Sunrise’s 19-year broadcast history from Sydney’s iconic Martin Place in Sydney’s inner city comes to an end with the lease of its headquarters.
David Koch, Natalie Barr and everyone else who works for Channel Seven in the city will soon join the other colleagues at Eveleigh in the Redfern suburb.
But the team at Australia’s favorite breakfast show are excited about the move, with executive producer Sean Power saying the show can “tell better stories”.
Natalie Barr (left), David Koch (right) and everyone else who works for Channel Seven in the city will soon join the other colleagues at Eveleigh in the Redfern suburb
The move to Eveleigh, which began in 2018, brings together all of Seven Sydney’s businesses in one location for the first time in 40 years.
The move from 52 Martin Place was due to be completed by the end of 2022, but it now looks like it may not be until May before everyone can be accommodated in Eveleigh.
“Seven Eveleigh spans seven floors and includes new, purpose-built, state-of-the-art studios and facilities for our news and public affairs shows and staff,” Seven West Media chief executive James Warburton said when the plans were announced.
Power said the move allows the show to use a much larger space to strengthen its storytelling.
A hire sign will be displayed outside Channel 7’s headquarters in Sydney on Thursday 2 February 2023
“Martin Place has been a sensational home for Seven and Sunrise for a very long time, but with all good things comes evolution,” he told Media Week.
“I think when we start sharing more about what it looks like, what the set will look like and what the show will feel like, people who have been lifelong Sunrise viewers will say that we had a tremendous amount of respect for that.”
“You can only retrofit to a limited extent. Our size is so limited – an incredible amount of live television coming out of a very, very small space (in Martin Place).
“This next place is about keeping it very comfortable and cozy, but bringing in all this new technology that ultimately allows us to tell better stories.”
The Channel Seven address, 52 Martin Place (pictured), has been synonymous with the station for nearly two decades
The Martin Place venue has hosted some of the world’s biggest acts, such as Justin Bieber and One Direction.
It gained international notoriety in December 2014 when a siege broke out at a cafe across the street when lone Islamist gunman Haron Monis took hostages and killed one person.
Channel Seven’s cameras pointed directly at the cafe across the street for hours, until Monis insisted it be turned off.
Monis and one of the hostages were killed when the police stormed the property in the early hours of December 16.
Although Channel Seven is set to move away from Martin Place in a few months, it still has some time left on its lease.
Due to the many years of use as TV studios and offices, it will probably require a thorough renovation before another tenant can move in.
The five-story, 3,500-square-foot space that Seven occupied could sit empty for some time before it reopens as another store.
There is interest in taking over the lease from luxury retailers, supermarket chains and government agencies.
Channel Seven’s logo is displayed at the Sydney CBD location in Martin Place, but all operations will soon be moved to Eveleigh
The Aussies were mostly upset about the decision.
“However they choose to operate it seems like a huge loss, especially for Sunrise. It’s part of the DNA of this show and has always been a strong asset to live acts.”
Another added: “This studio is separate from Sunrise. That’s what made it the bug it is today and what sets it apart from the rest. It’s the difference between the breakfast shows. It will be a big loss.
“Now it’s just going to be another show in a studio. Everleigh is a terrible place to go if they ever have live concerts etc. It’s so remote. I understand it’s a cost-cutting move, but yeah, I think that’s the direction TV is going.
A third added: “It might be cheaper and it’s possible to use a generic studio, but it won’t have the atmosphere of a broadcast from Sydney CBD, especially if you can have the traffic and people in the background see.”
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Ashley Root is an author and celebrity journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a keen eye for all things celebrity, Ashley is always up-to-date on the latest gossip and trends in the world of entertainment.
