7NEWS has moved to re-enforce its position as the dominate news service in Adelaide with the announcement of new live and local morning bulletin from 11.30am weekdays.
Starting today, the live 30-minute bulletin will cover the very latest breaking local news, as well as up-to-the-minute developments on the biggest news events happening both in Australia and abroad, with Mike Smithson and Rosanna Mangiarelli to share hosting duties on alternate days.
The move by Seven to boost local content in Adelaide comes at a time when their once dominant ratings position now looks increasingly vulnerable to a rejuvenated bulletin from Nine.
The decision by Seven to axe a local edition of Today Tonight and temporarily move hosting duties of the 4pm bulletin to Melbourne last year has contributed to Seven’s gradual decline in Adelaide market.
The cuts at Seven came at a time when Nine introduced a 5pm bulletin into the market allowing it to broadcast a consistent two hour line-up of local content.
Ratings for Nine’s 6pm news bulletins are now up 50% compared with the same period last year. In recent weeks there has been a gap of less than 10,000 viewers between the two bulletins.
Additional changes at Seven will see Mangiarelli and Smithson begin co-hosting 7NEWS weekend editions on Saturday and Sunday evenings alongside sports anchor Bruce Abernethy and weather presenter Gertie Spurling, who returns from maternity leave.
7NEWS will continue to present Adelaide’s only live and local news at 4pm, followed by the flagship news hour at 6pm led by Jane Doyle.
7NEWS Adelaide News Director, Chris Salter, said:
