Mayhem on the mountain: What’s going on at Nine News Qld?
From high-profile exits, ugly court fights and staff on edge, the past 12 months has had everything for Channel Nine.
Channel 9 Queensland has been rocked by a 2025 shake‑up, with shock exits, a fresh face at the desk and the axe swinging through newsrooms.
From Andrew Lofthouse bowing out to Joel Dry stepping in alongside Melissa Downes, the prime‑time line‑up has had a full makeover.
But it’s the cuts on the Gold Coast and the changes elsewhere that have insiders buzzing - and viewers asking who’s next?
Comings and goings
Joel Dry
The former political reporter returned to Nine and stepped up as weeknight co‑anchor alongside Melissa Downes from August 18, marking a return to the double‑anchor format for 9News Queensland.
“We are thrilled with the success of Melissa and Joel’s new partnership and the viewer feedback is overwhelmingly positive,” Nine Queensland news director Brendan Hockings said in September.
Andrew Lofthouse
The long‑serving weeknight presenter stepped away after 17 years, paving the way for the Dry-Downes pairing and a refreshed look for the 6pm bulletin.
Tim Arvier
After 21 years with Nine, Arvier exited in July to lead the Queensland Government’s crisis communications network, handling public info during floods, cyclones and major emergency events.
Jonathan Uptin
Weeknight sport presenter whose contract was not renewed amid Nine’s restructure this week, with changes flagged for the Brisbane sports desk.
Bronte Gildea
The reporter and sports presenter for 9News Gold Coast first filled in for Dominique Loudon who went on maternity leave in February.
By November the girlfriend of Brisbane Broncos star Pat Carrigan was touted as the replacement for Uptin.
Behind the scenes staff
As part of Nine’s national restructure this week, Brisbane newsroom roles were hit.
Supervising producer Leon Cull and operations co‑ordinator Jessica Llewelyn were both made redundant.
Newsroom shifts
Gold Coast
Nine trimmed the bureau, cutting three full‑time journalism roles and shifting the nightly local bulletin to a single‑newsreader setup, with Paul Taylor and Eva Milic splitting the chair.
The move raised questions about depth of on‑the‑ground coverage in the booming corridor.
Northern Territory
Nine News Darwin was axed, with NT viewers now taking the Queensland bulletin.
Critics argued it weakened local storytelling in a state with distinct news needs.
Controversies and talking points
The $100 million restructure
Job cuts across streaming and broadcast (including Brisbane) drew heat, especially for their timing close to Christmas and the uncertainty created for staff.
Nine pitched the shake‑up as reducing duplication and driving growth in a tough ad market, but the optics were rough.
Localism vs consolidation
Slashing the Gold Coast bureau and axing Darwin’s local news fed a broader industry debate: can centralised production still deliver street‑level coverage audiences expect in fast‑growing regions?
Patterson case
Former Nine Brisbane news boss Amanda Paterson in February settled an unlawful termination case she levelled against the network.
The case was discontinued in the Fair Work Commission following a conciliation hearing.
Paterson was dismissed in November 2024 by Nine Director of News and Current Affairs Fiona Dear.
A spokesperson for Nine said: “Nine and Amanda Paterson have settled their dispute in the Fair Work Commission. The terms of settlement are confidential and without admissions by either party.
“Neither party intends to comment further on the matter.”
Maternity leave
Sports reporter Dominique Loudon in February departed the small screen for impending motherhood.
“This baby has been 6 years in the making – a journey involving IVF, gene testing, LMT (fertility treatment) lots of medical appointments & supportive doctors and nurses,” she posted on social media after departing Mt Coot-tha.
Loudon and husband Martin Lang welcomed Josephine in July.
‘Crazy timing’
In a move that raised eyebrows among Brisbane media circles, Channel 9 Queensland in May quietly let go of a newly hired publicist — just one month and 20 days after she relocated from Sydney to take on the role.
The experienced media professional confirmed the news herself in a candid and humorous social media post, describing her abrupt departure as a “whirlwind romance” with Nine that ended in a “hilariously premature” fashion.
“I was just starting to figure out the treacherous Brisbane roads and – poof – I was made redundant,” she wrote, adding she had only just finished setting up her desk before learning her services were “no longer required”.
There was no suggestion of ill will on her part, with the outgoing staffer clarifying there was “no hate” towards Channel 9 and that the decision was simply “crazy timing”.
