Seven’s audacious TV fail as Anthony De Ceglie exits wobbly network

While staff within Seven’s national newsroom were still being brought up to speed on De Ceglie’s quickie departure, the outgoing news chief was busy updating his LinkedIn profile.

Anthony De Ceglie’s appointment as head of Channel 7’s news division will surely go down as one of the splashiest and most audacious fails in recent television history.

By lunchtime Thursday, while staff within Seven’s incredulous national newsroom were still being brought up to speed on De Ceglie’s quickie departure from the role after 13 tumultuous months, the outgoing news chief was busy updating his LinkedIn profile to include the announcement of his appointment to the role of inaugural CEO of rugby league team the Perth Bears.

Anthony De Ceglie’s repost. Picture: Linkedin

The Bears will be affiliated, through existing sporting rights, to Seven’s main rival, Nine.

One shudders to think what Seven chairman and AFL diehard Kerry Stokes makes of his protege’s appointment.

Stokes is renowned for his opposition to the NRL and De Ceglie’s new job with the code appears a flagrant slap in the face to the Seven chairman.

Shortly before his self-congratulatory LinkedIn post, De Ceglie addressed his Sydney newsroom – though not its national affiliates - to confirm he was moving on following a chaotic year.

In a short address he spoke, say eyewitnesses, rapturously about his exciting new career adventure.

“He didn’t talk about the future of the still in-shock and shattered newsroom, or the Seven leadership team going forward,” said one astonished news veteran.

“He spoke of how this was too good an opportunity to pass up. How he couldn’t wait to build a sports team in his home state from the ground up ... and the pull to go home to WA.”

The NRL’s press release frames De Ceglie’s new role as the “highly experienced and credentialed De Ceglie ... (bringing) a wealth of executive leadership experience and a history of business innovation” to his first-time CEO role.

Anthony De Ceglie. Picture: Richard Dobson.

It’s a little different to how Seven staffers saw him.

Television sources have told news.com.au chairman Stokes is “livid” with the way De Ceglie’s television apprenticeship unfolded after he personally tasked veteran Adelaide producer Andy Kay with the job of mentoring De Ceglie. Stokes himself personally took the 38-year-old under his wing - and into his confidence - after signing off on the appointment.

The drums have been beating for the rookie TV news boss for months with some insisting he came under pressure eight weeks into his tenure when Seven started losing the 6pm news hour (five city metro, total people demo) to Nine.

His departure from Seven follows a series of failed news experiments in 2024, notably the introduction of a weekly satire spot with comedian Mark Humphries and an astrology segment.

Staff morale also took a hit as experienced reporters and newsreaders were shed to cut costs.

De Ceglie has long talked a good game though, and plainly seized the opportunity to do so while keeping company with Australian Rugby League Commission Chairman Peter V’landys, the architect behind De Ceglie’s new job.

De Ceglie’s appearance at V’Landys side during the NRL chief’s Las Vegas promotional tour in February initially fanned speculation about Seven’s interest in the code.

Why would the news boss of Seven, which has the broadcast rights to the nation’s opposing football code, AFL, be colluding with the chieftains of the NRL and rubbing shoulders with media affiliated with that code?

Rumours quickly took hold that a courtship was underway.

Few imagined the courtship would not more broadly involve Seven than De Ceglie, personally.

Seven West news director Ray Kuka. Picture: The West Australian

His absence from the Sydney newsroom at Easter, in the lead-up to the Federal Election and as preparations were underway for Pope Francis’ funeral, also troubled Seven executives and staff unaccustomed to a Seven news boss working from home - and from the other side of the country - during major news events.

By the time Seven confirmed the appointment of 20-year industry veteran Ray Kuka as De Ceglie’s replacement at 3pm Thursday, De Ceglie was out the door and on his way home.

In a long and generous press statement on Thursday afternoon Seven confirmed Kuka will take over from De Ceglie on Monday.

No doubt the rookie will be satisfied with having pulled a bear out of a V’Landys’ hat.

Originally published as Seven’s audacious TV fail as Anthony De Ceglie exits wobbly network