10 News+ premieres tonight

Network 10’s new current affairs and insights program 10 News+ is premiering tonight after the 5pm bulletin.

The program will be anchored Sunday to Thursday by journalists Denham Hitchcock and Amelia Brace. 

Brace said 10 News+ will be “a very different show” from The Project, which was axed from the 6pm slot after 16 years on air. 

“The Project had such a long legacy and unique footprint, it’s not something that could be ‘replaced’, and that’s not what we’re trying to do,” she told AdNews.

Martin White, VP News at Network 10, said the idea for 10 News+ came from the growing popularity of the network’s existing bulletins. 

“We have national bulletins throughout the day to bring audiences the latest, breaking news. We have a flagship local news service in all markets at 5pm, which is growing and growing. And we have a contemporary, digital-first Late News,” he said. 

“A national evening news with a current affairs and investigative bent is a natural progression for us.”

Brace said the hour-long program will provide analysis and context, not just the details. 

“We’re not looking to out-scoop, out-do or out-shock our competition, we’re running our own race… selecting stories on merit, chasing them with integrity, and telling them with honesty,” she said. 

“What sets us apart is our format. There’s no news cookie cutter over here, every bulletin will look different to other networks, and even our show will look different night to night."

Hitchcock said 10 News+ is not tied to a raft of two-minute stories, weather and sport. 

“If the story is good enough it might be half the show, or the whole show. News of the day will be the backbone but only the stories that matter to your life, or world events that concern us all,” he told AdNews. 

“The media landscape is wide and varied, and never before in the history of the media have we had so much content from so many sources. But with that comes a lot of fake news, unsubstantiated claims, untruths and not a lot of fact checking. Our bulletin will have none of those issues.”

Brace brings more than 15 years of experience covering politics and global affairs, including the Black Lives Matter protest following George Floyd’s death. 

Hitchcock has also reported on mass shootings, tornadoes and presidential campaigns over his 30 year career. 

“Amelia and I have been on the road journos for a long time. And this role might slow us down a little but it won’t stop that,” he said. 

“Chasing stories and gathering news is talking to people, making connections, knocking on doors, gaining trust. So that’s a lot of real world experience.”

White said 10 News+ will integrate across broadcast, streaming, digital, and social platforms.

“We’re doing something no-one else has done with this bulletin and tailor it so it works on all platforms,” he told AdNews. 

“It’s about being where our audience wants us, on demand via whatever platform or medium. We’ll break big stories, and it’ll be impossible for news viewers to miss us.” 

Brace said the move is designed to meet people where they are.

“I believe younger audiences are more engaged and interested in news than their older counterparts, the difference is how they access it,” she said. 

“By being available on Spotify and Youtube, we’re respecting our younger viewers and how they want to watch the news, while also maintaining a prime-time presence on the good old-fashioned tellie.”