The story of Seven News is similar to the story of the net in general. • It has traditionally lagged behind Nine News in the key markets of Sydney and Melbourne. • … A succession of news teams and different styles (such as standing up) failed to dent the decades-long dominance of market-leader Nine. • Seven's fortunes started to change in 2003. • … The retirement of Nine's highly successful two Brians (anchors Brian Henderson in Sydney and Brian Naylor in Melbourne) and a mishandled succession plan prompted a flurry of defections of on-air talent and top management to Seven. • … Seven poached former Today newsreader Ian Ross to front its 6pm news in Sydney. • … "Rosscoe" has proven extremely valuable to Seven, presiding over a sharp rise in ratings in the key evening news hour block and a remarkable reversal of fortunes. • … The network that struggled for decades to come near Nine in news now regularly thumps it.

Seven News presentation, in line with the network in general, has traditionally drawn inspiration from NBC, with whom it has shared an affiliation for many years. Seven has used the signature NBC News theme "The Mission" since the mid 1980s, including its own variations. Its newscasts were also titled "Seven Nightly News" from the mid 80s to the early 2000s. Seven has aired the NBC Today Show in the early hours of the morning since the mid 80s. Perth has been a particularly strong market for Seven. TVW-7 is the oldest station in Western Australia. Seven News regularly triples the audience of its 6pm rival, Nine News Perth (the lowest-performing Nine station in the country).

News and current affairs has long been the standard around which the network based its identity. — Driven by the — industry mantra that whoever rules the 6pm hour rules the rest of the night, Nine spared no expense to promote its supremacy in news and current affairs. — Top ad agencies were usually enlisted to create elaborate news promos, focusing on Nine's star achors and breadth of news programming. — Local news teams were — the central focus. — In Sydney and Melbourne, — jingles were expressly written about its anchors. — Much of the success of "National Nine News" in Sydney and Melbourne was attributed to the appeal of its anchors. — For more than 40 years, Brian Henderson was a sort of — local Walter Cronkite — in Sydney, who even adopted Cronkite's signature "The Way It Is" sign-off. • National Nine News' — presentation was based for many years on the ABC News globe. — Nine has used the 'Cool Hand Luke' news theme since the (early 80s/late 70s). • In recent years, Nine News has lost viewers following owner Kerry Packer's retirement, death and subsequent relinquishing of Nine by the Packers. — As opposed to Packer, who nurtured news and current affairs as the focus of his network's strategy, the new owners' style is marked by cost-cutting and reduction in news output. — Late-night and weekend news programs were axed, overseas bureaux closed and morale fell, resulting in the loss of many of the network's key news and current affairs personalities. — The network's news programs currently struggle with relatively low ratings and a dearth of big-name talent.

Ten introduced the concept of hour-long, co-presented news to Australia in the form of Eyewitness News in the late 1970s. — It had all the trademarks; anchor teams, happy chat, crosses to Live Eye vans and upbeat closers. — The format was highly successful and Ten dominated news ratings in Sydney and Melbourne. — The financial turmoil that hit the network — in the late 80s ushered in a dizzy period of changes. — Successive owners oversaw a revolving door of news anchors, new sets, themes and timeslots, giving the promo people a hard time keeping up. — Ten launched local 5pm news hours on its five capital city stations in 1992 and has been the consistent ratings-leader in the timeslot since. • Ten News is affiliated with CBS News, BBC News and ITN among others. • Through its hour-long local bulletins, Ten produces more hard news programming than other free-to-air networks. • The CBS Early Show airs on Ten weekday mornings from 4:00am.