ABC News Victoria: New format? ABC News 24 Studios
It's mid January 2014, and Victorian viewers of the 7:00pm ABC News service are seeing something different. The news content is the same, the newsreaders are the same, but the set is totally different. If you are part of the blind or vision impaired audience, you probably would not have noticed any difference. But there is still a big difference, at least visually. So what's going on?
No, it's not a permanent change. ABC's Melbourne news studio is undergoing an upgrade, and during the renovations, the news has to be presented somewhere else. What better than make use of the ABC News 24 studios?
So Ian Henderson moves to the Canberra ABC News 24 studios to present the weeknight news, whilst Paul Higgins spends time outdoors along the Yarra River (near Melbourne Park) presenting the weather. During this period, the Victorian news segment is simulcast nationally on ABC 24. Let's hope the rest of Australia doesn't mind a bit of Melbourne-centric news for a week or two.
But hang on - how come on the weekend 18 - 19 January 2014, we see the old studios? Maybe ABC has two Victorian news studios, a weekday and a weekend studio.
Time will tell. Be prepared for yet another new look for ABC News Victoria.
It's here!
The new set is now in use. As of Monday 27 January 2014, ABC News Victoria has a new look.
A massive video screen behind the newsreader uses an evening scene of Melbourne's CBD as a backdrop. And the bench the newsreader sits behind is similar to the one used in ABC News 24's studios. The camera sometimes shows a shot from the side of the rounded bench, showing where the newsreader sits.
The new set also scores a large video wall, from which special features and weather events can be presented. This brings ABC News Victoria into line with the other three commercial broadcasters, which have made significant upgrades to their news studios.