Staff were told the nightly current affairs show will be removed from weeknight schedules from August 10 after it failed to build a viable audience. In its place, the cash pressed broadcaster will stretch its existing flagship 5pm news bulletin from 60 minutes to a 90 minute format.
The extra half hour fills the slot at minimal cost, using an established newsroom rather than a separate production.
While 10 News+ largely vanishes from the weekday lineup, the programme is expected to survive in a scaled back form with a single weekly edition on Sunday nights. Employees affected by the change were briefed that the move is primarily a cost containment exercise.
The longer early evening bulletin allows Network 10 to reuse studio resources, editorial staff and production crews. It also reduces the need for fresh commissioning in a soft advertising market.
Earlier reporting in The Australian’s Media Diary flagged looming job cuts at the network as it battles to close an $80m shortfall in its annual budget. Network 10 is prioritising low cost news formats over riskier primetime experiments.
