Today Tonight hits a new low.

Today Tonight hits a new low.

Having an on screen countdown to a cyclone hitting?

It is wrong on so many levels – insensitive to those who it is affecting. It’s almost like a doomsday clock. Not to mention, that the actual time the cyclone hits can easily vary – it is nature afterall.

Usually countdowns lead into events of happiness and celebration like the start of a new year, the start of a new event, the start of a new TV channel, etc…

Very wrong.

 

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  • Rachel

    Excited much?! :|

    Oh dear.

  • D

    Or, it’s an effective tool in letting those who may be affected know how long they have to leave/prepare their homes.

    It’s no different to the “tsunami expected in xx hours/minutes” which was run on Breakfast and Sunrise every few minutes.

  • regan

    Seriously D? What rock would you have to be living under to not know what was coming?  If you were living under such a rock, I highly doubt you’d be bothering to watch TT.

  • regan

    TT are getting a caning on twitter for this.

  • Link

    That reminds me of Majora’s Mask

  • D

    “What rock would you have to be living under to not know what was coming?”

    Read my comment again buddy. Remember Black Saturday? How people got trapped because they left it all ’til the absolute last second? It’s not about WHAT’S coming, it’s about when, and giving people an aid in their preparations.

    Then again I should have known better than for people on Throng to be able to look at the bigger picture.

  • regan

    It’s not about WHAT’S coming, it’s about when, and giving people an aid in their preparations.

    Ahh.. right.. that must be why they broadcast it NSW?  With 4:30 to go, what possible benefit could there be?  Jump in your car NOW and try and out run the 300kph winds?  Or batten the hatches and hide?

    Again I say, I doubt very much that anyone not already aware of what’s happening would have been enlightened by TT informing them how long until Yasi hits.  If you didn’t already know, I doubt you would have been the kind of person who would be tuning in to television.

  • Cat

    I’m about to be hit by the cyclone…..I find the countdown offensive. It’s not new years….I may lose everything I own and so may thousands of others. The exact time it will hit is an unknown and this countdown is not provided so that viewers may be prepared.Today tonight is sensationalising an event which will be catastrophic to many. If you want to help in this kind of situation then do a story on last minute cyclone preparations- otherwise go fuck yourself.

  • regan

    Stay safe Cat! :)

  • Bogues

    It’s Today Tonight, did you really expect anything else? This is the channel that has cancelled all programming for today to cover an event that hasn’t even happened (and remember these areas only have Seven affiliates, not the channel itself)

  • MattLLL

    It wasn’t broadcast in Queensland so it does nothing to help and is a new low for today tonight. And that bar isn’t high in the first place.

  • Will

    I do hope somebody gets a raise, it isn’t easy to hit a new low on a show that has been going for so long.

  • Gisi908

    Everybody, let’s let Ch 7 know what we think. Contact number for ch 7 in Sydney is 02 8777 7777 – I called tonight to complain – after 7 minutes of ads for ch 7 shows, I ended up with security who told me to call back tomorrow after 6am. Do we really want this so called journalism or should we ask for factual information – I watched all news bulletins today – I found Nine was most comprehensive yet feel the 7PM Project on Ten gave me info not seen on any other channel…

    As a producer or presenter on TT, how do you have a conscience. I am digusted with the way journalism has gone sensational rather than factual – should we start a petition or just call? BTW, if you call, don’t expect to get through. Lets keep the people of QLD in our hearts.

    Thank you again Today Tonight for degrading us all and for the lowest form of journalism.

    Gisi

  • FaceMan

    Are we seeing the birth of a new product ?

    DisasterTainment ?

    The more misery and fear, desperation, tears you can show the higher the ratings.

    I dont think its healthy for Children to be exposed to frightening events because they may think its going to happen to them. Coverage of such events should be suspended during 4pm to 8:30. News.com.au also had a clock countdown.

    Thank God Media Watch is back this week, hoepfully they will devote the entire episode to this new form of programming.

  • AndrewB

    Media Week will have a field day – they should produce a longer episode to cover it all.

  • CrystalFissure

    I expect this from Seven and Today Tonight. The show is utter tabloid rubbish. If I had to pick a channel that would do something like this, then it would be Seven. It’s the same bloody network that has ads for “get the new Mosquito Ringtone” a few years back.