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Sky News Australia

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Sky News Australia
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryNews broadcasting
FoundedFebruary 19, 1996; 30 years ago (1996-02-19)
FounderAustralian News Channel Pty Ltd (original joint venture)
Headquarters
Sydney
,
Australia
Area served
Australia, New Zealand
ProductsTelevision news channel, digital news services, newsletters
OwnerNews Corp Australia
ParentNews Corp Australia
Websitewww.skynews.com.au

Sky News Australia is a news broadcaster based in Australia and owned by News Corp Australia. It began operations on 19 February 1996, offering continuous news updates throughout the day. Its evening schedule primarily features opinion-driven shows hosted by conservative voices.[1][2][3] Additionally, the channel is accessible in New Zealand under the name Sky News New Zealand.

The channel is distributed via subscription television platforms across Australia and New Zealand. A free-to-air variant, Sky News Regional, which combines content from Sky News Australia and Fox Sports News, broadcasts on digital terrestrial networks through Network Ten Pty Limited and selected WIN Television affiliates. The network also operates two specialized offshoots: the Sky News Weather Channel and the public affairs service Sky News Extra, previously known as A-PAC.

Initially, the parent company, Australian News Channel Pty Ltd, was a joint venture equally owned by British broadcaster BSkyB, Seven Media Group, and Nine Entertainment Co.. In 2016, ownership transferred fully to News Corp Australia.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name After Rupert Murdoch sold his remaining shares in Sky UK to Comcast,Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name Sky News Australia ceased to have direct affiliation with its UK counterpart. However, it retains the Sky News branding under a licensing agreement with Comcast. News Corp has contemplated rebranding once this license comes to an end.

Since becoming part of News Corp Australia, Sky News Australia has attracted criticism for its focus on conservative opinion content—often compared to Rupert Murdoch’s American channel Fox News—and has faced allegations of disseminating misinformation and conspiracy theories.[4][5]

History

The parent entity of Sky News Channel, Australian News Channel (ANC), was originally owned in equal thirds by British Sky Broadcasting (now known as Sky Limited under Comcast), Seven Media Group, and Nine Entertainment Co.. This arrangement lasted until December 2016 when full ownership passed to News Corp Australia.

Sky News Australia commenced broadcasting at 5 pm on 19 February 1996, marking the launch of Australia's first domestically produced TV news channel. It reached a milestone by airing its 50,000th unique news bulletin on 23 April 2003 and was incorporated into Austar’s platform on 1 April 2000.

In 2004, the channel introduced Sky News Active, an interactive on-demand news service. Expansion continued with the debut of the Sky News Business Channel in 2008 and the launch of the Australian Public Affairs Channel (A-PAC) in January 2009. The network adopted widescreen transmission starting May 2009. In 2013, it received an injection of A$20 million from its parent company spread over three years.

High-definition broadcasts began on 1 December 2015. By mid-2019, Sky News broadened its digital presence through collaborations with YouTube, Microsoft News, Facebook, and Taboola, increasing opinion-oriented video output across various News Corp Australia platforms after a pause between early 2017 and that year.

February 2018 saw the introduction of 2600, a digital-first political newsletter delivering daily breaking news from Canberra.

In November 2018, Sky News dismissed former Liberal MP and presenter Ross Cameron following remarks deemed sinophobic towards Chinese people.

Reports in July 2024 revealed plans for the network to move to News Corp Australia's Surry Hills headquarters in 2025. The license to use the Sky News brand is slated to expire by late-2025; with Sky Limited unlikely to renew due to changes in ownership and editorial direction differing from Sky News UK. As a result, News Corp is exploring rebranding alternatives such as "Australian News Channel," or names incorporating "Fox News" or "Talk," capitalizing on related brands within its portfolio.

Programming

Sky News delivers a range of programming including live news updates, coverage of events like Parliament Question Time, selected press conferences, original panel discussion shows, and simulcasts from its international counterpart, Sky News UK. Since its inception in 1996, Sky News has broadcast every session of Question Time from the House of Representatives.

Prior to the 2013 federal election, Sky News Australia expanded its evening political lineup, highlighting its conservative perspective and largely replacing the continuous news segment News Night. Much of this airtime was restored in 2014. On 19 January 2015, the channel rebranded to "Sky News Live," discontinuing the "Sky News National" label.

