Channel Seven news boss Craig McPherson on Sydney anchor Mark Ferguson’s future with Michael Usher appointment

CHANNEL Seven News’ boss has something to say about Sydney anchor Mark Ferguson after the hiring of Nine defector Michael Usher.

SEVEN news boss Craig McPherson has endorsed Sydney anchor Mark Ferguson in the 6pm newsreader role “for as long as he wants it” — despite hiring 60 Minutes star Michael Usher as the network’s new Plan B.

McPherson denied he had been locked into supporting Ferguson in the prime-time position by long-term contracts signed by his predecessors, but said Usher, who will take over from Melissa Doyle reading the Friday and Saturday night bulletins, “adds strength” to Seven in its battle against rivals Nine.

The latest job swaps at Seven will see Doyle move to a fulltime role as host and senior correspondent for the Sunday Night program; while her former 60 Minutes opponent Usher will shadow Ferguson as newsreader when free to join Seven from October 8.

While Seven has narrowed its losing margin to Nine’s Peter Overton in Sydney, an upbeat McPherson rejected as “scuttlebutt” any talk that Ferguson’s job remained in jeopardy.

“I think Mark Ferguson is sort of unsurpassed really in what he does and as far as I’m concerned, Mark’s got the job for as long as he wants it,” McPherson told News Corp Australia.

Michael Usher will replace Melissa Doyle as a weekend newsreader for Sydney’s Seven News. Picture: Salty Dingo

OzTam figures across weeks seven to 33 of this year’s ratings survey (not including the boosts from cricket, tennis or the Olympics) show Seven in Sydney averaged 259,000 viewers (up 10 per cent, year-on-year) to Nine’s 292,000 people (down seven per cent) — an upward trend McPherson hopes continues.

“The ratings are what drive us and we have to improve everywhere, particularly in Sydney. But I’d rather have our trend lines than Channel 9’s,” he said.

“The success or otherwise is not always hinged on presenters, but you want your best guy in the chair, or your best lady and from where I sit Mark’s far and away our best. Michael is a great adjunct to that and he’ll take the seat when Mark goes on holidays, if Mark’s on assignment, whatever, he’ll fill the chair.”

As announced last week, Usher will also front a series of news specials, expected to air from early 2017.

Meanwhile, both McPherson and Doyle took exception to claims she had been “dumped” from her newsreading role to make way for the network’s new recruit.

The former Sunrise favourite said she had been limited in the stories she could chase for the flagship show, while tied to presenting the news twice a week.

Seven personality Melissa Doyle is moving to a fulltime role on its Sunday Night program. Picture: Supplied

“I certainly felt like I had a foot in two camps, so to be able to take on more at Sunday Night, to have a little bit of flexibility around hosting and recording and being able to travel further afield is pretty appealing.”

Making the same shift Liz Hayes did from breakfast television (on Nine’s Today) to foreign correspondent (on 60 Minutes) is “a chance to evolve as a journalist,” Doyle said. “I don’t want people thinking it’s anything else but, or rob me of that excitement. I’m thrilled.”

McPherson admitted Doyle “hadn’t been productive” in the divided role, but her fulltime focus on SN7 would “allow her to be out and about in the field, to align herself more to the program, not just turn up and read the autocue for three or four intros and then do the very odd story.”

Getting in a swipe to the program’s beleaguered rival 60 Minutes, McPherson said they would continue with their single host format because “I don’t think we always want to copy what 60 Minutes does, now do we?”

The opportunity to steal viewers from 60 Minutes, especially after its child snatch saga, “was the case prior to Beirut and more so the case now,” McPherson said.

“It’s one of those situations where you just sit back and don’t have to do anything. You sit back and watch, mouth agape and I don’t say that lightly because I think they went through a tough time. But it’s self-inflicted, so it was enough for Sunday Night and Channel 7 to stay out of it.”

Looking ahead, he said, “it’s certainly up to us, our program, to deliver a product that people will come and have a look at and hopefully tune into from one week to the other.”

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