Ann7 Makes Adjustments to Primetime Shows, Expanding Prime to Two Hours, and dropping Headlines

The new ANN7 Prime title card. The show is hosted by Chantal Rutter Dros and now airs daily from 7pm-9pm

ANN7 recently made adjustments to the two hour block of prime time programming anchored by Chantal Rutter Dros.

These changes see ANN7 Prime, by far the best news bulletin in South African prime time, expanded to two hours now airing from 7pm-9pm Mondays to Fridays (prior to the adjustments there was a period during which Chantal didn't do Fridays) and dropping the earlier one hour show ANN7 Headlines.

Ann7 Headlines was a very generic one hour news bulletin hosted by Dros where she would just anchor inserts of the days happenings for the full hours before Prime started. Prime, in contrast to Headlines, was a one hour news program, which unlike the other channels' news programs, did not repeat the news for the second half hour. Instead it would go with the format of an in depth insert followed up by a live interview either by telephone, video feed or in studio with a newsmaker involved with the story, a specialist for more insight, or, if they can't find anyone, the journalist that filed the story. It gives viewers a greater depth to the story and the story behind the story in comparison to the news on the other channels.

The move was one that you could see coming as in the last few weeks on air talent often referred to the first hour as Prime, even though it was still Headlines and had the graphics that were used by Headlines.

The opening of ANN7 Prime now includes an introduction by all three anchors: news anchor Chantal Rutter Dros, Sports anchor Peter Stemmet and Entertainment news anchor Liezle Wilson

When the show expanded to its two hour format seen now, slight adjustments were made as well. At the start of the show once the headlines have been read (which i feel is too long as they try to highlight as much stories as possible in those first few minutes), Chantal then throws to Peter Stemmet, who does the sport headlines, followed by Liezle Wilson, who does the entertainment news headlines, both of whom now have their own segments throughout the show.

Liezle Wilson, also the host of ANN7's daily entertainment show, Buzz ANN7, is the first entertainment anchor as part of a prime time news bulletin since eTV's eArts inserts which were part of the then one hour eNews Prime Time bulletins in the very early 2000's.

The end of the new promo for ANN7's premier show, ANN7 Prime, which is hosted by Chantal Rutter Dros

ANN7 also shot an excellent on air promo for the show starring Chantal. The three on air talents of the show, Rutter Dros, Stemmet and Wilson also heavily promote the show on their respective Twitter accounts as well.

One thing the show, and the channel overall could do with, is a weather personality. The channel silently dropped the on air weather girls soon after launch, now just playing the weather with no commentary at all.

Overall, expanding the better of the two shows is a step in the right direction for the least watched of South Africa's three news channels, removing any confusion for both viewers and on air talent.

If you haven't seen ANN7 Prime, I suggest you give it a try.