Network 10 is doubling down on its nightly news programming.
“10 NEWS+” will premiere from Monday, June 30, taking over the spot made vacant by the cancellation of “The Project” and the shift of “Deal or No Deal”.
The new program will be anchored Sunday to Thursday by investigative journalist Denham Hitchcock and Walkley Award-winning journalist Amelia Brace. Veteran reporters Ursula Heger and Hugh Riminton lead coverage every Friday.
With that commitment, the free-to-air network will pump out two consecutive hours of prime-time news. Ten broke ranks in January 1992 when its local bulletins were moved to 5pm, a slot it has owned ever since.
“This is an exciting opportunity for our network news team,” comments Martin White, VP News, Paramount Australia. “We’re going to do what we do best — put the truth first, our audience first, and tell important stories well. We’ve assembled a fantastic team, led by Denham and Amelia, and I can’t wait for audiences to see their hard work.”
The new program, promises White, is “completely different to anything else in the market. We’re giving you more — breaking exclusive stories and offering our own unique take on the biggest issues impacting Australians, across multiple platforms including 10, 10 Play and YouTube.”
Reporters include Ashleigh Raper, Bill Hogan, Brianna Parkins, Samantha Butler, Carrie-Anne Greenbank, and Claudia Vrdoljak, and veteran entertainment editor Angela Bishop, who will cover entertainment, red carpet events and collect “exclusive interviews with Hollywood’s elite.”
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Network 10 stalwart Daniel Sutton is executive producer of “10 NEWS+.” “I’m incredibly proud of the exceptional team of journalists we’ve brought together,” Sutton adds. “They are driven truth-seekers and compelling storytellers, united by a commitment to go beyond the headlines. Above all, we’ll tell stories with heart, compassion, and integrity.”
Earlier this week, the commercial broadcaster announced ‘The Project” will air for the last time on Friday, June 27, ending a run of almost 16 years and more than 4,500 episodes.
Originally named “The 7PM Project,” the current affairs show first aired July 20, 2009. Since then, the program has collect 11 TV Week Logie awards and one Walkley award. More than 1.4 million news hounds “follow” its Facebook channel. Ratings, however, have slid in recent years.