Craig McPherson: News and current affairs boss tipped to deliver more bad news for Seven staff
THE bloodletting looks set to continue at Channel 7 as news and current affairs boss Craig McPherson tries to arrest the ratings dip overseen by predecessors Chris Willis and Rob Raschke.
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THE bloodletting looks set to continue apace at Channel 7 as the network’s enigmatic news and current affairs overlord Craig McPherson continues his quest to arrest the ratings dip suffered at the hands of his predecessors Chris Willis and Rob Raschke.
After quickly installing former radio host Jason Morrison as the network’s new Sydney director of news, the pair have been swift to make changes to their prime-time line-up, bringing in Mel McLaughlin to read sport and David Brown to present weather.
While Seven News won the week that was, insiders say it is still consistently losing the second half of the news hour to Channel 9, prompting talk that even more sweeping changes are looming.
Rumours persist that McPherson may cut the one-hour news bulletin back to half an hour, with an eye to reviving his beloved tabloid Today Tonight at 6.30pm — the same show he served on as a long-time executive producer.
McPherson has quashed the rumours previously, yet with Nine’s A Current Affair still performing strongly, many believe Today Tonight may be revived. McPherson left Seven unhappily after bosses dumped the show two years ago.
Meanwhile eyebrows have been raised around a few Martin Place corridors about the decision to appoint Melbourne weather man David Brown, who replaced popular reporter Sarah Cumming, and whether the dynamic works.
Also weighing heavily on McPherson’s mind is said to be the network’s flagship news program Sunday Night, which was thrown into turmoil on Thursday when EP Steven Taylor was unceremoniously let go in favour of Nine veteran and long-time McPherson pal Hamish Thomson.
Taylor took the job 18 months ago from Mark Llewellyn who parted ways with the company after a highly publicised physical punch-up with producer Paul Waterhouse.
While Taylor has retained an air of quiet dignity since his exit, one insider at the pointy end of Seven’s executive structure suggested that Taylor’s demise was sparked when he made the decision to knock back a Taylor Swift interview.
Thomson’s appointment brings Seven to its next potential issue.
The arrival of Thomson has raised questions of how the relationship will work between him and his deputy Richard Andrews, with the pair having previously clashed while working at Nine.
Another man said to be under immense pressure under the new regime is well-liked deputy Sydney news director Stuart Wallace.
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