Today
Karl Stefanovic and Allison Langdon
News with Deborah Knight
Sport with Tom Steinfort
Weather with Tim Davies
Entertainment with Richard Wilkins
Weekend Today
David Campbell and Sylvia Jefferys
News with Jayne Azzopardi
Sport with Clint Stanaway
Weather with Natalia Cooper
Entertainment with Brooke Boney
Today Extra
Steve Jacobs and Sonia Kruger
Weekend Today Extra
David Campbell and Lara Vella
A Current Affair
Monday to Friday Tracy Grimshaw
Sat and Sunday Georgie Gardner
If I could shuffle the reporting decks at Seven News a bit:
Europe correspondent: Jessica Ridley (Laurel Irving returns to Melbourne) - personally I think Ridley is a good fit for the role - she is of Italian descent.
Europe bureau chief: Cameron Price (Hugh Whitfield returns to Sydney) - He did some work for Nine News and Sky (not the Sky News he joined in September 2011 after his time at Nine came to an end) in London in the first half of 2010. This would also make him a good fit for the role.
Sunrise Melbourne correspondent: Jacqui Felgate (swaps roles with Nathan Templeton who becomes sports editor/presenter on Seven News Melbourne)
Sunrise Melbourne reporter: Georgia Comensoli (swaps roles with David Woiwod who becomes The Latest’s Melbourne reporter)
Joel Dry becomes the permanent Sunrise correspondent in Queensland putting him head to head with his wife, Jessica Millward, who acts in the same role on Today. Bianca Stone stays on as Sunrise reporter (same arrangement as Melbourne).
I reckon, if Flashpoint becomes a national program (which I can’t see happening in the short term), presenters for these markets would be:
Sydney - Michael Usher (Angela Cox or Angie Asimus would replace him on The Latest on Mondays only)
Melbourne - Naomi Robson (she’d be brought back to the network)
Brisbane - Kay McGrath (she’d work three days a week)
Adelaide - Kelly Nestor (I think she works in one of the Adelaide papers these days)
Sydney: Damien Ryan, Luke Dufficy, Kelly Fedor
Melbourne: Eliza Rugg, Braden Ingram, Lana Murphy
Brisbane: Shannon Marshall-McCormack, Paul Murphy, Paris Martin
Adelaide: Tom Angley, Will Crouch, Keziah Sullivan
Perth: Jacquelin Robson, Josh Dawe, Lucy McLeod
Nine Sydney: Peter Overton and Georgie Gardner
Nine Melbourne: Peter Hitchener and Alicia Loxley
Nine Perth: Michael Thomson and Tracy Vo (sacked from Today)
Seven Sydney: Mark Ferguson and Melissa Doyle
Seven Melbourne: Peter Mitchell and Jacqui Felgate
Seven Adelaide (You know John retired): Jane Doyle and Mike Smithson
10 Sydney: Sandra Sully and Hugh Riminton
10 Melbourne: Jennifer Keyte and Stephen Quartermain
10 Brisbane: Georgina Lewis and Joe Hill
10 Adelaide: Rebecca Morse and Alan Murrell
10 Perth: Monika Kos and Gary Adshead (signed from Nine)
In the real world I wonder why Seven Adelaide didn’t think of Mike Smithson as a permanent replacement for John Riddell in the first place.
From memory, Seven News Brisbane’s ratings suffered after Frank Warrick retired in 2001, leaving Kay McGrath to read the weeknight news solo for most of 2002 until she was joined by Rod Young in November that year. Within five years, they’d overtake Nine News as the leading news service in south-east Queensland.
CHANNEL SEVEN
In light of The Latest currently airing at 7:00pm for two weeks to cover the coronavirus pandemic, if this proves successful, and it becomes permanent much like the 4:30 News did after the Iraq War, the Seven News Sydney and The Latest rosters should be:
Seven News Sydney
Sundays-Thursdays: unchanged (i.e. Mark Ferguson (news), Mel McLaughlin (sport), David Brown (weather))
Fridays and Saturdays: Angela Cox (news), Jim Wilson (sport), Sally Bowrey (weather)
The Latest
Sundays-Thursdays: Michael Usher
Fridays and Saturdays: Melissa Doyle
The Latest would air on 7TWO so as to not interrupt Seven’s early-evening programming. Either that, or move Home and Away to 7TWO.
NOTE: Angie Asimus will be going on maternity leave soon hence the reason I placed Sally Bowrey on weather.
Unfortunately that’s probably going to be the case. Shame, since Mike is a great presenter, Rosanna I feel fits more of the reporting/fill-in position.
If @TrueBlue is doing post Jane Doyle retirement, I might as well do post Peter Hitchener retirement.
Pre Hitch Retirement:
4pm News: Alicia Loxley (Mon-Wed) and Brett McLeod (Thurs and Fri) Fill in: Dougal Beatty or Carrie-Anne Greenbank
Weeknight 6pm News: Peter Hitchener
Fill in: Tony Jones or Alicia Loxley
Weekend 6pm News: Alicia Loxley
Fill in: Brett McLeod
Post Hitch Retirement:
4pm News: Brett McLeod (Mon-Thurs) and Dougal Beatty (Fri)
Fill in: Carrie Anne Greenbank
Weeknight 6pm News: Tony Jones (Clint replaces him on sport)
Fill in: Alicia Loxley or Brett McLeod
Weekend 6pm News: Alicia Loxley (Corey Norris moves to sport replacing Clint)
Fill in: Brett McLeod or Dougal Beatty
Alicia should be the only choice for 6PM weeknights in Melbourne. Her ratings on the weekend are huge. She is also very likeable as a presenter. Tony Jones… not so much.
I wouldn’t be entirely disappointed if Brett McLeod succeeded Hitch (We can at least agree that Brett is better than TJ who should stick to Sport…right?), but do think Alicia Loxley should be the prime candidate.