Prime7 News
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television broadcasting |
| Fate | Rebranded and integrated into Seven News in July 2022 |
| Headquarters | Canberra , Australia |
Area served | Regional New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, Regional Victoria, Gold Coast Queensland |
Key people | Madelaine Collignon (anchor), Kirstie Fitzpatrick (weather presenter), Daniel Gibson (former anchor) |
| Products | Regional television news bulletins, statewide national news segment, local news updates |
| Owner | Seven Network (Seven West Media) |
Prime7 News operated as a regional television news provider across various parts of Australia, managed by Prime7. Its programming included a statewide national news segment, five distinct local news editions, and periodic news updates produced at Prime Media’s National Headquarters in Canberra, reaching audiences in Regional NSW, ACT, Regional VIC, and the Gold Coast QLD area.
As a station owned and operated by the Seven Network, it also broadcast:
- Seven News
- NBC Today
- Seven Early News
- Sunrise
- The Morning Show
- Seven Morning News
- Seven News At 4
- Seven News The Latest
- Weekend Sunrise
- The Morning Show Weekend
- Seven Weekend News
Prime7 Local News
Prime7’s primary 6pm news bulletin was delivered in five separate local editions tailored to the Border, Central West, North West, North Coast, and Wagga Wagga areas.[1] Madelaine Collignon anchored these broadcasts, accompanied by Kirstie Fitzpatrick presenting weather updates.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name Each regional edition maintained a team of five reporters; notably, the North Coast edition operated four bureaus, including one staffed by Samantha Crowe in Port Macquarie.
Initially, distinct bulletins were produced for the Gold Coast, Canberra, Wollongong, and Newcastle markets. Over time, production was centralized in Canberra, consolidating these into five regional editions. On 13 February 2017,Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name the previously separate Northern and Southern NSW bulletins merged into a single broadcast. After closing the Tamworth studios in April 2015, the North West edition was broadcast from Canberra before shifting focus to the broader NSW North Coast audience.
Since 2015, viewers have been able to access these bulletins on YouTube for up to 30 days following their original airing.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name Following Seven West Media’s acquisition of Prime Media in 2021, these bulletins were also made available on Seven’s streaming service 7plus starting early 2022.
In July 2022, the “Prime7 News” branding was discontinued and fully integrated into the Seven News identity.[1]
Prime7 News at 6:30
Prior to February 2014, Prime7 broadcast a delayed version of Seven News in regions that already had comprehensive local bulletins. Beginning in February 2014, it introduced its own live 6:30pm bulletin featuring national and international stories aligned with metropolitan Seven News content. Daniel Gibson served as the anchor for this program while Kirstie Fitzpatrick provided an extended weather segment covering state and national forecasts.
This statewide bulletin did not include Albury viewers—who were served by sister station AMV—which continued to receive a condensed 30-minute version of Seven News Melbourne, joining live segments for sports and weather updates.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name</ref>
Local news updates
Local news bulletins for the Gold Coast ceased in 2000; Newcastle, Canberra, and Wollongong followed suit in 2001. Concurrently, the Moree news bureau supporting Tamworth was also closed.[2] These reductions triggered regulatory scrutiny that resulted in mandated minimum local content obligations for regional broadcasters.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
Starting in 2004, brief two-minute news updates were introduced for Newcastle, Wollongong, and Canberra. Additional updates covered Western Victoria, Central Victoria, and Gippsland regions. Phoebe Deas presented these segments with Daniel Gibson providing weather reports; Craig Moore was responsible for weekend weather forecasts across Prime7’s coverage zones.
Due to regulatory exemptions, Gold Coast transmitters did not feature local news updates; instead, viewers accessed Seven’s Brisbane-based opt-outs including weeknight Seven Gold Coast News bulletins.
Noteworthy Individuals
A number of distinguished media professionals launched their careers at Prime7 News:
- Natalie Forrest – previously a correspondent for Seven News in Canberra, currently with 10 News First Perth
- Jessica Rowe – former co-presenter of Studio 10
- Kylie Gillies – co-host on The Morning Show
- Grant Denyer – ex-host of both Million Dollar Minute and Family Feud
- Shannon Marshall-McCormack – presently a reporter for Nine News Queensland
- Alex Bernhardt – currently reporting for A Current Affair