Mark Ferguson looks set to be shafted as the weekday night newsreader at Channel Seven amid several high-profile resignations at the embattled network.
Insiders have suggested that the veteran news anchor, 58, may be replaced by the network’s weekend team, Michael Usher and Angela Cox.
The Daily Telegraph has reported that Seven’s news bosses have ‘warmed to’ the idea of replacing the newsreader with a duo.
Sources claim the weekend news team have been in training since 2021 to take over the weeknight bulletin.
The TV insiders also report that this change was suggested at the end of last year, but former news director Craig McPherson nixed the idea.
Mark Ferguson looks set to be shafted as the weekday night newsreader at Channel Seven amid several high-profile resignations at the embattled network. Pictured
Talk among insiders suggests that the veteran news anchor, 58, may be replaced by the network’s weekend team, Michael Usher and Angela Cox. Both pictured
Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Seven for comment.
The rumoured nightly news shakeup comes as the bloodbath continues at Channel Seven in the wake of the Bruce Lehrmann sex and drugs allegations that hit the network’s flagship current affairs show, Spotlight.
Seven confirmed last month that Mr McPherson – partner to Dancing With The Stars host Sonia Kruger – had suddenly left his position as network director of news and public affairs after nine years in the job.
He will be replaced by Anthony De Ceglie, who currently works as editor-in-chief for News Corp mastheads in Western Australia.
Sources claim the weekend news team have been in training since 2021 to take over the weeknight bulletin
He is the fourth executive to leave the network in April following the scandal over Spotlight’s lucrative deal with Lehrmann, who was found by the Federal Court to have raped Brittany Higgins on a civil scale.
Spotlight secured two exclusive interviews with Lehrmann last year in exchange for a year’s rental of a luxury unit, worth about $105,000, ahead of his defamation case against Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson in the Federal Court.
In the month of April alone, the network lost Mr McPherson, managing director James Warburton, commercial director Bruce McWilliam, and Spotlight executive producer Mark Llewellyn.
The nightly news shakeup comes as the bloodbath continues at Channel Seven in the wake of the Bruce Lehrmann sex and drugs allegations that hit the network’s flagship current affairs show, Spotlight (Lehrman is pictured on Spotlight last year)
Seven also became the subject of a defamation case when Benjamin Cohen was wrongly named on Sunrise as the Bondi Junction killer.
The network settled the case out-of-court in April for an undisclosed sum.
In a media release last month, the Seven West Media managing director and chief executive officer Jeff Howard spoke highly of Mr De Ceglie.
Seven confirmed last month that Craig McPherson (pictured) – partner to Dancing With The Stars host Sonia Kruger – had suddenly left his position as network director of news and public affairs after nine years in the job
‘Anthony brings a compelling vision to the Director of News and Current Affairs and Editor-in-Chief of Seven West Media role,’ newly-appointed SWM managing director and chief executive officer, Jeff Howard, said.
‘His absolute focus on news gathering and storytelling will underpin his approach, while his knowledge of digital and his innovative mindset will be just what SWM needs as we continue to build a better media business.’
Of Mr McPherson, he said: ‘Craig has been one of Australia’s pre-eminent news leaders and we wish him all the best for the future.’
Mr McPherson said he will take a break to spend time with his family.
