I think this was a very good move by PBL. Hopefully we'll see an improvement in the production qualities of STW's 6pm news now that PBL will be in control.

I'd also expect that PBL would be looking to remove the weeknight female duo which has never really worked in my opinion and has contributed to their demise in the ratings.

Now they need to buy NWS9. .

Couldn't agree with you more on that one.


And replace with Sharlyn Sarac and Natalia Cooper.

Err no! My whole point was to scrap the female duo. STW either need to go with a male or female solo anchor or a male/female co-anchor combo.

Everytime these two are paired up, guess what? Ratings go through the roof.

Since when have they ever presented the news together? Or do you mean Sarac doing the weeknight news over summer with Natalia still on the weather?

Yes. If PBL's STW were serious about mounting a ratings challenge against TVW, then they would canvass this option.

I don't think STW would ever rate higher than TVW's news, but there sure is great potential for them to improve on their current ratings.

It's certainly not impossible, but STW have a LOT of work to do before that can even be considered a possibility.

I'd say it's fairly impossible. No matter who STW appoint to read their weekday bulletin in place of Dixie Marshall and Sonia Vinci (assuming PBL shake-up STW news as I would expect) they really can't match Rick Ardon and Susannah Carr, both of whom are very powerful names in Perth's media. They've both been presenting Seven News for a very long time and together have the respect of a large percentage of the Perth community. That's something Nine really cannot compete with.

No because it'd shatter Kevin's delusion that TVW-7 are some divine force worthy of his devotion.

As for having the respect of the Perth community, what the hell are you going on about? TVW-7 may have the blind faith of Perth behind them but I wouldn't say they would have the respect of the majority of Perth. They're only news anchors and are hardly worth of my respect but some may view them as religious icons like the crowd.

Believe it or not STW-9 use to rate quite well in the late 80s, Early 90s. With the News team of Peter Waltham/Anne Conti, they use to rate better than Rick and Sue.

God you talk a lot of shit sometimes. When will you realise that I don't have any devotion towards TVW? For once I'll accept the bait and respond to you bluntly - your precious STW is shit. Complete and utter shit. It's run on the cheap, has a news service that isn't worthy of it's timeslot, has no decent programs to watch, and has owners that have no bloody idea.

I *ONLY* watch TVW because the news presentation, team and reporting style appeals to me. It also has H&A which I've been watching for more than 15 years, and has a range of shows that I consider to be worth watching.

I don't have any devotion or obsession with TVW full stop. If anything, you're the one with the bloody obsession with STW. Face facts - the station is shit, it always has been shit. That said, I genuinely hope that it will finally start to turn around now that PBL have bought it out. Today's announcement is the best thing to happen to STW in the station's history.

PBL are crazy if they don't revamp and heavily promote a brand new STW news with new presenters, a decent (and REAL) set and a new format. I know that they will do exactly that, and STW will actually start to make it name for itself.

I will quite happily accept the tag because it amuses me, but it is no way true - and if you think it is, then you have serious mental problems.


Religious icons? Oh please. Ask anyone who Rick and Susannah are, and they'll be able to tell you. Ask them who Dixie or Sonia are, and see what response you get. There you will get the answer.

To you it's all about who has the best HD. I hate to tell you this, no one else really gives a shit. I love a crisp and clear picture too, but that one feature alone does not dictate what channel I will watch. Sure, TVW in true 1080i would be fantastic, but the fact that it's so called "HD" is only 576p doesn't stop me from watching it. I don't even watch LCN 70 anyway, I always use LCN 7 so it makes no difference to me.

Your theory that the majority of Perth television viewers have been brainwashed is a stupid one. The numbers speak for themselves. The quicker you accept that, the better off we will all be.

Does anyone have a cap of Nines report on the story?

Yes, Waltham and Conti. And was it a coincidence that that was the era of Packer-Bond-Packer owning STW?

And I agree with Kevin: not impossible but certainly challenging.

Now she was a great presenter. She's not that old yet, so she could make a return to TV news if she wanted to.

This has been STW's problem recently... they have no one that appeals to viewers. I'm sure that Dixie and Sonia are both lovely people and are probably great people to be around, but they just do not do a good job on the news. But it's not just their fault, the whole news service has problems which need to be fixed - and I believe PBL will fix those problems. If they can have a successful product over east, they can certainly make a dent over here too. It will take a lot of time and effort, but they can do it.

