Seven cans Today Tonight in Adelaide and Perth

Seven Network has axed its current affairs program Today Tonight in Adelaide and Perth after 25 years.

Seven director of news and public affairs Craig McPherson. Picture: John Feder

Seven Network has axed its current affairs program Today Tonight in Adelaide and Perth after 25 years, as part of a cost cutting push by the Kerry Stokes-controlled free-to-air television broadcaster.

The decision, which comes nearly two months after Seven cancelled its flagship program, Sunday Night, is set to lead to the axing of about 25 journalists, including Perth host Monica Kos and production crew. Rosanna Mangiarelli, who hosts the program in Adelaide, is one of a dozen journalists heading back to Seven’s newsrooms.

Director of news and public affairs Craig McPherson blamed the decision on declining audience numbers and cost pressures, amid very tough advertising market conditions.

“For 25 years, Today Tonight has dominated in Perth and Adelaide, producing more than 25,000 stories reflecting the good, the bad and everything in between of their constantly growing markets,” Mr McPherson said in a brief statement on Tuesday.

“To end such a successful reign has been one of the toughest decisions, but a necessary one, as the audiences shift and change along with the economics.”

Mr McPherson, who oversees about 550 staff, said Today Tonight in Adelaide and Perth has performed strongly against competitors, including the second-half of Nine’s hour-long news program and before that, A Current Affair, but costs had to be cut.

“The economic equation sort of shows us that we’ll get that audience with a one-hour news (program) at less cost,” he told The Australian. “Very much a cost-saving exercise.”

Seven’s news in the two cities will revert to a one-hour format from December 2, in line with the east coast, Mr McPherson said.

Mangiarelli would continue to present Seven’s afternoon news in Adelaide and work on “other potential projects”.

Journalist Mark Gibson said on Twitter that he was “enormously proud of our little show (in Perth) and the stories we have produced in the 11+ years that I’ve been a part of it”.

The final editions of Today Tonight in Adelaide and Perth will air on Thursday and Friday, respectively.

The move comes after Seven West Media's recently appointed chief executive James Warburton canned Sunday Night, which went head-to-head with Nine's long-running 60 Minutes, as part of a major overhaul that included several senior executive departures.

Mr Warburton, who came on board mid-August, has axed more than half of his direct reports, cutting them from 17 to eight as he looks to rebuild the group.

Seven is also buying regional broadcaster Prime Media for $64m and selling its Pacific Magazines division to Bauer Media and its Western Australian radio assets Redwave to Southern Cross Media.