and that’s your bloomin lot !”

And, yes, Jessica Good should start saying “no” to her wardrobe person.

25yo is right. Yes Thumper morelike:-

http://www.boreme.com/boreme/funny-2007/melissa-theuriau-p1.php

Much nicer tonight:

Remember when Jacinta Tynan read the local news, she was hot.

One thing I can’t figure out about Natalie Forrest on Prime is when she sleeps. When I go to bed at night at 10:30 she reads a news summary and then at 7:30 the next morning she’s on air again! Just in case you don’t know who I’m talking about, she’s the one with the smooth-as-you-like radio announcer voice.

Jessica’s in her 30’s for sure.

I’d still hit her.

Jessica Good is only 25??? I don’t think that’s right. Just saw a news promo and me thinks the team might read this blog. She has an excellent low-cut stylish top on tonight – but why are they always dressing her in brown?!

This is a screen grab from Youtube of one of Jessica’s many outfits. This would have to be one of the better ones.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b204/BJ083/1-1.jpg

Jessica Good is definately hot, but on most occasions, she dresses older than she is (like a 50yo) when she’s only 25. Although I wouldn’t be supprised if someone else chooses what she wears.

DawnDrifter, would magnet mart guy be more to your liking?

Magnet Mart should have never let him go. Their current ads make me want to shop at Bunnings. Are they even made for a Canberra market

Has anyone else noticed the local Southern Cross Ten news reader who appears on news updates during the evening?

She has one hell of a moustache!!!!!!

got my vote thumper…

spitfire… perhaps on the sports segment? would add some life to the coverage

Keep Good but improve her wardrobe. Please get rid of Small, he only speaks in half sentences and annoys the shit out of me.

johnboy said :

I’m waiting for Mark Carmody’s corsage to be bigger than his head.

It’s coming.

What was Ms Good wearing last night anyway???

She was showing solidarity with the WYD pilgrims and dressing like a Benedictine Monk.

The WIN news is pretty dreadful and it’s not helped by the Jessica Good (but not quite good enough for first grade) thing or the Phil Small stuff where he tries to make local sport sound serious. And there’s something not quite right about the shape of his head, or maybe it’s just the hair.

Brain explosion idea. Why doesn’t the ABC give Mark Carmody the Gardening Australia gig vacated by Peter Cundall and let us have an English speaker doing the weather?

WIN news used to have Mel (from Mel and Koshie) reading the news and Jessica Rowe doing the weather – it was ok then.

Most Canberra reporters with much get-up-and-go end up on Sydney news – like Marguerite McKinnon now, and various others. She was a bit pushy to work with, so I’m not surprised she has made it to the big smoke.

DawnDrifter, would magnet mart guy be more to your liking?

Jessia Good is great but her wardrobe is hideous – not her decision i’m sure. All part of the thin budget the team obviously works with.

I like Janene Manwaring too – she’s hot, smokin hot! She should be considered for co-anchor instead of Phil Small.

I’m Ron Burgundy, you stay classy Canberra 🙂

WIN news is just plain lazy, just a reheated days Canberra Times which was yesterdays news to start with. Must make WIN news at least two days old.

Mr Evil – Hahaha thats kinda what I mean, she has this strange “news reporter voice” she is using. I am sure that is not her every day voice.

the 5pm and late news on 10 has a good all-round format.. like fnaah said the ‘working’ background looks great but i think its their almost conversational style of reading/crossing to reporters and the random humour makes it very easy to watch

Showing that you can embed a photo in a comment sets a dangerous precedent, Jb.

Next thing you know scumdog will be back showing us things we never want to see (especially at work, where it might get someone fired).

notdingers said :

There is one reporter named Erin Molan (excuse the spelling if it is incorrect) She used to do alot of good work on Channel Vision (the transact local channel) from reporting to Vox Pops. She was really good

and seriously cute if she is reading 😉

Now she is on nine she has lost that energetic edge and has adopted the very stoic “professional” persona. It is quite strange to watch sometimes after seeing her with so much charisma on the other channel.

I think this might be the problem with the others too, they try to play this character of a serious newsreader rather then being themselves and bringing a bit of personality to it. Maybe thats just “how things are done” on the news, I’m not sure. But the net result is a pretty bland boring experience.

Plus I have had running discussions with friends going for months about the lighting they use to film in the studio. They need to get a proper lighting designer in there. I don’t know if it is not enough front or back lighting but it makes the readers look like cardboard cut outs which doesn’t help either.

Molan sounds like a foghorn when she speaks!

I don’t mind Virginia on ABC, especially now as she interacts a bit better with Mark when he tries to make a joke with her about planting a carrot between melons, or something like that.

Jessica is a babe……Oh and on aside note can read the news pretty good too, (ie, not a robot)

Phil Small and Co, are a little robotic and boring to watch (sorry guys…)

There is one reporter named Erin Molan (excuse the spelling if it is incorrect) She used to do alot of good work on Channel Vision (the transact local channel) from reporting to Vox Pops. She was really good

and seriously cute if she is reading 😉

Now she is on nine she has lost that energetic edge and has adopted the very stoic “professional” persona. It is quite strange to watch sometimes after seeing her with so much charisma on the other channel.

I think this might be the problem with the others too, they try to play this character of a serious newsreader rather then being themselves and bringing a bit of personality to it. Maybe thats just “how things are done” on the news, I’m not sure. But the net result is a pretty bland boring experience.

Plus I have had running discussions with friends going for months about the lighting they use to film in the studio. They need to get a proper lighting designer in there. I don’t know if it is not enough front or back lighting but it makes the readers look like cardboard cut outs which doesn’t help either.

I’m waiting for Mark Carmody’s corsage to be bigger than his head.

It’s coming.

What was Ms Good wearing last night anyway???

Personally I think they need to do somehting about the quality of the digital backdrop – their tech has improved recently (no more green jaggies around people’s heads) but it’s not as nice to look at as an actual set. Ten’s “working” set where you can see stuff in the background is awesome.

ABC weatherman. I cant get enough of him. personally i think he should stand for the legislative assembly.

I like Virginia on ABC