On weekdays, rolling news is presented from Sky News Australia’s studios until 5 pm (AEST/AEDT), after which commentary programs commence and run through primetime until 11 pm. These segments predominantly feature conservative hosts analyzing daily news with panelists, incorporating news summaries at the start and occasionally during the shows. Following 11 pm, continuous news coverage resumes until a 1 am simulcast of Sky News UK begins.

Starting in 2007, Sky News introduced local breakaway content for New Zealand audiences during primetime, produced from Sydney but recorded at Prime NZ’s Auckland studios. One such show, Prime News – First at 5:30, was also simulcast in Australia. Despite limited ratings and critical feedback, Sky News continued producing Prime’s news content until 2015, when production shifted to MediaWorks New Zealand’s news division. On 16 June 2018, Sky News Australia launched New Zealand Agenda, a political program anchored by New Zealand bureau chief James O'Doherty broadcasting from Wellington.

Current programs

Daytime

Nighttime (Sky After Dark)

  • Credlin with Peta Credlin (Mon–Fri)
  • The Bolt Report hosted by Andrew Bolt (Mon–Thu)
  • The Steve Price Show presented by Steve Price (Fri)
  • The World According To Rowan Dean featuring Rowan Dean (Fri)
  • The US Report with James Morrow (Fri)
  • The Media Show hosted by Jack Houghton (Fri)
  • Sharri with Sharri Markson (Mon–Thu)
  • Paul Murray Live presented by Paul Murray (Sun–Thu)
  • The Rita Panahi Show featuring Rita Panahi (Mon–Thu)
  • The Late Debate with James Macpherson, Liz Storer, and Caleb Bond (Mon–Thu)
  • In Conversation hosted by Laura Jayes (Sun)
  • Danica and James featuring Danica De Giorgio and James Macpherson (Sun)
  • The Sunday Showdown with Caleb Bond (Sun)
  • Lefties Losing It hosted by Rita Panahi (Sun)
  • The Royal Report (Sun)
  • The Late Debate: The Papers with James Macpherson, Liz Storer, and Caleb Bond (Mon–Thu)
  • NewsNight airing on weekends

News Anchors

Show Hosts

Correspondents

  • Sydney: Kenny Heatley, Julia Bradley, Caroline Marcus, Crystal Wu
  • Melbourne: Georgie Dickerson, Holly Stearnes, Simon Love
  • Canberra: Trudy McIntosh, Cameron Reddin, Reuben Spargo
  • Brisbane: Kaiser Shields, Harry Clarke
  • Gold Coast: Lauren Forbes
  • Adelaide: Monique Van Der Hayden
  • Perth: Ciara Hain
  • Darwin: Matt Cunningham
  • Hobart: Aspen Blomfield
  • Wellington, New Zealand: Jack Nyhof
  • Taipei, Taiwan: Staś Butler
  • Washington DC, United States: Annelise Nielsen

Past Presenters and Reporters

Bureaus

Sky News Australia operates bureaus across every Australian capital city, completing this nationwide presence with the addition of its Hobart studio in 2013. The network extended its reach beyond capital cities by establishing a bureau in Cairns in 2016, followed by another non-capital office on the Gold Coast, Queensland in 2017, joining existing bureaus in Cairns and Geelong.

The primary hub for the network’s operations is located in Sydney's Macquarie Park, where most news and programming originate. Melbourne’s studio underwent an upgrade in 2014 to function as a secondary broadcast center, with Hinch Live becoming the first regular show produced there.

A key bureau is also maintained at Parliament House, Canberra, founded in 2000, with Lyndal Curtis appointed as Bureau Chief in 2015. Furthermore, Sky News has a smaller office featuring a street-level studio within the Channel Seven building at Martin Place, Sydney.

On the international front, Sky News Australia’s only overseas bureau is situated in Wellington, New Zealand, which opened in 2015.

Resources

Upon its inception, Sky News Australia drew on news content from its former parent companies Seven News, Nine News, as well as from Sky News UK and affiliated networks including Sky News UK and Fox News Channel. Founding international partners included ABC America and CBS.

By 2010, the network had established collaborations with several major news organizations such as CCTV China, ABC America, CBS, Reuters, APTN, Bloomberg, Dow Jones, and Newshub. Starting 1 January 2011, it entered a four-year partnership agreement with CNN International.

