Axed Channel 10 newsreader Stephen Quartermain says he is shattered

STEPHEN Quartermain has broken his silence about his shock axing as Channel 10’s Melbourne news anchor, saying he was caught completely off guard.

A “SHATTERED” Stephen Quartermain has broken his silence about his shock axing as Channel 10’s Melbourne news anchor.

“All I can say is I am shattered, but what is done is done,” Quartermain said.

“I feel I still have a lot to offer, I have heaps of experience, I am full of energy, so I am looking forward to the next challenge, whatever that may be.

PAGE 13; QUARTERMAIN LAST TO KNOW?

SEVEN NEWS STAR JENNIFER KEYTE DEFECTS TO TEN

“But I have to say I have been absolutely overwhelmed and staggered at the amount of support I have got. It has been very humbling.”

The respected newsreader, popular sports commentator and radio presenter said he could not comment on his plans and had been caught completely off guard by Ten’s decision to move him on.

“Everything is up in the air,” he said.

Stephen Quartermain on his way to 3AW. Picture: Nicole Garmston

Quartermain, 56, was told he had been axed as Ten’s newsreader on Tuesday afternoon, before the 5pm main news bulletin.

It was announced the following night, just after he had finished on air, that he was to be replaced with Jennifer Keyte, who resigned from Channel 7 to take on the role.

It is believed Quarter­main, who has six months left on his contract, was offered the sports presenter role, but turned it down.

Quartermain was positive and focused on Saturday as he went from hosting the 3AW show, A Moveable Feast, with host and friend Ross Stevenson, to calling the Essendon v Richmond match at the MCG for Crocmedia’s AFL Nation.

“A Moveable Feast, that was booked about six weeks ago, and I am calling the football, so it is a long working day, which is good because it keeps me busy,” Quartermain said.

Steve Quartermain with Ross Stevenson at 3AW. Picture: 3AW

“I like being busy.”

Highly respected former newsreader Mal Walden said Quartermain’s axing was a stark reminder of how tough newsrooms could be.

“My immediate thought was things have not changed,” Walden said.

“News directors are still calling the shots from Sydney and telling the people in Melbourne what and who they should watch and doing it just before someone goes to air, which is the most inopportune time to break bad news. It shows again the sort of character that Stephen is that he was able to go on despite the news.”

Quartermain is expected to remain at the newsdesk until Keyte starts.

Stephen Quartermain with wife Paige and children Jack and Scarlett. Picture: Julie Kiriacoudis

Ten’s director of news content, Ross Dagan, paid tribute to Quartermain, who has anchored Melbourne’s news bulletin for more than four years.

“He is a class act and we appreciate all he has done, not just in the news chair, but over his many years with the network, particularly in sport,” Mr Dagan said.

Ten is talking to Quarter­main about what it described as “a substantive role”.

Ten’s Melbourne news bulletin has been performing better than Sydney recently.

According to industry publication MediaWeek, the average audience for Ten’s First At Five news last week shows Melbourne attracted the biggest news audiences for the network.

 

KEYTE’S TEN MOVE A ‘SURPRISE’

JENNIFER Keyte’s bold move to leave Channel 7 and sign with Network Ten caught the industry by surprise.

While Ten’s decision to move on its highly regarded newsreader Stephen Quartermain came as a shock last week, equally surprising was Keyte’s defection from Seven where she had
been on the 7 News team since 2003.

Keyte had been out of contract with Seven since the start of the year with negotiations progressing and a new “flat” contract tabled for the same salary.

Keyte’s Ten deal is thought to be worth slightly more, between $300,000 — $350,000 and will see her fronting Melbourne’s weekday First At Five bulletin.

Jennifer Keyte is joining Channel 10. Picture: Jason Edwards

However, her decision to sign with Ten caught Seven off-side when she tendered her resignation late Wednesday afternoon.

It is a sign of the respect both Keyte and Quartermain are held in that the move of one of Seven’s biggest stars to a rival network has been treated with a degree of dignity missing when Ten trumpeted its poaching of Lisa Wilkinson from rival Nine last October.

Keyte’s departure from Seven has opened up the plum weekend news presenter role. Blake Johnson has stepped into Keyte’s vacated seat this weekend and already Seven has seen a flood of applications, including from readers at other networks.

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