Read the full ‘my way’ email TV weatherman Paul Burt sent Channel Seven stars following his sacking – after he took a brutal on-air parting shot at the network

EXCLUSIVE

Sacked weatherman Paul Burt has sent a farewell letter to staff at Seven Network, two days after making a remarkable farewell message during a live broadcast for the network.

Burt, who had worked at Seven for more than a decade and in television for 28 years, was suddenly made redundant in a series of major layoffs.

The 51-year-old’s departure has sparked outrage among loyal viewers, who took to social media to express their outrage. Fans also showed up with banners for one of Burt’s final live crosses at Surfers Paradise Beach.

Ny Breaking Australia has now obtained an email Burt sent to colleagues after his last broadcast, in which he claims he is known for giving the Queensland public weather updates that they ‘deserve’.

“Hi everyone, I never thought I would be writing this email anytime soon, but here we go,” Burt wrote Monday afternoon.

‘First of all I want to thank everyone I have worked directly with. You are all incredibly amazing and do fantastic work. You deserve much more recognition than you get.

‘Secondly, I want to thank everyone who reached out to me after the news last weekend and today to ask how I was doing and to pass on your kind words: wow, that really moved me, so thank you.’

An insider at Seven told Ny Breaking Australia that Burt was fired because he was unpopular with focus groups surveyed in the first quarter of this year.

‘Paul Burt was sacked after extensive research into Queensland audiences revealed he was one of the least liked presenters on radio, with the dreaded ‘turn-off’,’ the source said.

‘Networks spend a fortune on polls and focus groups to identify emerging talent and test long-serving presenters. The audience decides who reads the news.’

Burt dismissed that research, writing in his email, “I’m just a guy who likes to tell the weather “his way,” no complicated nonsense, just fish to fish, boat to boat, just the way we deserve it.

‘Not too much – we just give the best, most up-to-date reports on coastal conditions to the people in our local community, the people we share the water with or who are out on a pier with their kids casting a line – our audience.’

Seven West Media, which also owns the Western Australia newspaper, is sacking 150 staff in a bloodbath that has also claimed the lives of other big names, including Brisbane newsreader Sharyn Ghidella.

Craig Dyer, the network’s Queensland operations manager, announced his immediate resignation in June after more than 20 years at Seven.

Others forced to leave the Brisbane studio at Mount Coot-Tha included two cameramen, a news editor and a long-serving technical staff member.

One of the cameramen was reportedly called back to the office while he was filming an assignment and was told his services were no longer required.

Burt, who was stationed on the Gold Coast but provided weather reports for all of Queensland, referred in his email to Ghidella, Dyer and other departing staff.

“I loved what I’ve done for the past 28 years,” he wrote.

‘I was educating the industry I loved and was fortunate enough to share the screen with some of the biggest names in TV. I made friends with them and with the dedicated, experienced and hardworking people behind the scenes.

‘Thanks for that.

‘We have entered a digital age. I would have been proud to be involved in this digital change, but unfortunately that is not the case and I had no choice.

“I love the network and like our viewers, they loved the 7-way. When you get loyal Ch7 people… who go above and beyond… that says something in my world.”

His closing remark was: ‘Speaking of which, see you on the water and for those who wish, let’s keep in touch. Burty.’

Burt concluded his final weather item on Saturday with a clear message to Seven’s management and viewers.

“If I had the chance I wouldn’t have wanted this. That’s what happens when you get fired,” he said at the end of the 6pm Queensland News.

The night before, a crowd of supporters had gathered at Surfers Paradise as Burt delivered a live assist for the 5.30pm Gold Coast bulletin.

As Burt gave his weekend weather forecast, fans held up placards with messages such as ‘Burty’s a legend’, ‘Queensland’s favourite weatherman’ and ‘Bring back Burty’.

Burt told Ny Breaking Australia that if Seven had done research showing he was unpopular with Queensland audiences, the broadcaster would have had to find new researchers.

“I mean, these people are going to try to cover themselves,” he said.

“I think when they look at numbers like that, they want to change the people who give them those numbers.

“Because I’m on the ground, I hear what people say and I understand what they want. I’ve been doing it for 28 years.”

Burt said Queensland experiences unique weather conditions, with life-threatening events such as cyclones and severe flooding regularly occurring.

“I think we have to realize that the network put us in all these places when reporting on cyclones,” he said.

‘When the weather got really bad, they wanted to have troops on the ground to get information back to people back home.’

The Queensland public also relied heavily on accurate weather forecasts to enable them to enjoy outdoor activities such as boating and fishing.

“People see us everywhere we go,” Burt said.

“People see us at the boat ramp. People see us fishing. People see us on the beaches.”

Seven’s Brisbane news director Michael Coombes told Burt last month that his contract would not be renewed. News of his dismissal leaked before Burt could tell his wife and children.

Burt began his television career in 1996 at Seven, before being poached by Ten and then Nine. In 2013, he was lured back to the network where he began his career in the industry.

“Don’t get me wrong, I really admire the network,” he said. I love the network. I really do.

‘Unfortunately, I think things could have been handled differently in certain areas of the editorial team at this point.’

Anthony De Ceglie, Seven’s recently appointed news and current affairs director, has been replacing department heads with younger managers across the country.

He also introduced a comedy spot on Friday nights and astrology in the news.

Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide all have new news directors and new executive producers have been appointed for Sunrise, Weekend Sunrise and Spotlight.