New look Five News onwards

I dont think it has helped with the Aussie Soaps finishing earlier than normal. (Because we caught up (with Neighbours)) so there really isn't anything to book-end so its just in the way of scheduling films. If they have done more than the years news quota, it doesn't seem be worth the schedule hassel, despite news still happening, we all know the alternatives.

EDIT: Matt has presented the 5pm bulletin and the specials at 6:30 all week. Dani seems to be the new regular evening update and lunchtime presenter.

I believe they've meet their news quota for the year, so have taken two weeks off, bar some headline bulletins.

Even kids bulletin Newsround isn't on next week, despite being a normal working week and schools being open until midweek.

I don't get really why they aren't catching up with Home and Away so that too could air with a much tighter turnaround when it returns to Australian screens at the end of January. I know Seven don't show it nightly now but I think it's now pretty consistent in airing Mon-Thu, with double episodes on a Thursday. At the very least they should be able to air episodes the next week.

I thought H&A took a mid year break aswell which is why they have to create this.?

Only for the Olympics, which was the case this year.

C5 used to take it off in the summer as well though and hence remained about three months behind, though I think this year they left it on air so combined with the Olympic break they were catching up but with Seven not airing the season finale till next week they're back to where they were - current episodes aren't due to air till March.

The fact that Seven are still airing it shows how less important it is to them now - the Australian "ratings season" ends in November and it's usually all summer filler until February, with Home and Away traditionally airing it's finale at the end of the ratings season. Now though episodes have been allowed to stock pile up and they're basically burning them off in double and triple bills. That sort of scheduling makes same day airing tricky for C5, but I don't think there is a need to be three months behind.

From what I was told by an old source, the contract to Home and Away was renegotiated to cut costs during the start of the Richard Desmond years which included a clause where the programme needed to be aired a minimum of 6 weeks behind the Australian airings. I also believe the renegotiated deal included less repeats and shorter timescales for on demand showings (maybe this is why we don't get the 5star repeats anymore).

So doesn't need to be 3 months behind but with the seven networks inconsistent broadcasts, perhaps to carry on airing the show at the moment would risk going over the 6 weeks contractually allowed.

http://moby.to/vobeni
I'm guessing the above was filmed in the newsroom.

I like the raised desk for multiple guests, being used tonight, has it been used all week?

It was certainly used yesterday when I watched the Royal special. I wish they used that for 5 News Tonight on a normal bulletin.

Alex Deakin doing the weather tonight on Five News.