7.30

One of Australia’s most respected journalists, Sally Neighbour, is the new Executive Producer of the ABC’s 7.30 program.  

Sally has more than 30 years experience – much of it with the ABC in a range of TV programs, including Four Corners, the former 7.30 Report, Lateline, Foreign Correspondent and ABC News.  

She has been a Walkley finalist 15 times and has won three Walkley awards. 

Director of ABC News, Kate Torney said, “We are delighted to appoint Sally to the 7.30 Executive Producer position. She is one of Australia’s finest journalists, with an unparalleled reputation for breaking stories and excellent investigative reporting. Her leadership and her passion will be a huge asset to the 7.30 team.” 

Sally Neighbour said, “I am thrilled at this opportunity to be at the helm of ABC TV’s flagship nightly current affairs program and look forward to an exciting year for 7.30.” 

Sally reported for Four Corners from 1996 to 2009. She has written for The Australian and The Monthly magazine and has authored two books on terrorism and Islamic extremism.  Sally takes up the role on Monday, 27 February, 2012.

7.30 QANTAS Special, ABC1, 7.30pm (and live 7.30pm AEDT on ABC News 24)
ABC News 24 and Sky New have aired rolling coverage of the QANTAS crisis since the announcement of all air craft being grounded yesterday at 5pm. This special sums up the events, pushing all ABC1 programming back half an hour from 7.30pm.

Sunday Best: Born into Brothels, ABC2, 8.35pm
An Oscar-winning portrayal of children who live in the Calcutta brothel district. A New York photographer gives each of the children a camera and teaches them to look at the world with new eyes.

Mobbed. Ten, 8.30pm
Pilot. Thousands of strangers help guests on the show plan surprises for their friends, family, loved ones or co-workers. Note – Terra Nova is off for a week due to break in US – it returns bext Sunday.

Virtual JFK: Vietnam If Kennedy Had Lived, SBS ONE, 9.30pm
Investigates one of the most debated “what if” scenarios in the history of US foreign policy: What would President John F. Kennedy have done in Vietnam if he had not been assassinated in 1963 and had he been re-elected in 1964? The resulting film assesses the plausibility of counterfactuals – “what ifs” – and the outcomes they might have produced. The film makes use of an array of resources including recently declassified and never-before-seen archival footage, documents and audio tapes from the Kennedy and Johnson administrations.

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, ELEVEN, 9.00pm
Kazakh TV personality, Borat, goes to the USA to report on the greatest country in the world.

Three members of an ABC news team have died after a helicopter crash at Lake Eyre in South Australia.

Police have found two bodies and a searching for a third in the wreckage of the crash – on the eastern shores of Lake Eyre.

The ABC has confirmed those on board were veteran journalist Paul Lockyer, cameraman John Bean and pilot Gary Ticehurst

The experienced news crew had been working on news and feature projects in the Lake Eyre region and it is believed their Sydney-based helicopter crashed in a remote area northwest of Maree.

SA Police located the wreckage early on Friday, but have not identified the helicopter as the ABC’s as yet.

Police have confirmed however that two people are dead.

‘As a result of an initial search, police have located two deceased persons in the wreckage,’ Inspector Glen Sickerdick said in a statement on Friday.

A search is under way for the third person believed to have been in the helicopter.

A police investigation has also commenced, Insp Sickerdick said.

The ABC said in a statement that police do not expect to find any survivors.

The network’s managing director, Mark Scott, said: ‘This has been the longest of nights and we fear it will be the saddest of days.

‘Paul, Gary and John have each given decades of service to the ABC. They are passionate about their work and finding great stories from all over Australia to bring to the public.

‘Our love, thoughts and prayers go out to family and friends of Paul, Gary and John at this terrible time.’

Eyewitnesses described seeing the chopper going down in flames, although it remains unclear what caused the accident.

The weather around Lake Eyre was clear at the time of the crash, with just a few scattered showers.

William Creek pilot Trevor Wright told Adelaidenow.com.au on Thursday the aircraft had been carrying out aerial photography and video work when it went down.

Occupants of the helicopter had been due to meet a group on the edge of the lake for dinner, Mr Wright said.

‘When the helicopter didn’t turn up, they became anxious and sent out a search party on foot; then they found the wreck,’ Mr Wright said.

The ABC said Mr Lockyer is one of its most experienced journalists. In a career spanning more than 40 years he has covered some of the biggest stories that have broken at home and abroad for all forms of television and radio reporting.

He has worked as a correspondent in Washington, Singapore and throughout Asia, won a Logie Award for best TV Reporter, and in recent years built his reputation on unsurpassed coverage of rural and regional issues.

Mr Ticehurst is one of the most experienced media pilots in Australia. He has close to 40 years of helicopter operational experience, which includes 30 years as chief pilot of Film Helicopters Australia, working with the Australian film and television industry.

Mr Bean is an award winning lighting camera operator who has worked for the ABC for 20 years, filming for programs as diverse as News and The 7.30 Report.

Source: www.skynews.com.au

 

Several additions could be made to the line-up on ABC’s 7.30 in a bid to increase viewer numbers.

The Australian reports that due to flagging ratings, ABC is looking to add journalists to the show in order to attract viewers.

 Annabel Crabb, currently the ABC’s chief online political writer, is said to be one such reporter who may be given her own segment.

Economics correspondent Stephen Long has already been confirmed to join the line-up next month with more journalists expected to be added to strengthen the show’s focus on long-form reporting.

Since the departure of Kerry O’Brien, ratings for 7.30 have dropped as low as 525,00 compared to the 700-800,000 it drew with O’Brien on board.

Current presenter Leigh Sales confirmed last week that she is pregnant and will be taking maternity leave later this year.

Source: The Spy Report

7.30 NSW will host a live one-hour debate special between the NSW Premier Kristina Keneally and the Leader of the Opposition Barry O’Farrell this Friday night – just one week before voting day in the state election.

Hosted by presenter and journalist Quentin Dempster, the debate will be broadcast on ABC1 (in NSW) and nationally on ABC News 24 at 7.30pm AEDT.

Tonight ‘7.30’ will combine with ‘Foreign Correspondent’ to produce a one hour special, covering the latest situation in Japan.

There will be extended interviews and reports from ABC Correspondents on the ground.

7:30pm – Monday, March 7 on ABC1

A new name, new presenters and a new focus.

7.30 is the ABC’s national flagship current affairs program led by two of Australia’s most respected journalists – Leigh Sales and Chris Uhlmann. 7.30 covers the drama of news but also makes sense of it. It tells the stories that matter with interviews that challenge.