“Kerry Packer took on the cricket establishment and injected some of that Sydney flare,” says Thompson, who began his career in journalism with The Daily News and joined Nine in 1987. “While Nine Perth is a very news-driven organisation we understand the need for light and shade. “A huge team is involved in putting together the news. As newsreaders, Tracy and I have the privilege of seeing how it all comes together, so we see the whole picture. “Sometimes the day’s news can be very challenging, so you just need something that is a bit of fun or a bit lighter. As a presenter you really feel that. “You feel the need to mix up the stories so it’s not all heavy news.” “People still want news professionals to boil down the most important events of the day.”Michael Thompson Vo agrees that there is a real difference between the way Nine and their great rival Seven present the news. “We have always had a more conversational approach to presenting the news,” says Vo, who joined the Nine Network in Sydney in 2007 and returned to Perth permanently in 2020. “We have never wanted to come across as news anchors and presenters. We want to be the people who tell you the story. It is your story, not ours.” Thompson and Vo say that being involved in tonight’s 60th birthday show reminded them of how much has changed in news presentation, even while they’ve been at the station. “We are now finding that people on the streets are journalists,” says Vo. “They film events on the streets and send them to us. Or post them on our social media accounts. So they have become our eyes on the ground. “Compare this to the days when a journalist had to use a pay phone to file a story.” But with all these changes, Thompson remains convinced that traditional television news has a future. “The overall reach of Seven and Nine last night would have been over 300,000,” he says. “People still want news professionals to boil down the most important events of the day. “They want the nuts and bolts, the news you can’t afford to miss. “And they want it to be presented in a way that reflects the gravity of those events but balanced with something that brings a smile.” This masthead is owned by Nine Entertainment, which also owns Channel Nine Perth. Celebrating 60 Years: Channel Nine Perth is on tonight at 7.30pm on Channel Nine and 9Now. A corresponding exhibition is now on at the WA Museum Boola Bardip.