7News Adelaide news director Chris Salter named Seven Melbourne’s new news director

Another key member of Channel 7 Adelaide’s top-rating news team has been poached by one of its interstate newsrooms.

Another key member of Channel 7 Adelaide’s top-rating news team has been poached by its Melbourne newsroom.

7NEWS Adelaide news director Chris Salter has been appointed Seven Melbourne’s new Director of News, starting in July.

A former journalist at The Advertiser, Salter will take over from Shaun Menegola, who announced his departure earlier this month.

“I can’t wait to roll up my sleeves and get to work alongside the many brilliant people who make up the Melbourne newsroom,” said Salter, who has been in the Adelaide role since June 2018.

“It’s been a tremendous honour to lead Seven’s Adelaide newsroom. Their commitment to telling South Australia’s stories is inspiring, and the reason viewers keep tuning in.”

It comes seven months after Channel 7 Adelaide sports reporter Theo Doropoulos was chosen to replace the station’s AFL footy chief Tom Browne in Melbourne.

Seven West Media’s new news and current affairs boss Anthony De Ceglie said Salter had done an “amazing job” in Adelaide.

Chris Salter - new Seven News Melbourne news boss.

“I’m really pleased that he has agreed to take this new role and I know he is going to make a huge mark on 7NEWS Melbourne as we endeavour to think differently about the future of our platforms,” he said.

Salter has held various senior positions in newsrooms including news executive, producer and reporter.

He was poached from Channel 9 Adelaide to be Seven’s deputy news director in late 2015, and has helped 7News maintain its ratings dominance, with the station number one in Adelaide for more than 13 years.

The network said Salter’s replacement in Adelaide will be revealed soon.

Insiders say deputy news director for the past three years, Mark Mooney, is the “frontrunner” to take over the vacant role.

Earlier this month, 7News Melbourne news director Menegola announced his departure from the station saying it was “entirely his decision”.

“It’s not one driven by anything else other than the fact that I’m looking to take a break to recharge and reboot – and to spend some time in my home state with family,” he said at the time.

That announcement came days after Seven’s head of News and Current Affairs Craig McPherson revealed he was leaving the Network, to be replaced by De Ceglie.

Menegola joined the 7News team in 2018 when he was headhunted from Nine. He replaced former Herald Sun editor Simon Pristel.

7News Melbourne has won the 6pm TV news battle for the past two years.