Content

In 2017, Denis Muller of the University of Melbourne characterized the channel as exhibiting a "dual nature": daytime broadcasts featuring straightforward news delivered by professional journalists contrasted with prime-time shows that displayed a tendency toward "right-leaning punditry." By February 2021, Muller observed that evening programming contained "extreme right-wing propaganda, falsehoods, disinformation, crude distortions of facts, and unsupported claims," reflecting concerns previously expressed by former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd regarding parallels to Fox News.

Political alignment and views

Sky News Australia adheres to a conservative editorial stance, frequently critiquing progressive parties such as the Labor and the Greens, along with the Moderate Faction within the Liberal Party. The network typically endorses the right-wing Liberal-National Coalition (excluding Moderates) and supports One Nation. Presenter Paul Murray has described prime-time programming on Sky News as a "Liberal echo chamber." Since 2010, there has been a shift toward panel-driven shows featuring prominent conservative commentators. Personalities such as Andrew Bolt and Paul Murray have drawn comparisons to Fox News hosts Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, commentators on Murdoch-owned platforms including Sky News labelled Victoria’s premier, Daniel Andrews, a "dictator" due to his management of pandemic measures. Andrews criticized these outlets for importing "the worst aspects of American politics" into Australian public discussion.

Commentators Andrew Bolt and Alan Jones often questioned then-US President Joe Biden's mental capacity, suggesting cognitive decline and dementia.

Misinformation and conspiracy theories

On 13 December 2020, Rowan Dean appeared on Sky News Australia to advocate the Great Reset conspiracy theory, cautioning that it represented a significant danger to economic prosperity and individual freedoms.

By February 2021, segments from Sky News Australia were utilized by American far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to bolster his assertions.

In July 2021, Alan Jones alongside Craig Kelly inaccurately claimed that UK data indicated an increased mortality risk from COVID-19 vaccination. Their statements were based on information from The Daily Exposé, a UK-based website notorious for disseminating COVID-19 falsehoods. These allegations were promptly refuted by the BBC, Full Fact, and Reuters. Following this, Sky News Australia withdrew the relevant broadcast and issued a formal correction.

On 1 August 2021, YouTube imposed a one-week suspension on Sky News Australia’s ability to upload new videos due to breaches related to COVID-19 misinformation. After the suspension ended, Digital Editor Jack Houghton characterized the ban as an effort by Silicon Valley companies and left-leaning media to censor free expression.

A 2022 study conducted by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue identified Sky News Australia as a prominent disseminator of climate change misinformation. The channel disputed these conclusions, affirming its commitment to fostering open discussions on climate issues. That same year, Sky News Australia aired two segments citing a now-retracted article from the European Physical Journal that falsely claimed no evidence of climate change; these segments collectively garnered over 500,000 views.

Ratings

The highest viewership achieved by Sky News Australia was during a special two-hour edition of Paul Murray Live on 26 June 2013, which averaged 197,000 viewers following the 2013 Labor leadership spill. The network’s largest audience share was recorded during its coverage of the 2009 Victorian bushfires.

During the Sydney Lindt café siege in 2014, Sky News led Foxtel’s most-watched programs, with the 7 pm timeslot attracting 109,000 viewers. The channel held a daytime audience share of 2.6% and a primetime share of 1.5%, placing it behind ABC News 24.

For the 2015 Queensland state election, Sky News Live drew 56,000 viewers in the early evening and increased to 83,000 later that night, trailing ABC News 24’s national audience of 195,000. Coverage of the unsuccessful February 2015 Liberal leadership spill made Sky News Live the second most-watched subscription channel with an average of 69,000 viewers.

On 14 September 2015, during another Liberal leadership spill, Sky News Live reached a total audience of 700,000, becoming the leading subscription channel and outpacing free-to-air broadcasters between 11 pm and midnight. The peak hour attracted 190,000 viewers, marking one of its highest ratings since the Labor leadership event in 2013.

A report from March 2016 indicated that Sky News averaged around 12,000 viewers nationwide between 6 pm and midnight, with peak viewership reaching approximately 18,000 during the prime hours from 8 pm to 10 pm.

