#peter mitchener

This time last week, you may have noticed something different about 7 News, a new, unrecognisable theme song. 

Yes, in their sudden panic to heal the wounds of Nine News' extended hour-long bulletins stealing the ratings, Seven seem to have panicked, and in doing so, have lost their identity. 

As many have already noted, consistency is vital for a television news audience, as the demographic is older, and their habits, harder to break. Therefore changes need to be incremental, and Seven's dumping of their longtime theme, "The Mission" was not. 

The social media response was highly negative, but not because it was a new theme, instead because it simply didn't fit the rest of the package. It sounded more like something you'd hear in the opening credits of a Steven Spielberg film, or playing in the background of a royal wedding rather than in the intro to the six o'clock news. 

Sure, changing anything in TV news is bound to ruffle some feathers, but the worst part of this incident was there seemed to be no broader concept behind the switch in theme song, other than "if we change it, they'll come". There was also, evidently, no belief in it as a mere four days later, it was scrapped with "The Mission" returning once more.

To some, the changing of music may seem insignificant, but to me it represents something bigger. 

Seven's news has been consistently losing ground across the country for the last few years, seeing Nine snatching back its lead in Sydney and Melbourne, and most recently itching out the network in Brisbane for the first time in almost a decade. Melbourne, is by far the biggest problem, experiencing nightly losses at the behest of Nine's Peter Hitchener led bulletin. The team over at GTV have a fantastic bond, and managed to stay intact during Seven's reign as number 1 in the mid-00s. As a contrast in just the last twelve months, Melbourne's Seven News has dumped weather presenter David Brown in favour of Giaan Rooney, and sports reader Sandy Roberts has left for Fox Sports, replaced by weekend sports reader and Essendon legend Tim Watson. Consistency is one thing, but trying to at least pretend your news service has some stability is the name of the game during a ratings crisis. 

Since their last makeover, the look and feel of Seven News has become cold and stark. Lots of cold blues, whites and silvers in the colour scheme, which is a huge departure from the warm browns, rich reds and blues from the previous package. The presenters seem less friendly, perhaps a little tired, and overall, there's a certain spark missing, that was heavily present during the 2005-7 era when everything was coming up 7! 

So, what can the network do? 

"...a complete relaunch indicates something bigger. A change in direction, a shift in style, a refreshed mission. 

They need to start by making a clear decision. Is it time to change graphics, presenters or theme songs? Or do they continue to chip away at what is a relatively strong brand by toying with decisions publicly. Viewers in this arena need consistency, it's true. But they also need clarity. Is this the news service I watched yesterday? If it is, then why have you changed? What does this signify? New music with the same graphical theme indicates indecision and brand fragmentation. Whereas a complete relaunch indicates something bigger. A change in direction, a shift in style, a refreshed mission. This strategy will instead make the viewer more curious, rather than dismissive. What's new? What's different about the way you're doing news this time?