SBS World News
| Company type | Division |
|---|---|
| Industry | News broadcasting |
| Founded | 1980 |
| Headquarters | Sydney , Australia |
| Products | Television news programs, news website, news application |
| Owner | Special Broadcasting Service |
| Website | sbs |
SBS World News represents the news division of the Special Broadcasting Service in Australia. Its primary evening broadcast is scheduled at on SBS, complemented by additional late bulletins on weeknights at . The SBS News brand also extends to a dedicated news application and website.
History
The program The World News debuted in 1980 as a 30-minute bulletin on Channel 0/28, with George Donikian serving as its inaugural anchor. In 1986, experienced news presenter Mary Kostakidis joined the team, while the investigative documentary series Dateline had already commenced in 1984.
Closed captioning was introduced to the broadcast in March 1997.
In 2002, SBS launched the digital-only World News Channel, which primarily focused on foreign-language news content, largely rebroadcasting segments from its morning WorldWatch programming. This channel discontinued operations in 2009 and did not provide English-language bulletins.
January 2007 saw the relaunch of World News Australia as a one-hour format, taking over from Toyota World Sport. CNN correspondent Stan Grant joined Mary Kostakidis as co-anchor. This relaunch incorporated commercial breaks within the bulletin to counteract audience attrition between programs.
Post-relaunch, the late-night bulletin frequently garnered higher viewership than the flagship 6:30 p.m. edition, a trend attributed to audience concerns over SBS management's increased commercialisation efforts.
In August 2007, Kostakidis departed SBS amid disagreements regarding editorial authority and the network’s commercial direction. She was reported to have contractual rights as lead presenter and editorial influence, which were impacted by format modifications. Kostakidis initiated legal proceedings against SBS alleging breach of contract.
The World News Channel was succeeded by SBS Two in 2009, which later transitioned into SBS Viceland in 2016.
In February 2014, World News Australia underwent rebranding to become SBS World News, accompanied by refreshed visual graphics.
A significant upgrade in 2017 introduced a new studio environment alongside enhanced digital platforms, including an updated SBS News website and app that support live streaming of broadcasts.
Theme music
Between 1980 and 1991, the main theme was Processional Fanfare performed by the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble. Since 1991, themes for World News and later World News Australia have been composed by Australian musician Nigel Westlake.
SBS World News
Broadcast nightly at 6:30 p.m., SBS World News stands as Australia's sole domestically produced news program concentrating on international affairs. The bulletin is anchored by Janice Petersen from Sunday through Thursday and by Anton Enus on Fridays and Saturdays. Financial updates are presented on weeknights by Ricardo Gonçalves.
Additional presenters include Ricardo Gonçalves and Darren Mara for general news; Robert Grasso, Mariana Rudan, and Lucy Zelić for sports segments; with Catalina Flórez, Virginia Langeberg, or Darren Mara delivering finance reports.
SBS World News Late
Initially named World News at Nine and later known as World News Tonight, this late-night bulletin moved its timeslot from 9:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. in 2012 and now shares branding consistent with the main 6:30 p.m. edition.
Frequent presenters include Ricardo Gonçalves, Darren Mara, and Catalina Flórez, with occasional appearances by Virginia Langeberg and Lin Evlin. Past presenters have included Anton Enus, Ben Fajzullin, Neena Mairata, Amrita Cheema, Indira Naidoo, and PJ Madam.
World News Australia Online
Up until August 2006, Ashleigh Nghiem served as the presenter for online news bulletins; these were subsequently discontinued and replaced with individual reports.
Radio
SBS radio delivers national and international news updates continuously throughout the day.
National bulletins
Hourly national news updates are broadcast on SBS Radio 24/7. On weekdays, SBS World News Radio airs from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on SBS Radio 1, accompanied by foreign-language news segments on SBS World News Australia Radio.
Presenters
- SBS World News
- Programs
Former presenters
Prominent past presenters include Mary Kostakidis and Stan Grant, both of whom left in 2007, as well as Amrita Cheema who resigned in 2008, and Ben Fajzullin who departed in 2010. Budget reductions resulted in Neena Mairata's exit in 2010. In 1999, Susanne Annabellem Robinson and Michael acted as substitute presenters.
Lee Lin Chin, a highly recognized personality with close to four decades at SBS, announced her resignation in 2018.
- Les Murray
- Lee Lin Chin
- Andrew Orsatti
- George Donikian
- Indira Naidoo
- Craig Foster
- George Negus
- Kathy Novak
- Mary Kostakidis
- Ellen Fanning
- Sarah Abo
- Stan Grant
- Amrita Cheema
- Ben Fajzullin
- Paul Dempsey
- Basia Bonkowski
- Neena Mairata
- Peta-Jane Madam
- Yalda Hakim
- Anjali Rao
- Karla Grant
- Mike Tomalaris
Website and application
The official news portal is accessible at sbs.com.au/news, complemented by the SBS News mobile application for on-the-go access.