Look how worked up you are over this? No devotion ....... sure.

Complete and utter shit huh? More proof that your arguement is flawed. At least when you watch a program on STW-9, it's presented in the best possible manner unlike the sabotage over at Seven and don't get me started on Seven News, it's not even news for the love of everything sacred. It's public affairs and that's being polite.


Their trash news and the programs they have that are worth watching can be sourced off BT and they look better than Seven's community TV efforts.

Also Seven are shafting 24 viewers with a 10:30 time slot. FOX make this show work wonders and Seven can't? Maybe because they are a poor pathetic excuse for a broadcaster stuck in the stone age and I won't even get started about Stargate.


More swearing and no real fact other than majority rules which I will address shortly.


For the they are but not the general public.


Ten's commitment to HD is the benchmark, Nine has been slipping and Ten is definately Number One on my book. They show programs close to the US air dates and they are willing to do what it takes to please their viewers.


Not really, It's much like the majority of Perth residents that can't drive a nail into wood. These last few weeks have been painful travelling to work with all the accidents and gridlock just because most people shouldn't be on the road.

No, I'm worked up because you continue to criticise me for something that's completely false. Usually I ignore your bullshit, but for once you hit a nerve and so I responded.


I agree about the driving, but that's irrelevant to the discussion. How we drive does not play any part in what television station we watch. Focus on the real issue here.

Your entire arguement is based on "STW is shit" and "TVW are great" which to me suggests blind faith and no real understanding of the issues.

At least I have reasoning behind what I say.

Hmm Anne Conti, rule a line through that name, also Greg Pearce for those that have mentioned him. Sure they were great presenters, but they're from another time. I don't think they'll get the recognition they once had. I think Sharlyn on weekdays would be fine!! Natalia on weekends.

You're focusing on that and ignoring everything else I said


I've never said that.


Oh of course not. You know everything and the rest of us are stupid


What? "TVW are shit and STW are great?" Please.

As I've said over and over again, if Nine or Ten had any programs that I wanted to watch, then I would watch them. But they don't.

I agree with your part about Ten though... Ten is doing a great job, but it doesn't have anything that I watch (or that I haven't already watched) so I don't watch it.

Nine has absolutely nothing that interests me at all. A great looking picture is no good if there's nothing good to watch is it?

Hmm, now there's an interesting combination. Imagine both of them presenting STW News I agree, they've had their day, but they would still be far better than the current offering on STW.


Hmm, could work. I still think that STW need both a male and female presenter for weeknights. I can't think of any male they have that could take a presenting role straight away though

Does anybody remember the title of this thread? For those who can't, it is PBL buys STW-9, not STW/TVW are great/shit.

Thanks for the moderating lesson But yes, you make a good point. Feel free to PM me Champion_R if you wish to continue this

I couldn't agree more. Kevin and Champion_R move along please!

Can you tell us why you think that, Kevin?

LOL I bet you loved saying that


Because it's clear that the female duo just has not worked. Sharlyn could possibly hold the bulletin on her own, but I think it would work better with a male/female combination. Both of the other commercial stations have the male/female combination which people are used to. I know they've managed to move to a single presenter over east for the most part, but it's not the norm here yet.

The problem is, what male at STW could present the bulletin with Sharlyn? I don't have the answer for that one

I would expect they would have to source someone from the eastern states. And someone of middle age also. Sharlyn would be ok, but I would think they need older people to establish a sense of authority. We've heard the female duo being called "The Dixie chicks" before (well, I have ), but there's no comical name for Rick and Sue, or Tim and Charmaine. Once they form a new presenting duo, which hopefully from the start have a great chemistry on air to begin with, coupled with a brand new set with real plasmas and decent graphics, and a flood of advertising throughout radio, TV, billboards, and newspapers, they might be on to something. It will be incredibly difficult though to shove Rick and Sue from the 6pm timeslot.

Perhaps Nine should switch to 5pm, and Ten switch to 6pm and see what happens

TCN, GTV and QTQ Nine don't have plasma's... or real set's... so I doubt PBL would do that for STW. No doubt you'll probably see the standard network super's, window key's and full frame's as far as graphics go... and maybe a static city skyline chromakey that isn't poo coloured!

B-b-b-but that's when Antique Roadshow is on!


B-b-b-but that's when The Simpsons are on!