A bad move from Nine sacking Jim Waley to make way for Fergo in which 7 became the #1 news in Sydney as a result
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Fergo was appointed after he achieved high ratings while reading Nine News during the 2004-05 summer, which of course was when the Asian tsunami occurred.
But once Ian Ross returned on Seven News ahead of the start of the 2005 ratings season, they went on a tear, and Nineâs Sydney news ratings plunged to lows not seen for a long time in that market. Even if Jim Waley had remained (from what I heard, he was sacked before he was due to return from his break), things wouldâve also gotten worse.
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Jim Waley was loosing against Ian Ross, hence why Fergo was brought in.
Nine News still won 27 weeks in the Sydney market, but I donât think viewers were resonating with Jim Waley like they did with the late Brian Henderson (who admittedly left some massive shoes to fill at TCN upon his retirement in 2002).
Nine brought in an abbreviated version of the original Millionaire in June 2004 to try and arrest its sliding news ratings in that market, but it didnât work and Seven News won the week in which it aired. IIRC, that same week (June 14-18) saw DoND crown its first $200,000 top prize winner.
2005 saw Seven News win every week in Sydney except one (and I think they may have won the first seventeen weeks too).
Love Ann Sanders. A gracious comment at the end âGood luck to Ianâ.
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Luckily for Ann, she remained with the network and moved to weekends the following year, replacing Chris Bath who switched to the Morning News.
The two would switch positions in 2006.
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