Aunty's new look

By Lisa Pryor
January 25, 2005

The ABC switchboard can be expected to light up as brightly as an orange-accented studio when its new-look TV news goes to air tomorrow evening.

Not only will the staid studio be replaced by a bolder vision in blue and orange, the familiar tune which has opened the 7pm bulletin for nearly two decades will go, as Aunty updates its image.

New music by composer Martin Armiger will incorporate elements of Majestic Fanfare, familiar to those who listen to ABC radio news bulletins.

The dumping of the old theme has surprised one of its composers, Peter Wall, who wrote it with fellow composer Tony Ansell during a weekend in the Hunter Valley 19 years ago. "I am a little surprised they're throwing away the existing melody because stations such as Channel Seven and Channel Nine would never change their melody, they just continue to update."

There have also been changes this week at the commercial stations. At Nine, it was out with the old and in with the young and handsome last night as Mark Ferguson took over the 6pm news bulletin from Jim Waley, who was ousted while on his Christmas holidays.

With Seven presenter Ian Ross back from holidays, last night was meant to have been the first time Ferguson had gone head-to-head with the older newsreader who has been luring viewers away from Nine. But it was not to be, with the tennis delaying Seven's news coverage until nearly 8pm.

Both networks have recently rejigged their news sets to feature live images in the background. The ABC will not be following, although its changes will freshen the program's look and sound, says ABC's news and current affairs director, John Cameron.

"The new colours have a strong Australian flavour, while the music reflects a traditional ABC theme, but with an updated treatment."

ABC's news and current affairs marketing manager, Jane Wilson, expected the changes to generate a few phone calls, though she was not expecting viewers to switch off. "Viewers, they don't like change, do they, generally? But our audience is so loyal."