Network 10 will cut its current affairs program 10 News+ to 30-minutes next year.
The decision follows months of soft ratings since the show’s June debut, with the new lineup designed to strike a balance between serious journalism with family-friendly entertainment in the early evening slot.
From high hopes to hard numbers
10 News+, which replaced The Project, was introduced with the promise of a fresh, modern take on nightly news. However, early figures told a different story.
The show opened to just 191,000 viewers in the five-city metro ratings, compared with 961,000 tuning into Nine News and 905,000 for Seven News in the same timeslot.
By the end of its first week it was watched by just 138,000 viewers nationally.
Network 10 defends format shift
Despite the shorter runtime, staff were told there will be no job losses associated with the change.
The program will continue to be anchored by former Seven Network journalists Amelia Brace and Denham Hitchcock.
“The revised 30-minute edition of 10 News+ will continue to deliver sharp, credible, and distinctive journalism each weeknight at 6.00pm, followed by a refreshed entertainment line-up at 6.30pm with Deal or No Deal hosted by Grant Denyer, followed at 7.00pm by Millionaire Hot Seat hosted by Rebecca Gibney,” a spokeswoman for 10 told Mediaweek.
“Since its launch, 10 News+ has established a reputation for smart, concise reporting and strong storytelling. This new streamlined format allows the show to focus even more on breaking exclusive stories and trustworthy journalism – the characteristics audiences value most in news presentation while making room for fresh early-evening family-friendly content across the network.”