Seven’s new boss Anthony De Ceglie’s shake up includes focusing on Spotlight and digital audience
Former newspaper editor Anthony De Ceglie’s arrival at Seven is causing nervousness within the network as it embarks on its biggest shake-up in years.
Channel 7’s trouble-plagued investigative program, Spotlight, will be a key focus for the media company’s newly-appointed news boss Anthony De Ceglie as the network undergoes its biggest shake-up in years.
Announced as Seven West Media’s director of news and current affairs, and editor in chief last Monday, sources within Seven have told The Australian there is “nervousness” across the country about future of other senior managers following a “dramatic first week” in which Seven’s news boss, Craig McPherson, and director of news in Melbourne Shaun Menegola both exited.
De Ceglie’s arrival comes just a week after former chief financial officer Jeff Howard took over as managing director from chief executive officer James Warburton, with one insider saying the personnel overhaul represents an “opportunity to rethink everything”.
Sources have told The Australian that De Ceglie, the former editor in chief of The West Australian newspaper, who has now relocated from Perth to Sydney to take up his new role, has already addressed the news directors in the five major metropolitan markets, as well as Seven’s director of morning television, Sarah Stinson.
It’s understood that De Ceglie will be seeking to appoint a new executive producer of Spotlight within weeks to replace Mark Llewellyn, who left in April after allegations of credit card misuse at the program emerged.
The allegations were divulged by former producer Taylor Auerbach in the failed defamation action by Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann against the Ten Network and Lisa Wilkinson.
De Ceglie will also have to ensure the network strengthens its editorial oversight, to prevent a repeat of the horror episode in which one of the network’s highest-profile stars, Sunrise co-host Matt Shirvington, named the wrong man as the Bondi mass murderer, resulting in a six-figure payout to 20-year-old university student Benjamin Cohen.
De Ceglie, who is close to Seven West Media chairman Kerry Stokes and is understood to speak with him daily, has a strong focus on digital growth – a stark contrast to his predecessor McPherson.
The 38-year-old has worked in newspapers his entire career and was previously editor in chief of The West Australian, The Sunday Times, PerthNow and 19 suburban newspapers.
He worked at News Corp (owner of The Australian) as deputy editor of The Daily Telegraph.
His lack of TV experience has been the subject of fierce scrutiny by the media following his appointment.
One former TV and newspaper executive, who wished to remain anonymous, described the two mediums as “chalk and cheese”.
“Running a newspaper is a completely different dynamic to running TV shows; it’s because of the power imbalance,” the former executive said.
“You might be an EP of a show or in charge but the hosts on TV are paid more and there’s managers involved, there’s politics. It’s really hard.
“There’s ego that you just can’t understand and jealousy; it’s unbelievable.
“He (De Ceglie) won’t know what hit him. There’ll be stuff coming at him thick and fast that he’s never heard of, that he doesn’t understand.”
Menegola, who resigned just four days after McPherson announced he was leaving, told The Australian his exit “had nothing to do with Craig’s departure or Anthony’s appointment” and the network was in “good hands”.
“It’s a change in a dynamic and demanding business, rather than changing of the guard,” he said. “The news operation is in good hands and there are plenty of great TV people on deck across the network.”
Menegola’s end date has not yet been announced, nor has his Melbourne replacement.
He said his decision to “head home to WA was on my mind for a long time”.
Despite his lack of TV experience, De Ceglie will have the support of the existing news directors across the country, including Neil Warren in Sydney, Michael Coombes in Brisbane, Chris Salter in Adelaide and Ray Kuka in Perth.
De Ceglie just 10 weeks ago made headlines of a different kind which featured on the front page of The West Australian.
Branded an “exclusive”, De Ceglie was reported to have been at the centre of a “real life stoush (that) broke out between The West Australian’s editor in chief and wrestling superstar Austin Theory – who threatened to “smack the s … out of him”.
The story ran prominently on the paper’s front page and its website.
While it proved to be a lame media stunt, it’s unlikely De Ceglie will be pulling any similar stunts as the company’s news boss.
De Ceglie was contacted for comment but declined.
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