5.8 /10 1 Votes
5.6/10 TV Original language(s) English Executive producer(s) Ben Hawke First episode date 7 January 1986 Number of seasons 25 | 6.1/10 IMDb Country of origin Australia No. of seasons 25 Running time 30 minutes Final episode date 4 March 2011 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Producer(s) Clay Hichens, Phil Kwok Nominations Logie Award for Most Outstanding Public Affairs Report Similar 730, Four Corners, Lateline, The Drum, Australian Story | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The 7.30 Report is an Australian nightly television current affairs program, that was shown on ABC1 and ABC News 24 at 7.30pm, Mondays–Thursdays. Its sister program, Stateline was shown at the same time on Friday nights.
Contents
In 2011, it was replaced by 7.30, a revamped current affairs program presented by Leigh Sales and Chris Uhlmann. Leigh Sales is currently the main presenter.
History
The 7.30 Report began on 28 January 1986, screening Tuesday to Friday evenings. The program extended to Mondays the following year.
Until the end of 1994 the program had separate editions for each state, presented by Alan Carpenter, Mary Delahunty, Quentin Dempster, Trisha Goddard, Sarah Henderson, Genevieve Hussey, John Jost, Leigh McClusky, Kelly Nestor, and Andrew Olle. Kerry O'Brien took over as the presenter of the national program in 1995, with Maxine McKew serving as the main relief presenter until 2006.
O'Brien remained the editor and presenter of the program from the time it went national. He announced in 2010 that he would be leaving at the end of the year. He presented his final edition of the program on 9 December 2010.
In November 2014, ABC announced that local editions of 7.30 would be axed due to funding cuts.
2011 changes
The ABC announced in December 2010 that the program would return in 2011 in a new form, under the name 7.30. The revamped program is presented by Leigh Sales from Sydney. Chris Uhlmann is 7.30's political editor and Canberra presenter.
The ABC also announced that the state-based current affairs program Stateline would be folded into the 7.30 program. The change saw 7.30 extended to five nights a week, although Friday editions were to continue to be presented locally and focus on state affairs.
Format
The program usually comprised several pre-recorded items and live interviews, focusing on issues of national or global significance. The program traditionally featured interviews with politicians.
Reporters in its last season included; Tracy Bowden, Matt Peacock, Andy Park, Sean Rubinsztein-Dunlop, Dylan Welch, Louise Milligan, Madeleine Morris, Conor Duffy, Sarah Whyte, David Lewis, Monique Schafter, Alex Mann, Michael Atkin(s), and political editor Sabra Lane.
Former reporters had included political editor Heather Ewart, Deborah Cornwall, Greg Hoy, Mark Willacy, Michael Brissenden, Murray McLaughlin, Mary Gearin, Mike Sexton, John Taylor, Peter McCutcheon, Paul Lockyer, Lisa Whitehead, Natasha Johnson, David Mark, Genevieve Hussey, Mark Bannerman and Jonathan Harley. Paul Lyneham also hosted The 7.30 Report for several years.[1]
Until 2012, satirists John Clarke and Bryan Dawe presented a (usually) weekly mock interview covering a topical issue. Dawe played the interviewer, while Clarke played a prominent public figure but, unusually for satire, he deliberately made no attempt to imitate the appearance, voice, or mannerisms of the person he portrayed. When portraying Julia Gillard he placed a flower pot behind him to give the impression of him being a woman. These interviews were a continuation of the pair's work for A Current Affair, beginning in 1989, for which they have won a number of awards.