Channel Seven has confirmed a controversial change to its television news bulletins – which will include an astrological report from ‘Astro Tash’ – amid a split at the network over a radical restructuring as 150 jobs are lost at the channel.
Several insiders say there is now a tense atmosphere at the station, with some employees “miserable” and taking sick days to find work elsewhere, after a new regime took power intent on changing things.
A ’20 Seconds’ astrological report after the weather forecast in the 6pm bulletin and a weekly comedy sketch on Fridays at 6.57pm hosted by Mark Humphries are some of the major changes viewers will notice over the coming week.
The Daily Mail Australia has been told morale was already “at an all-time low” following the Bruce Lehrmann fiasco on the Spotlight programme and the sacking of veteran reporter Robert Ovadia.
And the raft of new changes following the appointment of new boss Anthony De Ceglie is being viewed with disquiet by some long-time network news insiders, with one critic describing the changes as “depressing”.
“All the journalistic credibility we have worked for for so many years is being destroyed,” they lament. “People are devastated. It looks like a funeral here.”
De Ceglie, Seven’s new director of news and current affairs, has confirmed for the first time that zodiac signs will feature in revamped weekday news stories, just as they have in some newspapers and magazines for decades.
But the new boss hit back at critics, insisting that morale is “excellent” and that “trying new things” is part of the chain’s bold new future.
Seven Network’s new news boss Anthony De Ceglie, pictured with former WA Premier Mark McGowan in 2022, is pushing for changes at Seven, where insiders say the atmosphere is toxic and “like a funeral”.
Instead, he presented the changes as a necessary restructuring of a stagnant format that hasn’t changed in decades.
“If people think we’ve been inventive so far, they haven’t seen anything yet,” De Ceglie said in a statement to Daily Mail Australia.
Seven has been in turmoil in recent weeks, sparked by revelations that emerged during Bruce Lehrmann’s libel trial.
Spotlight boss Mark Llewellyn has left the company after former producer Taylor Auerbach revealed the network’s alleged role in facilitating cocaine and prostitutes for interviews with Bruce Lehrmann.
Veteran journalist Robert Ovadia’s departure came after ABC Four Corners made inquiries into the alleged toxic culture in Seven’s newsroom. Ovadia is now suing Seven for unlawful dismissal.
Those exits – and many more in the digital division – have left some journalists fearing that many more will follow suit. Up to 150 jobs are set to go, with Seven chief executive Jeff Howard expected to announce cuts across the TV and print divisions, and across the sales and marketing teams.
On Tuesday, Seven called the planned layoffs “unfortunate” but added: “We are not discussing the details.”
Disgruntled TV staff fear there will be no other options for them if they leave Seven now and go to other broadcasters, including Nine, which is suffering its own cuts.
One staff member admitted: “There is nowhere else to go.”
From this Friday, a comedy show starring Mark Humphries (above) will follow the news hour, a feature that newsroom stalwarts dread, along with rumours of astrological readings.
Seven also admitted that they will also have an astrologer added to their roster of news presenters, with Astro Tash’s Natasha Weber believed to be taking on the new role.
De Ceglie, nicknamed ADC, confirmed to the Daily Mail Australia that stargazing reports will begin soon and appear after the evening weather forecast.
He added that “everyone is eagerly awaiting Mark Humphries’ first spot this Friday.”
De Ceglie, 38, was appointed Director of News and Current Affairs and Editor-in-Chief of Seven West Media in May.
His promotion came after five years as editor-in-chief of West Australian Newspapers, during which News Corp, for whom he had previously worked, attempted to recruit him back for a senior role in Sydney.
Veteran 7 News anchor Mark Ferguson (right) will step down from the desk during the Paris Olympics, leading some observers to believe he will not return to his decade-long job.
Humphries had a comedy slot on ABC’s 7.30 and hosted the Australian version of BBC comedy show Pointless, which was cancelled after four months in 2019.
The presenter himself later revealed that the franchise was unsuccessful here because it “lacked the comedic banter” of the UK version.
The most controversial of all the rumours surrounding redundancies at Seven concerns long-serving news presenter Mark Ferguson.
‘Fergo’, who worked at Channel Nine for 17 years, including as a nightly news anchor before being replaced by Peter Overton due to declining ratings, has been the nightly presenter of Seven News Sydney since 2014.
Seven claimed the 2023 qualifying year domestically, including wins in Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth, but in the all-important Sydney market, Overton beat Ferguson.
During next month’s Paris Olympics, Nine will have the Australian rights and Ferguson will disappear from the screen while De Ceglie tries out others on the desk during this ratings desert.
Following the departure of Spotlight executive producer Mark Llewellyn (left) and veteran news reporter Robert Ovadia (right), newsroom staff fear they may be next and morale at the network is low.
Ferguson is reported to be wary of the prospect of stargazing, but it appears he will not be reading the zodiac signs, which will be a “20-second slot” after the weather.
But management had a warning for seasoned journalists who are pessimistic about what they fear will be a music hall-style version of the news: They better get used to it.
“Morale is really excellent… and the team is embracing the change and the future that lies ahead,” De Ceglie said.
“We’re not going to be afraid to try new things.”
