6.30 with George Negus
| Company type | Television program |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television broadcasting |
| Founded | January 24, 2011 |
| Defunct | October 28, 2011 |
| Headquarters | Sydney , Australia |
| Products | Current affairs television show |
6.30 with George Negus was an Australian current affairs television show broadcast on Network Ten during weekdays at 6:30pm. The program was primarily hosted by George Negus from Monday through Thursday, with Fridays presented by either Hugh Riminton or Hamish Macdonald. Production took place at TEN's Pyrmont studios located in Sydney.
The series debuted at 6pm on 24 January 2011. However, on 19 October 2011, Network Ten announced the show's cancellation, citing insufficient ratings. The final episode aired on 28 October 2011, concluding with its 200th installment. Following its conclusion, the time slot was filled by an extended version of The 7PM Project, which was subsequently rebranded as The Project.
History
In August 2010, Network Ten allocated an extra $20 million annually to strengthen its news and current affairs programming. This investment included the introduction of a national current affairs show at 6pm, complemented by localized half-hour news segments at 6:30pm.
On 8 October 2010, George Negus departed from SBS's Dateline to join Network Ten as the host of the new 6pm current affairs show. The inaugural episode of 6PM with George Negus aired on 24 January 2011.
Due to underwhelming early evening ratings, Network Ten shifted the program to a 6:30pm timeslot in March 2011. Starting from 4 April, local news bulletins were extended until 5:00pm, positioning Negus' show in direct competition with Nine Network's A Current Affair and Seven Network's Today Tonight. On 19 October 2011, the network cancelled the series because of low audience figures and replaced it with a one-hour edition of The 7PM Project, renamed simply The Project, airing at 6:30pm. The final broadcast took place on 28 October 2011.
Reporters
Among the principal correspondents for 6.30 with George Negus were:
- Senior Foreign Correspondent: Hamish Macdonald
- Political Editor: Hugh Riminton
- Environment Reporter: Emily Rice
- Consumer Affairs: Eddy Meyer
- Sydney Correspondent: Danielle Isdale
- Melbourne Correspondent: Meggie Palmer
- Brisbane Correspondent: Max Futcher
- United States Correspondent: Emma Dallimore
Reception
The premiere episode of 6PM with George Negus on 24 January 2011 drew an average audience of 605,000 viewers, ranking eighteenth for the day and surpassing the half-million target set by executive producer Tony Ritchie. During its timeslot, the program placed third behind Seven News and Nine News. Critics acknowledged the show's brisk tempo but recommended allowing more time for it to develop fully.
Subsequent weeks saw a decline in ratings, with viewership falling below 400,000 and dropping out of the top 100 weekly programs after week three. Following its move to the 6:30pm slot, audience numbers stabilized around the 500,000 mark by July 2011.