Since 1962, Launceston has been the home of nightly television news broadcasts; however, this tradition will come to a close on May 24, when 7NEWS Tasmania transitions to a new studio located in Hobart.<\/p>\n
The network has confirmed that it intends to maintain its current workforce of journalists and camera operators, although it has not provided details regarding potential impacts on staff due to the move.<\/p>\n
The decision to cease broadcasts from Launceston follows an announcement from Seven that 7NEWS Tasmania will be produced from the capital city, with programming directed from a control room situated in Canberra. This marks the end of over sixty years of news bulletins originating from Launceston.<\/p>\n
A spokesperson for the network stated, “Seven Network Tasmania is evolving its production of 7NEWS Tasmania, relocating its studio presentation from Launceston to a modern facility in Hobart starting May 2026.”<\/p>\n
This shift is a result of Seven West Media’s acquisition of the television station from Southern Cross Austereo last year, which also included various other regional television services across Australia.<\/p>\n
In January, Southern Cross Austereo merged with Seven West Media, which has now provided the network access to what they describe as an “outstanding” studio in Hobart, set to be operational from May 25.<\/p>\n
According to the spokesperson, this new facility represents a practical and sustainable decision for the business, enabling better allocation of resources towards journalism and the personnel involved in delivering it.<\/p>\n
7NEWS Tasmania will continue to provide one-hour live news bulletins that cover local, national, and international stories throughout the year.<\/p>\n
The spokesperson confirmed that the number of journalists and camera operators stationed in Tasmania will stay the same.<\/p>\n
While editorial control and presentation will remain in Tasmania, technical direction and studio production for the Hobart bulletins will be managed from the Canberra hub. However, the spokesperson did not clarify whether any staff members would face job losses or be offered voluntary redundancies in light of the transition.<\/p>\n
“We are not commenting on employment matters,” the spokesperson stated, and they also refrained from addressing any potential changes to the current roster of presenters.<\/p>\n
Tasmanian government minister Jo Palmer, who has a background as a journalist and presenter with Seven Tasmania, acknowledged that this is a “uncertain time” for the staff involved.<\/p>\n
Palmer expressed her hope that the company would treat its employees with respect, given its historical commitment to Tasmania. “My expectation is that local news will be preserved, albeit perhaps in a different format, and that we will continue to have our journalists, camera operators, and producers actively working within our communities,” she said.<\/p>\n
The Seven spokesperson reiterated the network’s ongoing dedication to the communities it serves, stating, “This is a production and infrastructure decision, not a reduction in Tasmanian news coverage.” They emphasized that the shift is a strategic move to utilize modern facilities, expressing unwavering commitment to Tasmania and its residents. “The new Hobart studio is a contemporary, high-quality facility that will enhance viewer experience.”<\/p>\n
News bulletins under various branding were broadcast from the Watchorn Street studios in Launceston from 1962 until the end of last year when they moved to a new location on Charles Street. The Charles Street studio has recently been listed for lease.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Since 1962, Launceston has been the home of nightly television news broadcasts; however, this tradition will come to a close on May 24, when 7NEWS Tasmania transitions to a new studio located in Hobart. The network has confirmed that it intends to maintain its current workforce of journalists and camera operators, although it has not […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3482,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[43,545,546],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3483","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-australia","category-au-broadcasting","category-au-news-and-magazine-publishing-industry"],"yoast_head":"\n