Region set for own TV news

Andrew Mathieson
GEELONG is set for a news service on free-to-air television next year.
Producer Noel Fanning plans to air the new half hour program at 6.30pm weekdays on Channel 31.
Mr Fanning said News Geelong would initially replace light-hearted magazine show Geelong News Beat on Wednesday nights.
GEST media would start weekly production from September 9 before extending the news coverage to two nights a week in December, he said.
A weekday service from Monday to Friday would run in 2010 conditional of News Geelong achieving the goals of Channel 31 management.
“After we’ve been going for a season for 13 weeks they’ll give us Friday nights providing we can prove we’re doing it right in this first season,” he said.
“They haven’t made any big promises but I’ve spoken to them and they’re very excited about it being a Monday-to-Friday daily news service.”
Mr Fanning said the program would feature the latest news and human interest stories as well as sport and weather updates from the region.
Geelong Mayor John Mitchell said City Hall had backed the news service, tipping in a one-off $95,000 grant for its first year in return for “very transparent” monthly reports.
“The disbursement of the funding is subject to satisfactory completion of an application that will then be considered by council,” Cr Mitchell said.
He supported the production of News Geelong for its community service value in promoting the Geelong region and “the interests of local community organisations”.
Mr Fanning said the cash would fund running costs, pay for reporters, cameramen, a newsreader and also a “bit” of capital expenses.
“It still falls about $25,000 short, which we have to go out and find ourselves in the first year,” he said.
The longevity at the not-for-profit organisation would rely solely on Geelong sponsors after its first 12 months, Mr Fanning said.
Online television channel GOTV had operated a Geelong internet news service for 18 months but was forced to close this year amid insufficient advertising support.
Mr Fanning said News Geelong would be the city’s only opportunity for TV news coverage.
“The only way we can do this is by going through Channel 31,” he said.
“We held off until we saw how GOTV went.”
Mr Fanning said he planned to build a second studio at his Elizabeth Street headquarters in Geelong West for a news set.
One of his studios has been producing several locally-produced football shows for Channel 31 over the past six years.