I don’t think anyone could forget that.
Always thought you were a watcher and not a viewer Luke.
Exactly what Mal Walden was doing the other day with his tweet,simply supporting a mate.
As we understand it the guy still has a job at the network so it’s not really a big deal. He’s still getting paid and if he wants a new role they’re trying to sort something.
Supporting your mates: Yep, that’s a media industry tradition (from what I can gather, obviously being on the outside).
I’m not sure whether I completely agree with Ross Stephenson’s quoted “In Sydney, you can shoot someone at 2pm and someone else will be in the chair at 6pm” comment - usually most news presenter exits are done quietly over the weekend or a public holiday. Not aware of too many that have been done suddenly before/after a bulletin.
It probably also depends on the ratings status of the news service. Yes, most news presenter changes at Ten Sydney in recent years have happened without much controversy but if (to use the most extreme example) a high profile news presenter at Nine Sydney was suddenly sacked without warning/explanation, I’d bet there’d be mass public outrage.
Interesting that Keyte had been out of contract since the start of the year. You can’t blame her for taking the carrot Ten was dangling if Seven had been dragging out negotiations for a new contract and was trying to get her to take a pay cut. I can’t see Quartermain being ditched from the role having much of an effect on ratings given he has only been in the role for four years and Keyte is a doyen of newsreading in Melbourne.
I have a feeling Seven could lose some more talent from their ranks if the belt tightening and hardball contract negotiations continue.
Question will be whether he thinks that is a demotion from his current role (which it is) and no doubt other parties have been or will approach him?
Seven should loosen the purse strings and hire Quartermain as McAvaney’s successor. McLachlan and McLaughlin aren’t cutting it as the faces of Seven sport.
Indeed now that Ten’s former head of sport David Barham is there (although not focused on the production of AFL) that could be added incentive for Quarts to switch.
Could Ten be playing hard ball too though, knowing that Quarters being poached or wanting to leave is now a real possibility? Obviously Quarters would be on a network contract?
Lachlan Kennedy is presenting news tonight.
I’m not sure Ten’s actions are actually a good sign of more news bulletins. Surely they would go dual presenter in Melbourne which keeps Stephen around for possible other bulletins.
Then again, maybe Stephen is just out of favour.
Saturday -
Sport- Caty Price
Weather -Josh Holt
Amanda Hart is presenting weather weeknights on Sydney News while Tim Bailey is on holidays.
A Herald-Sun report on Quartermain’s axing claims he has turned down the sports presenter role but is expected to remain at the news desk until Keyte starts.
“Everything is up in the air”-Quartermain.
if he has indeed turned down the sports presenter role I don’t know what else Quarters could do.
Seems to me that he’s resigned to the fact that his career at 10 is over.
Same report says he is “shattered”.
I reckon a presser within the week “Stephen Quartermain joins the Seven Network” (unless Foxtel nab him first), nearly eveyone on social media has been urging/expecting this.
Him publically saying he’s shattered and has turned down his old role speaks volumes!