Seven West Media’s James Warburton hires a new spin doctor

Seven chief executive James Warburton. John Feder/The Australian

Less than a week out from the release of his first-half results, still relatively new Seven West Media boss James Warburton has gone out and hired himself a spin doctor.

While billionaire media proprietor Kerry Stokes has spent the Aussie summer skiing the slopes of Beaver Creek, Warburton has been hunting down a new communications boss to run things following the exit of Stephen Browning last October in favour of a more explosive gig at Orica.

Margin Call hears that former NSW government spinner Julia Lefort has just been persuaded to sign on the dotted line at Seven to take on a role that was made notorious by the long serving and inimitable Simon Francis.

Those were the days.

Lefort was most recently head of media and internal engagement at the department of premier and cabinet.

TV, mags and newspapers, we suspect, will be way more fun.