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Spoiled For Choice: Who’s Covering The New South Wales Election

Summary of webstreams:
2GB (Real Player and Windows Media [1])
2UE (Windows Media [2])
ABC2 TV (Windows Media [3])
ABC Local Radio Sydney (Real Player [4] and Windows Media [5])
ABC NewsRadio (Real Player [6] and Windows Media [7])

The media isn’t leaving this Saturday’s New South Wales election to chance…quite the opposite, there is almost too much live coverage!

ABC television will, as usual be conducting their coverage on their main channel in New South Wales and the ACT, as well as ABC2 Digital (including a webstream [3] – thanks for the link Tim!) for those in other areas. The other television stations will undoubtedly have updates throughout the night.

But radio is where the choice becomes quite mind boggling, ABC Radio see a need for two separate coverages. 702 ABC Sydney will lead the network for ABC Local Radio across New South Wales, naturally this will be streamed from their website [8] as well…but NewsRadio [9] will have their very own national coverage, completely separate from ABC Local Radio, and also with its very own webstream. I can see a reason for both networks to cover the election, but I see no good reason for them to have their very own coverage teams.

The ABC 702 coverage will be headed up by Tony Delroy and his guests (including the retiring president of the NSW Legislative Council Meredith Burgman and former Liberal MP Stephen O’Doherty).

NewsRadio’s coverage will be run by Russell Powell and long-time state political reporter Steve Chase.

Over on the commercial networks, 2GB [10] are seriously shifting Alan Jones, making him start at 5pm to cover the election. He will be joined by Industrial Relations Minister John Della Bosca and Opposition Transport spokesperson Gladys Berejiklian, and don’t be surprised if you hear Jason Morrison, or probably more excitingly for some of the readership, James Goodwin. I can’t confirm that, but I have my hunches and I would be very surprised if James doesn’t have a role in the coverage. Naturally their webstream will also be in service.

2UE [11] and whatever stations usually take Saturday Night Live with Paul Makin will instead hear John Stanley and Steve Price from 6pm, and until a result is known (sounds like one of those “free drinks until the first goal” offers doesn’t it?). They will be joined by Labor Party heavyweight Stephen Loosley and former Liberal leader Kerry Chikarovski plus current Labor Minister Eric Roozendaal. Naturally they, just like everyone else, will have reporters in the Tally Room and other places, and their webstream will be in full swing.

“But wait, there’s more!”

Macquarie Regional Radioworks [12]‘ network of stations (the one run by Macquaire Bank, not the 2GB/2CH network of a similar name) will also be covering the election, but not to the same extent. Gold Coast News Director Greg Henricks and Philippa Mooney will have regular updates from 7pm in the NightMix…they are effectively doing it the commercial television way…normal programming plus updates.

Naturally many stations will have post-election wraps on Sunday morning…including a special edition of ABC Radio’s “AM” program at 8am. Actually, I get the feeling that it will be the topic of choice on talk radio in and around New South Wales until at least Tuesday evening.

Samuel

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Comments Disabled To "Spoiled For Choice: Who’s Covering The New South Wales Election"

#1 Comment By dan11 On March 23, 2007 @ 4:57 pm

Samuel I hate to correct you because you may be right. But according to the CC Team website they are going to be covering the Tigers Vs Manly game from 5pm….unless they have had a change of heart and put Mr Jones in at 5pm.

Also, 2UE are going to be running a “Talkback Forum” with Stuart Bocking after the result is announced through until Midnight tomorrow evening.

#2 Comment By Samuel On March 23, 2007 @ 5:09 pm

Well somebody better tell 2GB’s media relations people, because I’m sure radioinfo didn’t pluck the figure out of thin air.

Of course you are right, the Continuous Call Team will be on-air, however I suspect that they will treat the election as an “around the grounds” thing until the NRL is over.

As for John Stanley, Steve Price and Stuart Bocking…that’s peculiar programming. If I was calling the shots the presenters would have solid timeslots, not “Stanley and Price until the result, then Stuart Bocking for the rest of the night”.

I sometimes wonder what the random number generator they use for the scheduling at that station looks like.

#3 Comment By dan11 On March 23, 2007 @ 6:50 pm

It also wouldn’t surprise me if they have Bocking on standby actually just incase John Stanley can’t make it in due to his wife expecting a baby any day now.

#4 Comment By Samuel On March 24, 2007 @ 1:10 pm

dan11, I’m sure you’ve already heard it for yourself on the radio, but for the benefit of everyone else. 2GB will be covering the election from 5pm with Alan Jones but will be pulling the 2UE trick of providing a different program to the network. After 5pm, network stations will be handed over to Andrew Moore for the rugby league match.

That will go through to 8pm, after which network stations will go back to regular programming, which for a lot of them will be 2UE’s election coverage.