05-03-2024, 12:58 AM
(04-03-2024, 11:10 PM)DTV Wrote: This is one of those things that is not really that unexpected - I think many assumed this is where we'd end up and, as with Keith, I suspect its temporary nature will turn out to be one of those things that gets quietly extended to cover the first few months of the new government, etc. Part of me has long wondered whether the bare bones approach of the last year was an attempt to see how much a minimal version would cost in practice, allowing them to see what they had room to reintroduce afterwards. Ultimately, the actual cost of eight hours of studio output is fairly cheap, it's the reporting that's expensive.
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The argument put forward by the News channel presenters before the merger was particularly accurate: Experienced presenters doing DTL inrerviews and in studio explainer with reporters generates a significant amount of low cost, decent quality content.
For example a presenter interviewing a reporter with simple on set graphic bullet points is quicker and more effective than a reporter trying to shoe-horn background into a package, or do a new explainer piece, scripting for both the setup questions and the answers in one reporter read piece- its often clunkier to tell the story that way.
All the new service need is careful selection of presenters capable of delivering accurate and incisive hosting, and producers with stong news led skills, and high degree of professionalism. Preferably without a pathetic obsession with making clips for viral social media.