'Behind the News' the main television output from ABC in Adelaide behind the nightly state news edition in 2020
Jessica Harmsen and Emma Rebellato were main presenters of ABC state television news in 2020, while Behind the News (BtN), aimed at school students, was also produced for ABC3 at the Collinswood studios in Adelaide.
Images courtesy Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Behind the News (or BtN), a long-running programme aimed at schoolchildren Australia-wide, is the only regular television output from the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s) Adelaide complex in Collinswood besides the nightly state edition of the news.
In 2020, ABC News South Australia was presented by Jessica Harmsen on weeknights and Emma Rebellato on weekends. ABC television coverage of South Australia was whittled away with the loss of the weekdays This Day Tonight and then a Friday state edition of 7.30.
In 2020, Angelique Donnellan was the South Australia reporter for 7.30. She was political reporter for ABC News in South Australia and nominated for a Walkley award for breaking coverage of the South Australian Labor government's leadership change from Mike Rann to Jay Weatherill.
Adelaide television production studio at Collinswood, turning out programmes such as The Cook and the Chef, Poh’s Kitchen and Behind the News, were closed in the corporation’s 2014 budget tightening.
Behind the News was an Adelaide survivor of that cutback but moved to digital channel ABC3 as part of the ABC's educational programming move. Behind the News first aired iin 1968 as Current Affairs. It was axed in 2003 in an argument over federal government funding but it returned to air in 2005.
BtN Newsbreak (previously ABC3 News and News On 3) are produced by and feature the same team as Behind the News. BtN (aimed at eight-to-13 age group) explores news using the language, music and popular culture of youths. The programme explains the basic concepts that underpin the issues and events, while also providing background information.
Behind the News also covers children's issues often overlooked by mainstream news, and makes use of online resources including streaming video of BtN stories, study materials for teachers and additional information and activities for students.
