Shake-up at Seven with network veteran Ray Kuka replacing news boss Anthony De Ceglie

Seven Network will appoint respected broadcast news veteran Ray Kuka to run its TV news and current affairs division following the departure of Anthony De Ceglie.

Anthony De Ceglie will depart after little more than a year in the job. Picture: Colin Murty

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The National Rugby League’s shock decision to poach Channel Seven’s top news boss, Anthony De Ceglie, is expected to ignite a fierce war between the code and the nation’s No 1 television network, with the media company’s billionaire chairman “livid” about his defection.

The Australian Rugby League Commission’s chairman, Peter V’landys, on Thursday announced De Ceglie’s appointment as the inaugural chief executive of the NRL-­controlled Perth Bears franchise, saying he was sure the former newspaper editor would be able to help “grow rugby league in the WA market”.

The move will see De Ceglie exit Seven at the end of the month and relocate back to his hometown of Perth little more than a year after taking on the network’s top job last April.

The Australian revealed on Thursday that De Ceglie would be replaced by respected veteran broadcaster Ray Kuka while the network’s highly regarded director of morning television, Sarah Stinson, would also be elevated in an executive reshuffle at the channel.

Seven West Media’s chairman, Kerry Stokes, dedicated just one line to acknowledging De Ceglie’s short-lived contribution to the network’s news team in a lengthy statement about the changes.

“We thank Anthony for his contribution and leadership and wish him every success in his future role, which sees him return to Perth,” Mr Stokes said.

Behind the scenes, though, the media company’s hands-on chair, who had hand-picked De Ceglie to succeed Seven’s outgoing news boss Craig McPherson just 13 months ago, was more forthcoming and openly furious after being “blindsided by De Ceglie’s resignation”.

“He’s absolutely livid and sees this as a sign of treachery,” one senior network source told The Australian. “If V’landys reckons he’s pulled off (a) coup, he’s got rocks in his head. Don’t get me wrong, Stokes is happy to see (De Ceglie) go but after everything he’s done for him, he’s not happy.”

De Ceglie’s defection comes in the midst of growing animus between the NRL and Seven West Media over its coverage of the competition’s expansion outfit in Perth.

Mr V’landys last week accused the media organisation of bias after its Perth-based newspaper, The West Australia, ran a negative front-page story about the fledging club under the headline “The Bad News Bears” and suggested the company was trying to protect the AFL’s dominance in the city, given it owned the competition’s broadcast rights.

“They don’t want us to be here because they realise we’re going to be competitive and we’re going to take some of their lunch,” V’landys said.

“We eat a lot, so we’ll be taking a fair bit of their lunch.”

Senior executives said De Ceglie’s appointment would do little to quell the increasing rift between the code and the media company, nor sway The West Australian’s coverage.

De Ceglie’s tumultuous 13-month reign in the role was marked by mass redundancies and a disastrous ratings nosedive.

He attracted widespread criticism within Seven West Media for axing many of the network’s most experienced news bosses. He also oversaw controversial departures of popular Seven News anchor Sharyn Ghidella, who was sacked over the phone while she was at the hairdressers, as well as Queensland weatherman Paul Burt, Melbourne crime reporter Cameron Baud and Sydney crime reporter Robert Ovadia, albeit in controversial circumstances.

At the same time, he alienated large swaths of the network’s newsrooms – and news audience – with a range of controversial segments, including introducing astrology readings and a weekly comedy skit to the channel’s prime-time 6pm news bulletin.

Both additions were widely panned before being quietly canned over the summer, but not before having a disastrous impact on the network’s hard-hitting news brand.

Under De Ceglie, Seven’s dominance in the prime-time 6pm news bulletin across capital cities had dropped from a more than 110,000 lead from rival network Nine to just 300 viewers, with Nine expected to claim victory in the time slot by year’s end.

De Ceglie could not be contacted for comment on Wednesday but told friends he was relieved to be moving his young family back to Perth and excited to be planning a pivotal role in building the Bears franchise.

The Seven Network’s 2025 election night team, with Ray Kuka (second from right), and Anthony De Ceglie (far right) Picture: Instagram