60 Minutes (Australia)

60 Minutes
Genre	Newsmagazine
Created by	Don Hewitt
Presented by	Liz Hayes (1996–present) Charles Wooley (1993–2005, 2009–present) Tara Brown (2001–present) Michael Usher (2009–present) Allison Langdon (2011–present)
Country of origin	Australia
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	41
Production
Executive producer(s)	Tom Malone (2013)
Location(s)	TCN-9 Willoughby, New South Wales
Running time	46 minutes
Release
Original network	Nine Network
Picture format	576i (SDTV) 1080i (HDTV)
Audio format	Stereo
Original release	11 February 1979 – present
Chronology
Related shows	60 Minutes (1968–present)
External links
Website

60 Minutes is an Australian version of the U.S. television newsmagazine program 60 Minutes airing on Sunday nights on the Nine Network. A New Zealand version uses segments of the show.

Gerald Stone, the founding executive producer, was given the job by Kerry Packer and was told:^[1] "I don't give a f... what it takes. Just do it and get it right." After the first episode was broadcast on 11 February 1979, Packer was less than impressed, telling Stone:^[1] "You've blown it, son. You better fix it fast." Over the years, Stone's award winning 60 Minutes revolutionised Australian current affairs reporting and enhanced the careers of Ray Martin, Ian Leslie, George Negus, and later Jana Wendt.^[1]

Awards

60 Minutes has won numerous awards for broadcasting, including five Silver Logies, one Special Achievement Logie, and received nominations for a further six Logie awards.^[2]

Controversies

In April 2016, Tara Brown and eight other people (including three other staff members of the Nine Network, David Ballment, Stephen Rice, and Ben Williamson)^[3] were arrested on allegations of child abduction in Beirut. Lebanese judicial sources told The Guardian that the group were to be charged with "armed abduction, purveying threats and physical harm" - crimes which carry sentences of twenty years imprisonment with hard labour.^[4] The group were released from custody only after the Nine Network paid a substantial money settlement to the father of the children the subject of the abduction attempt.

Executive producers

• Gerald Stone (1979–1992)

Reporting team

Present correspondents

• Liz Hayes (1996–present)
• Charles Wooley (1993–2005, 2009–present)
• Michael Usher (2009–present)
• Allison Langdon (2011–present)

Contributing reporters

• Ellen Fanning (1999–2000, 2009–present)
• Peter Overton (2001–present)
• Karl Stefanovic (2005–present)
• Ray Martin (2010–present)
• Georgie Gardner (2014–present)

Past correspondents

• Jana Wendt (1982–88, 1994)
• Jeff McMullen (1985–2001)
• Jennifer Byrne (1986–93)
• Mike Munro (1986–92)
• Richard Carleton (1987–2006) (died during the Beaconsfield mine disaster.)
• Tracey Curro (1993–97)
• Ellen Fanning (1999–2001)
• Paul Barry (2004–05)
• Peter Harvey (2003–2013)
• Liam Bartlett (2006–2012)
• Tara Brown (2001–2016)

Original correspondents

• George Negus (1979–86)
• Ray Martin (1979–84)
• Ian Leslie (1979–89)
• Kate Baillieu (1979– resigned before program went to air)

Commentators

Past and present commentators include:

• Paul Lyneham (1979–2000)
• Peter Harvey (2003–2013)

See also

• List of Australian television series
• Australian journalism
• List of longest-running Australian television series

References

1. Stone, Gerald (30 July 2011). "Just do it and get it right!". The Australian. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
2. "Awards for 60 Minutes: Logie Awards". Internet Movie Database. 2012. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
3. Miranda, Charles (13 April 2016). "Kidnapping charges filed against 60 Minutes crew over botched child recovery mission in Lebanon". Retrieved 13 April 2016.
4. Shaheen, Kareem; Safi, Michael; Elgot, Jessica (12 April 2016). "Suspects in alleged Beirut kidnapping face jail and hard labour". Retrieved 13 April 2016.

External links

• Australia's 60 Minutes official website
• 60 Minutes at the Internet Movie Database
• 60 Minutes at the National Film and Sound Archive