During the federal election in 2016, Sky News saw an average audience of 96,000 viewers—a rise of 46% compared to the previous election cycle.

In July 2018, OzTAM data revealed record ratings for Sky News with a year-on-year overall viewership increase of 9%, while weeknight primetime (6 pm–11 pm) numbers surged by 25%.

Sky News’ coverage of the August 2018 Liberal leadership spill delivered its highest Tuesday primetime audience ever with a share of 4.2%. Programs such as Speers, Credlin, and Jones & Co recorded their best ratings to date.

The Australian federal election debates hosted by Sky News attracted substantial audiences: in 2022, the debate drew in 415,000 viewers while the debate in 2025 achieved a record-breaking viewership figure of 410,000.

Criticism

In August 2018, Sky News encountered considerable controversy after broadcasting an exclusive interview with Blair Cottrell, the head of the far-right Neo-Nazi organization United Patriots Front, on The Adam Giles Show. The decision was met with disapproval from presenter Laura Jayes and journalist David Speers, who condemned Cottrell's expressed admiration for Adolf Hitler and his assertions about using violence to control women. In response to the airing, Sky News commentator and former Labor minister Craig Emerson resigned in protest, denouncing the network for giving a platform to extremist ideologies that contribute to normalizing racism and bigotry. Additionally, the activist collective Sleeping Giants Oz called on advertisers to pull their campaigns from Sky News.

Sky News has also been subject to criticism from notable public figures regarding its editorial stance. In a 2021 media inquiry, former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd accused the channel of adopting a "Fox News template," functioning as a "legitimising echo-chamber" for far-right extremist views. Furthermore, in December 2023, former Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews characterized the network's late-night programming as "bullshit," describing it as an importation of "the worst of American politics."

Accolades

Awards and Nominations
Year Award Category Recipient(s) Outcome
2007 2007 ASTRA Awards Outstanding Presenter Performance David Speers Template:Won
Innovative Use of Technology Anytime, Anywhere Template:Nom
2008 Logie Awards of 2008 Outstanding News Coverage Federal Election Template:Nom
2008 ASTRA Awards Outstanding Presenter Performance David Speers Template:Won
Outstanding Broadcast Journalist Performance Kieran Gilbert Template:Won
Mike Willesee Template:Nom
Outstanding Presenter Performance Helen Dalley Template:Nom
Channel of the Year Sky News Australia Template:Nom
Favorite Male Personality James Bracey Template:Nom
David Speers Template:Nom
Favorite Female Personality Helen Dalley Template:Nom
Brooke Corte Template:Nom
Outstanding News Program or Coverage APEC 2007 Template:Won
2009 2009 ASTRA Awards Outstanding Broadcast Journalist Performance David Speers Template:Won
Favorite Male Personality Kieran Gilbert Template:Nom
2010 Logie Awards of 2010 Outstanding Public Affairs Report Liberal Leadership Meltdown Template:Nom
2010 ASTRA Awards Outstanding Broadcast Journalist Performance Kieran Gilbert Template:Won
2011 Logie Awards of 2011 Outstanding News Coverage Election 2010 Template:Nom
2011 ASTRA Awards Outstanding Broadcast Journalist Performance Ashleigh Gillon Template:Won
Outstanding Presenter Performance David Speers Template:Won
Outstanding News Program or Coverage Election 2010 Template:Won
Year Award Category Recipient(s) Outcome
Year Award Category Recipient(s) Outcome
Year Award Category Recipient(s) Outcome
Year Award Category Recipient(s) Outcome
Year Award Category Recipient(s) Outcome
rowspan=4 | NT Media Awards || Journalist of the Year|| Matt Cunningham|| Template:Won Best News Coverage (two awards)|| Matt Cunningham|| Template:Won Best Current Affairs or Feature|| Matt Cunningham|| Template:Won Best Crime / Court Reporting|| Matt Cunningham|| Template:WonKennedy Awards|| Paul Lockyer Award for Regional Broadcast Reporting|| Matt Cunningham|| Template:Won Queensland Clarion Awards|| Broadcast Report|| Jonathan Lea|| Template:Won
Year Award Category Recipient(s) Outcome


Broadcast

On 17 May 2009, Sky News transitioned to broadcasting in widescreen, coinciding with the launch of its affiliated channels. Sky News Australia offers closed captioning daily from 4 pm to 5 pm (AEST/AEDT). The network commenced high-definition transmission on 1 December 2015.

