Hope 103.2 has launched Sydney’s latest news service with the aim of being a “new, credible, factual and informed news service.”
Hope Media CEO Phillip Randall says: “At a time when news services are being scaled back or amalgamated, Hope News began thanks to the generosity of our incredible supporters across Sydney.”
At the helm is highly experienced broadcast journalist Anita Savage, a former ABC radio and television news reader and national reporter, foreign correspondent, journalist for NINE Network, SKY News, 2UE and 2CH, and the first international anchor on Bloomberg Television in New York.
Anita presents half-hourly bulletins through Breakfast with Sam & Duncan, 6am to 9am, and then hourly until noon.
Former 7NEWS digital reporter Sarah Wiedersehn is preparing and presenting the afternoon bulletins on the hour.
Sarah is also an experienced journalist who has worked in radio, TV and print including Southern Cross Ten in Canberra, Sydney’s 2GB and AAP.
Cadet journalist Jefferson Shaw rounds out the inaugural team after graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Communications from Avondale University College on the Central Coast, and undertaking an internship at SCA in Gosford.
Hope News director Anita Savage has told radioinfo: “It’s very exciting to be part of such an initiative, giving Sydney’s listeners a credible news alternative. We’re providing the latest news with a greater diversity of voices from trustworthy sources.”
There was a time in the 1990s when 2GB's newsroom was non-existent. It relied on news from Wesgo.
Towards the late 1990s with change in ownership, the 2GB newsroom began to grow. Initially the news bulletins from 0000 to 0500 were pre-recorded. The 0100 bulletin was the same as the 0300 bulletin while the 0200 and 0400 were the same. I found out when the news bulletin was being replayed at a non-on-the-hour time. or when the bulletins were miscued. But it has changed. It appears that the bulletins during 0000-0500 are hosted by recent communications graduates.
But newsrooms do cost money as 2GB's does. But MML's news is not limited to the Sydney market. They also share resources between other MML stations. I know based on my working in TV, news stories were and continue to be shared between states.
For Hope 103.2's news room to expand, it may need to be supported by other stations outside the Sydney market and possibly the stations sharing the same ethos/outlook as Hope 103.2 (formerly known as 2CBA-fm).
In addition, if Hope 103.2 is going to have reporters chasing emergency vehicles and reporting events outside its Leabons Lane Seven Hills studios, Hope 103.2's news service will have to expand. Three staff as good as they are may not be enough.
Like other religious organisations, Hope 103.2 may have to rely on Divine Providence for donations and other resources.
Who knows, Hope 103.2 may well provide a national news service to "dare I say it" commercial stations who have a diminishing news service or even no service.
Regards
Anthony of exciting Belfield
Great to see some investment as apposed to cost cutting in the sector.