Peter Meakin told Megan Lehmann of 'The Australian' in 2014, "By and large they (the breakfast TV presenters) are bigger stars than the people who appear on the flagship prime-time programs. In the old days (back in the 1980s and 1990s) you had Jana Wendt and George Negus and Ray Martin and Richard Carleton. They were the big news stars; no one was bigger than them. But if you went out to the street now (in 2014) and asked people to name the (current) '60 Minutes' reporters, some people would have a problem."
Gerald Stone told Garry Shelley of 'TV Week' in 1987, "When you look at an attractive woman like Jana, you think of her as having those qualities men tend to ascribe to women – of being sort of soft and sensitive. Jana certainly has sensitivity, but the fact is her preference is the tough in-fighting interview – and that's what she goes for. Jana's the type you'd like to dress up in a black jump suit and drop behind enemy lines because she's tough, tenacious and thrives on hand-to-hand combat. In those circumstances she's a very creative and resilient person."
Between 1988 and 1992, Jana Wendt hosted the 6.30pm flagship program, 'A Current Affair', on the Nine network. It was pointed out not only did Jana held the ratings figures of "the master of the art", Mike Willesee, who founded the show in 1971, but regularly scored higher ratings. 'A Current Affair' consistenly peaked with ratings points in the high 20s and low 30s. A peak of 35 ratings points represented roughly 50% of all the viewers watching television that night.
A channel Ten staff told Sigrid Kirks of 'Fairfax Media' in October 1989, "Any commercial station would pay an absolute fortune for (newsreader) Brian Henderson. He and Jana Wendt are the reason channel Nine has such a stranglehold in the ratings. They wouldn't even have to do anything with him – just getting him off the air at Nine would be enough." Another industry observer expressed, "Brian is in a unique position. The news is absolutely pivotal to any station and he's been doing the job for more than 20 years (since 1964). He is the news. He's in a very strong negotiating position."
In September 1989, a report on corruption in Queensland claiming Premier Sir Joh Bjelke Petersen accepted bribes "scored a massive 40 points" in Melbourne. A half of all Melburnians watching TV at the time were counted watching 'A Current Affair'. Back in July 1988, Jana spoke to Christopher Day of 'TV Week', "If you put anyone new in Willesee's chair you're taking a real gamble. It's a double gamble if you hand it to a female. (At the time) there are still some people who question a woman's ability to do 'a man’s job'.
"But it's proved to be very successful. I'm delighted on both counts. On the personal and professional level and on the female level. There's so much soul searching done by women in and out of the media but particularly from those women in the media about 'what a hard time we get as women'. Sure, you do come across obstacles occasionally, but then in my view, so do men. I've never seen the point of exaggerating the woe-is-me line. It's been really satisfying to show that being a woman has not had any detrimental effect on the program. In fact, to the contrary."
Jana also made the comment, "I think I am a fairly single-minded person. I have very strong views about which way things should run and be done. I don't believe I am particularly hard to work with. I get along with people pretty well. But I do have a firm idea of how things should be done and what my role should be. Obviously the show ('A Current Affair') is working. It's rating, but that doesn't mean the show can't be improved."
Jana maintained, "The money I earn would, I hope, get me to a point where I could say in X years' time, 'Goodnight. Goodbye. Switch the television off. I'm going. That's it. Most of the management at Nine recognize that I have an express desire not to stay in television for life, until stumps. I would like to use my freedom when the chains are off, and have nothing to do with television at all."
It was reported in 1990, Jana had considered leaving Australia and moved over to the U.K. to work for Sky channel or to the U.S. to join the Fox network. Dorian Wild observed, "In America Barbara Walters and Jane Pauley earn 10 times her salary, and against Jana they're strictly in the amateur hour." Jana had said, "I really do miss traveling a lot." She elaborated to David Brown, "I had my trip to Czechoslovakia (in 1990) and I just loved it for all the obvious reasons, but also for the professional reason of getting out on the road again. It was really good. If anything, it would be nice to do a bit more of that. It just gives you a perspective on things, which you may start to lose sitting in the studio all the time."
Michelle Grattan reported in December 1987, "The Hawke Government is very 'hands on' when it comes to the media, at both management and journalistic level. Television involves enormous money. Current affairs programs compete to get politicians – and need to be able to get them. When some controversy was raging earlier this year (in 1987), various stations wanted the Prime Minister. He appeared on channel Nine with Jana Wendt. The ABC's '7.30 Report' protested."
On reflection, Jana remarked, "Maybe one day I'd like to do a music or arts-based program that isn't in the mainstream. I have a real passion for music … I'm a fanatic about classical music. I'd like to do something where you can take a deep breath, be a bit more reflective and work consistently for a while without having to keep up with this kind of momentum. It is wearing."
As well as speaking Czech, Jana had an honors degree in French from Melbourne University and could speak Italian fluently. It was mentioned Jana's father, Karel, was a student and journalist at Prague University before migrating to Australia.
Michelle Grattan reported in December 1987, "The Hawke Government is very 'hands on' when it comes to the media, at both management and journalistic level. Television involves enormous money. Current affairs programs compete to get politicians – and need to be able to get them. When some controversy was raging earlier this year (in 1987), various stations wanted the Prime Minister. He appeared on channel Nine with Jana Wendt. The ABC's '7.30 Report' protested."
On reflection, Jana remarked, "Maybe one day I'd like to do a music or arts-based program that isn't in the mainstream. I have a real passion for music … I'm a fanatic about classical music. I'd like to do something where you can take a deep breath, be a bit more reflective and work consistently for a while without having to keep up with this kind of momentum. It is wearing."
As well as speaking Czech, Jana had an honors degree in French from Melbourne University and could speak Italian fluently. It was mentioned Jana's father, Karel, was a student and journalist at Prague University before migrating to Australia.
