Annette Sharp: Allison Langdon not happy to be overlooked for election night duties

Sources say Today co-host Ally Langdon is bristling over Nine’s choice to use Melbourne newsreader Alicia Loxley for its election night broadcast, writes Annette Sharp.

Today co-host Ally Langdon has taken Nine’s election coverage snub to heart, according to sources who say she is bristling over Nine’s choice of Melbourne newsreader Alicia Loxley over the breakfast show anchor.

So aggrieved is Langdon over Loxley’s appointment, we hear, she raised her dissatisfaction two weeks ago with Nine’s director of news Darren Wick.

According to sources, Langdon vented her frustration that the coveted election-night gig starring alongside prime-time Sydney evening newsreader Peter Overton would go to another.

Nine robustly denied this yesterday, a spokeswoman insisting there had been no “tantrum” — their word, not ours — from Langdon.

Loxley will now be introduced to a broad national audience as part of Nine’s election coverage team.

Today co-host Allison Langdon is said to be unhappy she was overlooked for election night hosting duties. Picture: Toula Udowenko

The news comes after Langdon attacked Prime Minister Scott Morrison on the Today show in March over his big-spending budget and Labor leader Anthony Albanese, through his deputy leader Richard Marles, at the start of this month for not being across his briefs.

It also comes two months after 60 Minutes reporter Sarah Abo filled in for Langdon on Today, garnering headlines.

Abo was tapped this month to host Nine’s second election debate between Mr Morrison and Mr Albanese.

Nine has a long history of appointing Today’s female hosts to its federal election coverage.

Deborah Knight, Lisa Wilkinson, Tracy Grimshaw and Liz Hayes, all former Today anchors, have participated through the years as, previously, has Today anchor Karl Stefanovic.

The role as host of a TV broadcaster’s election-night coverage is considered one of the most prestigious and demanding on TV.

It’s a test not only of a presenter’s stamina and professionalism during an extended freewheeling live six-hour television event, but also of their political expertise, their composure as such nights frequently descend into slanging matches, and their ability to command a broad field of reporters and commentators.

Melbourne newsreader Alicia Loxley will be sitting next to Peter Overton come election night.

Nine’s rising star Abo was criticised for losing control of the poorly moderated second election debate when it descended into a disorderly and incoherent shouting match.

According to reports, Langdon and Stefanovic had previously pitched to anchor Nine’s election night coverage, but with Today’s ratings once again in decline, this column understands news bosses were eager to reassert Nine’s historic news leadership rather than have its news brand overshadowed by Stefanovic’s own tired comedy brand.

Overton and Loxley will be joined by Nine’s political editor Chris Uhlmann and a panel of former and current politicians, including Julie Bishop, Bill Shorten, Jane Hume, Matt Canavan and Kate Ellis.

Loxley’s appointment, sources suggested last week, may have come from the very top of the media company — chairman of the Nine board and former Liberal politician Peter Costello, a staunch Melburnian who has been pushing for cultural reform internally.

Is the honeymoon over for Peter Costello and Mike Sneesby? Picture: James Brickwood.

That change is rumoured to have claimed the editor of The Sydney Morning Herald last year when Lisa Davies departed.

This month came news that newspaper’s deputy editor Cosima Marriner – a veteran favoured by Nine newspaper staff and apparently Davies herself to replace her – has quit the broadsheet after being overlooked for the job, that role instead going somewhat controversially to one-time European correspondent Bevan Shields.

Marriner has now joined the Australian Financial Review.

The latest Nine employee said to be feeling disaffected is the newly appointed CEO, Mike Sneesby.

After a year in the role there have been grumblings former Stan boss Sneesby and chairman Costello are now at odds, with Sneebsy’s hard focus on streaming platform profitability in question.

Two sources have told this column the honeymoon between Sneesby, Costello’s captain’s pick for the top job, and Costello has now ended.

The perceived narrowness of Sneesby’s interests and his low visibility management style have also been called into question by staff who had hoped the famously social Sneesby would bring with him a management style more in line with that of former chief executive David Gyngell than with socially awkward recently departed chief Hugh Marks.

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