Veteran weatherman Paul Burt has hit out at Channel Seven in an awkward final on-air segment after the network sacked him.
The Queensland presenter was recently axed by Seven after nearly three decades in the industry as part of a cost-cutting bloodbath.
On Saturday he presented his last weather segment and, as he said goodbye, he criticized the network in crisis.
“If I had had the opportunity, I wouldn’t have wanted to go down this path. That’s what happens when you get fired,” he said at the end of the 6:00 p.m. newscast.
The newsletter then awkwardly transitioned into a montage of Paul introducing segments throughout the years.
Burt said The Australian They gave him only 55 seconds to say goodbye to me.
He has worked for Ten, Nine and Seven during his long media career.
This comes after veteran Channel Seven presenter Sharyn Ghidella was also sacked from the network earlier this month, after nearly four decades in the news industry.
Veteran weatherman Paul Burt has hit out at Channel Seven in an awkward final on-air segment after the network axed him. He presented his final weather segment on Saturday and took aim at the failing network during his farewell.
Ghidella, 58, the face of Seven News in Queensland since 2007, confirmed the news in an impassioned Facebook post.
She said her “tap on the shoulder” finally came while she was in the salon, admitting it was something of a “relief” after several anxious weeks over media job cuts.
But she was determined not to go quietly and criticised the ailing network for prioritising gimmicks like astrological readings over retaining veteran talent.
“When you work in television for as long as I have, not a day goes by that you don’t expect a tap on the shoulder… After 38 years, I finally got a tap on the shoulder,” Ghidella began.
‘It wasn’t exactly how I expected it to end up at Channel Seven.
‘I was sitting in the salon for work when I got a call telling me that after 17 years at the chain, my time was up.’
Ghidella later said her recent time at the network had been “miserable” and that she was glad to be walking out the door.
“While I am a little saddened by this decision, I also feel a certain relief. As has been widely reported, the past two weeks on television have sadly been a miserable affair,” he wrote.
‘A long list of talented, loyal and dedicated employees have been shown the door, in what seems to have been a never-ending process of slowly ripping off the band-aid when it comes to removing what has been deemed excess stock.
“These people are some of the best content creators in the industry. They’re good people and it’s been heartbreaking to watch.”
Ghidella added that he was not happy with the rebranding of the network’s news programming, which will see comedian Mark Humphries doing a comedy sketch at 6:57pm tonight, and ‘Astro Tash’ starting an astrology report next week.
This comes after veteran Channel Seven presenter Sharyn Ghidella (pictured) was also axed from the network earlier this month, after nearly four decades in the news industry.
“I’m also not one to like the evening news with humor and horoscopes, so to be honest, it’s time for me to go,” Ghidella joked.
“As I often say, the caravan moves on. There is certainly still a lot of talent in the team and I wish them all the best for the future.”
He ended his post by bluntly thanking the many friends he had made throughout his long career at the network.
‘I want to express my sincere thanks to everyone who has made this possible so far, including previous employers such as the Stokes, Packer and Gleeson families and the news directors, executive producers and station managers who saw fit to give a young boy from Babinda (in rural Queensland) a chance. I owe them a lot.
“Then there are the viewers… You will never know how much your generosity and support means to you. What a privilege it is to be welcomed into your homes to bring you the news of the day,” he added.
Melbourne crime reporter Cameron Baud (pictured) was recently sacked by the Network.
There has been a bloodbath at Seven in the wake of cost cuts as the broadcaster’s news division comes under new management.
Three big names to have recently appeared on the network include veterans Robert Ovadia, Andrew Frampton and seasoned Melbourne crime reporter Cameron Baud, known to friends as the “Reaper of Sorrows” for his grim reporting.
On the Sydney front, Ovadia – perhaps the most high-profile figure in all the dismissals until Ghidella’s – has announced he will take Seven to the Fair Work Commission for unfair dismissal.
Daily Mail Australia has revealed that Ovadia allegedly sent a series of bizarre and manipulated images to a young female journalist before he was dumped.
Robert Ovadia (pictured) has announced he will take Seven to the Fair Work Commission for unfair dismissal