Sky News Multiview

Following the expansion of Foxtel Digital, Sky News Australia introduced the interactive service Sky News Active, inspired by Sky News UK. This platform provided viewers with eight customizable news windows showcasing original content across news, business, sports, entertainment, and weather updates in text format. Interactive elements such as polling and headline tickers were also included. On 15 November 2009, the service was revamped with a fresh interface and incorporated five localized screens for Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide.

Sky News Now (mobile service)

The mobile news platform Sky News Now was accessible via Vodafone, Telstra, and 3 networks, delivering video and textual news updates. This service was discontinued by the year 2015.

Sky News Alerts

The Sky News Alerts service provides breaking news notifications through SMS and MMS to mobile users throughout Australia. Subscribers receive urgent news updates at a charge per message.

Qantas

In November 2014, Sky News Australia secured a contract to supply Qantas with in-flight news bulletins, taking over from the previous provider, the Nine Network.

Radio and podcasting

Since June 2023, Sky News has collaborated with Nova Entertainment to simulcast its television audio nationwide via the free Nova Player app and on DAB+ digital radio platforms in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. The app also features podcasts of shows including First Business, Market Day, Showbiz, Agenda, Australian News Week, Credlin, and The Rita Panahi Show. Prior to this arrangement, from March 2020 until June 2023, Sky News audio content was streamed on IHeartRadio through a partnership with ARN.

Sky News Regional

Launched on 2 September 2018 as a free-to-air channel, Sky News Regional (previously known as Sky News on WIN) broadcasts programming sourced from Sky News Australia and Fox Sports News. It includes the specially produced morning show Sky News Breakfast, which also airs on Sky News Weather. Initially established through a partnership with WIN Television, WIN's agreements with both Network 10 and Sky News expired in 2021. Subsequently, WIN returned to Nine Network affiliation on 1 July 2021, terminating its contract with Sky News on 1 August 2021; those broadcast slots were replaced by 9Life. Following this change, Sky News secured a new distribution deal with Southern Cross Austereo, enabling its broadcast on their Network 10-affiliated stations under the name Sky News Regional.

During its initial fortnight on air, the channel attracted an average of 10,000 viewers during primetime and around 4,000 during daytime hours. The program Richo emerged as the most-watched show with an audience of approximately 24,000. The channel is available on digital channel 56 within Southern Cross Austereo’s regional markets in Regional Queensland, Southern New South Wales & ACT, and Regional Victoria, as well as on WIN digital channel 53 in Northern New South Wales and the Gold Coast. It is not accessible in Broken Hill/Spencer Gulf, Tasmania, Mildura, Darwin, Remote & Central Australia, or Regional Western Australia—areas that formerly received it via WIN until August 2021 when they switched to broadcasting 9Life.

On 30 June 2024, Sky News Regional ceased transmissions on channel 53 in Griffith and South-East South Australia due to unsuccessful negotiations to renew affiliation with WIN.

In July 2025, an agreement was reached between Sky News and Network 10 to continue airing Sky News Regional after Network 10 acquired Southern Cross Austereo’s regional television assets across Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria.

Sky News Election Channel

In April 2016, Sky News Australia introduced the Sky News Election Channel, a limited-run offshoot dedicated to comprehensive reporting on significant electoral events such as the 2016 Australian federal election, the UK referendum on EU membership, and the US presidential race. Its programming lineup incorporated material from collaborators including Sky News UK, ABC News (US), CBS News, CNN, C-SPAN, and Fox News, along with repeat airings of Sky News Australia's commentary programs. This channel took the place of A-PAC on Foxtel, although A-PAC continued to be accessible via Sky News Multiview. The channel was active from 1 May 2016 until 23 January 2017.

The channel was reactivated on 28 June 2024 to provide coverage of the 2024 UK general election, the French legislative election, the US presidential contests, and the upcoming 2025 Australian federal election. During this period, it supplanted Sky News Extra on Foxtel.

Sky News Now

On 23 March 2023, Sky News unveiled Sky News Now, a free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) service available through Samsung TV Plus. This channel offers a curated selection of highlights drawn from Sky News, Sky News Weather Channel, and Sky News Extra.

See also

External links

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