Nine News switches to rolling news coverage of Australia’s bush fire crisis

January 8, 2013 5:24

Nine has switched to rolling coverage of Australia’s bush fire crisis.

The coverage began with Nine News Now at 3pm eastern, in just the broadcast’s second day, followed by a special report from 4pm presented by Amelia Adams.

This will be followed by a state-based bushfire bulletin from 6pm followed by a return to national programming with A Current Affair offering extended, one hour coverage of the disaster from 6.30-7.30pm. A special 9.30pm report has also just been announced.

A spokesperson for Nine told Mumbrella that depending on developments, the coverage may continue at 7.30pm, or the network may return to normal broadcasting.

News channels Sky News and ABC News 24 are also providing rolling coverage of the crisis.

Colin Delaney

topics Nine News Peter Overton

Comments: 14

zumabeach 8 Jan 13

Now there are fires happening in NSW and even near Sydney it must be important.

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Duncan Riley 8 Jan 13

ABC News 24 is offering non-stop coverage? Don’t they usually play old copies of Stateline during major news events?

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NJK 9 Jan 13

Possibly the most pointless rolling coverage in recent history, at least for NSW. All we heard were over-blown reports about the fires, which clearly were not half as bad as first feared. But with so many resources invested, Ch.9 had to make it sound like it was hell on earth. The highlight/lowlight was when ACA in one sentence said how the weather was completely unpredictable, and then in the next went on to say what the forecast was for the evening. Quality.

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Channel 9 Sminky Pinky 9 Jan 13

“Hu the the the the the the the the Scorchio!”

Channel 9 offers a very extreme version of news. Everything always seems so EXTREME when they broadcast.

Can’t really joke about bushfires and if their coverage helps some people in need, then that is a good thing.

Nevertheless Peter Overton has got to be one of the most patronisiing news presenters on air. Nearly as patronising as the crew who present 60 seconds…

“Chris Waddle!”

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jimmy 9 Jan 13

Could have been worse, at least they didn’t do rolling coverage of the summer swimming champs. That really would have been catastrophic.

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Daniel 9 Jan 13

The most overblown coverage I have even seen. Yes, some houses were destroyed but overall nothing like Victoria’s bushfires in 2009. You should have seen Peter Overton’s face when he was informed today was not a total fire ban in Victoria and he couldn’t believe it was going to be only 20 degrees today. How disappointed were the media when they found out all 100 unaccounted for in NSW towns were located. Their hearts sank!

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marcus.hudswell 9 Jan 13

If ACA is reporting on fires, how are we going to know which pizza’s are the best value?

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Jo 9 Jan 13

So, so, so sick of the overblown coverage. It is repetitive and uninformative – the media are perpetuating the issue just to keep themselves in a job and significantly increases the risk of desensitising the punters to what is a serious issue. People will tune off, tune out and become even more ignorant of typical Summer threats to the Australian bush. We are a typically cycnical bunch as it is, do they honestly think we are going to take their coverage seriously with all of their hyperbole?

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Sminky Pinky 9 Jan 13

@marcus.harwell

A very good point Marcus!

Or whether chickens marked as “organic” are really “organic” – I might not be able to sleep tonight!!

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Mike 9 Jan 13

LIke others’ comments, the overblown coverage and palpable newsreader disappointment at there being NO fatalities, is rather sickening.
Their drooling desperation for destruction and death is an indictment of news media today.

Are they incapable of showing pleasure that everybody has survived?
Stop dreaming of the “makeshift morgue shot” and start reporting the news with appropriate neutrality.
The commercials and ABC are as bad as each other. Where’s that old “shame file” when we need it?

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Sminky Pinky 10 Jan 13

SBS have covered the fires, showed how serious they are and explained about further hot weather and why it is being generated (in 10 mins) and then moved on to further news from around the country and the planet = great coverage on “news”.

Channel 9 (I had to tune in so I could see what they were waffling on about) were ranting on about how they were “first” to report and how their “experienced” journalists are this and that and that they have the “best” ARRRGGGHHHHHHH!!!

Channel 9 are awful, truly awful (they proved that with their Olympics coverage.)

Sorry 9, but you really are. Jazzed up bimbo’s and smartened up boofheads run their bulletins. Loads of ego’s, not enough brains imho.

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Sminky Pinky 10 Jan 13

P.S. if you really want to know about the fires and really want to be totally up to speed with what is happening then just go to the web, or tune into ABC Radio – simple!

(No adverts, nor “we are going to take a quick break” = KFC saturation!)

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mumbrella 10 Jan 13

I’m going to come to the commercial TV networks’ defence on this one.

Based on the forecasts, anyone who was serious about their reputation as a news brand, had to go into overdrive. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who got up yesterday morning with the first thought of putting on the TV to find out what was going on. Nine and Seven both did it well (Ten was re-running US content and children’s shows).

In the non-ratings season, there’s little commercial imperative for the networks to go to the expense of live OBs from across the country. The reason is professional pride.

Happily in terms of human lives the situation has so far been less disastrous then feared. I suspect that one reason is because those in danger cannot have missed the extensive media coverage and taken early steps to get out of harm’s way.

Much better that the networks give something like this too much coverage ahead of time rather than too little.

Cheers,

Tim – Mumbrella

Sminky Pinky 10 Jan 13

Do Nines reporters have to dress up in fire fighting gear though?

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