Another high-profile Channel 7 veteran has exited the embattled broadcaster, merely days after it was revealed newsreader Sharyn Ghidella had been axed in the latest round of musical chairs.
In one fell swoop, the Seven television network completed the axing of its entire management team, says Sky News Business Editor Ross Greenwood.
“Today the clean-sweep was completed – and it was bloody,” Mr Greenwood said.
The notable cuts to Seven include sales boss Kurt Burnette, marketing head Melissa Hopkins and head of sport Lewis Martin.
Seven West Media shares are today worth 17.7 cents – close to an all-time low.
Nicolas will ditch the network after 17-and-a-half years, for the role of South Australian Treasurer Stephen Mulligan’s senior media adviser in the coming weeks.
The Adelaide reporter will take over from Jennifer Salter, who was also previously a television journalist.
Channel 7 reporter Andrea Nicolas is the latest veteran to exit the broadcaster for a career in politics. Picture: Instagram
Nicolas will ditch the network after 17-and-a-half years, for the role of SA Treasurer Stephen Mulligan’s senior media adviser. Picture: Instagram
Ms Salter’s husband Chris Salter was Nicolas’ former boss when he served as news director in Channel 7’s Adelaide’s newsroom.
He has since relocated to Melbourne where his wife will join him once Nicolas takes on her political role.
Nicolas, who joined the Seven Network in 2007, said she was excited by the prospect of a “new challenge” in her career switch.
“It’s been an incredible 18 years on and off at Seven, working with some of the best in the business and having a range of great experiences, but I’m looking forward to a new challenge and the next chapter,” she said.
Nicolas studied journalism at the University of South Australia before she freelanced for Seven in the UK and landed stints with the ABC and BBC.
Channel Seven’s new boss Anthony De Ceglie is under pressure to “turn the ship around” as he steps into his new role, says The Australian’s Media Writer Sophie Elsworth.
“He has got his feet under the desk today in Sydney, and he has got to turn this ship around after weeks, if not months of bad press,” Ms Elsworth told Sky News host Chris Kenny.
“They had the scandal surrounding the Spotlight programme.
“They had bungling of the Bondi murderer, naming the wrong man.
“They’ve seen so many of their executives, and bosses go.
“Kerry Stokes has put a broom through Channel Seven and now it’s up to Anthony De Ceglie to turn around their news division, and get them back with a reputable name, and repair the damage that has been done.”
7NEWS Adelaide news director Mark Mooney said: “Andrea departs with our full support and thanks for her extraordinary contribution to 7NEWS Adelaide over almost two decades.”
“This is a fantastic opportunity, and we wish her every success. We’ll try not to give her too hard a time!”
Seven West Media is in the process of slashing headcounts at bureaus nationwide by 150 people following a drastic industry-wide downturn in free-to-air TV audiences and advertising revenue.
Nicolas’ exit comes days after Veteran Channel 7 newsreader Sharyn Ghidella was axed following four decades in the media industry.
Ghidella, 58, took to Facebook on Friday to announce that after 38 years working in TV her “shoulder tap has finally come”.
“A long list of talented, loyal and dedicated employees have been shown the door, in what seems to have been an interminable process of pulling the band-aid off slowly when it comes to removing what’s been deemed excess stock from the building,” she said.
Ghidella, 58, took to Facebook to announce that after 38 years working in TV her “shoulder tap has finally come”. Picture: Facebook
“I’ve seen the toll it’s taken on those who’ve left, those delivering the pain and those still there, and when it comes to witnessing this heartache, I think I’m done.”
Ghidella appeared to take a parting shot at the broadcaster in her statement, revealing she was not a fan of its new editorial direction.
“I’m also not one to have my evening news served up with humour and horoscopes either, so, to be honest, it is time to go,” she said.
According to The Australian’s Media Writer Sophie Elsworth, newly appointed Seven Director of News and Current Affairs and Seven West Media Editor-in-Chief Anthony De Ceglie was brought in to drastically “turn the ship around” at Seven.
It comes the wake of the Spotlight scandal, which revealed shocking lengths the network went to secure an exclusive interview with rapist Bruce Lehrmann according to evidence given in his defamation case.
The Australian’s Media Writer Sophie Elsworth says Seven Network has had a “complete wipeout” with many senior executives exiting in recent times.
“We’ve seen CEO and Managing Director James Warburton exit … now he did say he was exiting last year,” Ms Elsworth told Sky News Digital Editor Jack Houghton.
“We’ve had the news director Craig McPherson go this week – he obviously came under intense scrutiny with the Bondi murderer bungling of the right man’s name,” she said.
“They also had the scandal surrounding Spotlight, an alleged credit card misuse – so the executive producer of Spotlight, Mark Llewellyn is gone, we’ve also seen the commercial director, Bruce McWilliam leave.
“And then this week they’ve appointed West Australian’s newspaper boss Anthony De Ceglie to take over for Seven News director Craig McPherson.
“Word is that Kerry Stokes has been deeply unhappy with the bad press that Seven Network has been getting … in recent weeks and months and this has resulted in complete overhaul of its management.”
Channel 7 journalist Robert Ovadia was also last month sacked from the network following allegations of inappropriate behaviour after 23 years in the company, with rival broadcaster Nine also embroiled in a series of allegations of inappropriate workplace conduct by former news boss Darren Wick.
Sky News Australia Business Editor Ross Greenwood last month said the “bloody” exodus was far from over with trade publication AdNews speculating that up to 100 more employees were staring down redundancy as Seven slashes costs.
“The lone survivor apart from major shareholder Kerry Stokes – who’s the chairman of course – is the former chief financial officer Jeff Howard, who’s now chief executive,” Mr Greenwood said.