http://www.theaustralian.com.au/new...ter-obriens-exit/story-e6frg6nf-1225935119166
ABC to revamp The 7:30 Report and Stateline after O'Brien's exit
Amanda Meade From: The Australian October 07, 2010
THE ABC is using Kerry O'Brien's departure as an opportunity to overhaul The 7:30 Report and Stateline.
O'Brien, 65, will leave The 7.30 Report in December after 15 years as its editor and presenter. A successor has not been chosen.
ABC director of news Kate Torney has appointed two senior news executives to examine the format and style of the current affairs shows, including
whether to keep Stateline on Fridays or extend The 7.30 Report to five nights weekly.
"We are taking time to look at the format and style of (The 7:30 Report) and Stateline for 2011 and exploring the best ways to deliver national and state-based current affairs to ABC audiences in the 7.30pm time-slot," Ms Torney said in an internal memo.
An ABC source said: "The problem is resources.
News 24 has stretched resources and there is no money to do any more state-based current affairs, even if they wanted to."
In 1995, the state and territory editions of The 7:30 Report were dropped in favour of a national program, leaving just Stateline one day a week for state politics.
Sources said a concern remained that the national format diluted state coverage, particularly outside Sydney and Melbourne.
Stateline could be moved to a different time rather than causing an uproar by abolishing it altogether. ABC sources said the broadcaster was unlikely to return to a five-night state current affairs program.