Secret internal ratings figures show Seven’s TV news figures have plummeted since the network made the shock decision to sack long-serving news presenter Sharyn Ghidella.
Top-secret figures obtained exclusively by Daily Mail Australia reveal that in just two weeks, Seven News Brisbane has lost a significant 29,000 viewers.
The ratings drop puts Seven some 88,000 viewers behind Nine’s Brisbane news on Monday, compared with just 60,000 behind on Monday 8 July, before his axing.
This means Seven News has slipped dangerously towards the figures of Nine’s flagship contest, Tipping Point, since axing the well-known news presenter.
An industry source told Daily Mail Australia that was “a dangerous tipping point in itself, in what is essentially a two-market city, to be less than 30,000 people away from the 5pm contest”.
Ghidella, the face of Seven News in Queensland since 2007, learned she had been abruptly ousted from the network ten days ago after nearly four decades in the industry.
Ghidella was at the salon getting her hair done for a network promotion at the time.
Seven News Brisbane’s ratings have plummeted since popular veteran news presenter Sharyn Ghidella was sensationally axed from the bulletin, with the newscast losing a massive 30,000 viewers.
Sharyn Ghidella (right, with 7-star Nat Barr) said she was “sitting at the salon for work when I got the call telling me that after 17 years at the network, my time was up.”
Seven’s ratings in Brisbane plummet
Monday, July 8th:
Brisbane Ratings
9News 242,000
7News 182,000
Tipping point 137,000
Friday July 12:
Veteran Brisbane news anchor Sharyn Ghidella gets caught seven times
Monday, July 22:
Brisbane Ratings
9News 241,000
7News 153,000
Tipping point 127,000
Seven’s Brisbane news ratings have fallen since Ghidella’s sacking
Figures obtained by the Mail show that on the last Monday that Ghidella read the news, Seven’s Brisbane ratings were 182,000, compared with 242,000 for Nine and 137,000 for Tipping Point.
On Monday 22 July, figures showed Seven News had 153,000, Nine News 241,000 and Tipping Point 127,000.
Ghidella, 58, did not stay silent. She revealed that she had been fired in a controversial Facebook post on July 12.
After anxious weeks of media job cuts and rumours in the corridors of the Seven newsroom since the appointment of new boss Anthony De Ceglie, Ghidella took aim at the broadcaster.
She criticized him for prioritizing gimmicks like his new astrological readings after the weather forecast and a weekly comedy segment over veteran talent.
“When you work in television as long as I have, not a day goes by that you don’t expect a tap on the shoulder… After 38 years, I’ve finally gotten a tap on the shoulder,” Ghidella wrote online.
‘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 this decision saddens me a little, I also feel some relief.
‘As has been widely reported, the last few weeks on television have, sadly, been a miserable affair.’
The TV source told the Mail: “Leaving Ghidella behind has been terrible for Seven and they are now losing viewers.”
Sharynh Ghidella, who was with 7 Network for 17 years, is pictured (third from left, top) with Natalie Barr, Mike Amor, Michael Usher, Chris Reason and Mark Riley.
Seven News Brisbane’s ratings were dangerously close to those of Nine’s The Tipping Point contest. One industry insider told Daily Mail Australia that was “a dangerous tipping point in itself in what is essentially a two-market city, to be less than 30,000 viewers away from the 5pm contest”.
Seven has come under fire after premiering a new satirical segment hosted by comedian Mark Humphries at the end of its Friday night edition.
Viewers were divided over the sketch, with many sharing their opinions on social media.
“You have sacked Sharyn Ghidella and now at the end of the news you have a very dumb, stupid and unfunny idiot. I will never watch Seven News again,” wrote one woman on X.
In response to questions about 7News Brisbane’s ratings, a spokesperson for the broadcaster said Seven News had won in Brisbane last Sunday night.
The spokesperson also claimed that Nine’s coverage of the Olympics was already beginning to affect Seven even before the opening ceremony.
The development comes amid a time of change at the network across the country, with eyebrows raised over presenter Angela Cox fronting Sydney’s 6pm bulletin alone.