Musical chairs continue at Seven with major face taking on new gig

Amid constant uncertainty across the media sector, Channel 7 has continued to make changes to safeguard its future. Here is what you need to know.

Seven News correspondent Hugh Whitfeld in Moscow.

Seven will streamline its news operations to a national desk that will see high profile reporter Hugh Whitfeld return to Australia after a decade abroad.

Confidential can reveal the latest move by new Director of News and Current Affairs Anthony De Ceglie will see Whitfeld take the helm as Director of the 7NEWS National News Desk.

An internal memo to staff issued on Thursday detailed the changes.

“The 7NEWS National News Desk will be home to a centralised team of journalists whose responsibility as expert editors in their round will be to deliver exclusive content beyond anything seen on television,” the email read. “The specialist rounds cover everything from Business and Aviation to Property and Asia.”

Canberra and Foreign Bureaus will also fall under the national newsdesk remit.

It is the latest shake-up at Seven over recent weeks and follows a number of changes elsewhere in news.

There have been a number of redundancies, including Brisbane newsreader Sharyn Ghidella.

Like all media, the broadcaster is making major changes to safeguard for its future amid constant change.

Seven executive Anthony De Ceglie.

Hugh Whitfeld.

Confidential has already reported Sydney’s Mark Ferguson will take holidays during the Olympics as Seven also looks to reduce excess annual leave even among its most high-profile talent.

Whitfeld, 39, has spent the past decade working across Europe on everything from the war in Ukraine to the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

He will be based out of Seven’s Eveleigh headquarters with reporters filing from bureau’s across the country.

Whitfeld will also have the Foreign Editor round with Amelia Brace as Business Editor, Mark Riley leading Federal Politics and Rob Scott Asia Editor.

The National News Desk will work alongside and with individual state newsrooms.

With Whitfeld returning to Australia, it will leave reporter Ashlee Mullany as Seven’s only correspondent based in Europe. She works out of London.

US correspondents Tim Lester, David Woiwod and Mylee Hogan will report through to the National News Desk.

Elsewhere at Seven, De Ceglie has made changes behind the scenes and follows the decision to move Sunrise executive producer Sean Power into the position of Director of News in Sydney.

Seven’s Mylee Hogan. Picture: Claudia Baxter

Channel 7 reporter Ashlee Mullany.

Jake Lyle is the new EP of Sunrise while Holly Fallon is the new head of Weekend Sunrise and Chloe Flynn remains at The Morning Show.

They report to Director of Morning Television Sarah Stinson.

In May, it was announced De Ceglie had poached rising star Gemma Williams from Nine to take the helm at the beleaguered Spotlight current affairs program that goes head-to-head with 60 Minutes.

Williams replaced Mark Llewellyn, who resigned following damaging claims about how the current affairs show secured the controversial Bruce Lehrmann interview.

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