Expected to launch early this month, the ABC has reportedly delayed the launch of its new twenty-four hour news channel.

It's thought the decision resulted from the network's recent bungles during its political leadership coverage last week, The Daily Telegraph reports.

The delay will enable broadcast engineers to correct operation glitches at its out-sourced presentation control centre, MediaHub.

The ABC's communications director, Michael Miller, denied a date had ever been confirmed, but said "mid-year" was "in the loosest sense, anywhere from April 'til September, October".

Industry sources had heard original plans for a Monday July 12 launch date, but that is now unachievable.

Last week's troubles supposedly resulted in a "massive dressing down" of staff by managing director, Mark Scott, followed by a department review into the deliverance of breaking news on both television and radio platforms.

Miller revealed that ABC News 24 would not launch until it had successfully streamlined news gathering, reporting and the distribution of content.

"You want to make sure it's perfect or as close to perfect as it can get.

"We have said that we are reviewing our performance [last Wednesday] because there were some bad points."

Miller declined to speculate as to when the new channel would be operational, but hoped it would be ready "some time in July".

Media Spy discussion: ABC News 24