After months of speculation, Mark Ferguson’s future at Channel Seven has been decided.
The veteran newsreader will now co-present Sydney news program 7News with Angela Cox.
There was widespread speculation that Ferguson would be laid to rest due to the ongoing staff casualties at the station, but he has been exposed.
“I’m really looking forward to it. Ange will bring so much more to the bulletin every night – more experience, more energy and it will allow us to be much more versatile when those big stories come out,” Ferguson said in a statement.
There was previous speculation that Mark would be sacked as a newsreader at Channel Seven, following several high-profile redundancies at the controversial network.
Earlier, insiders suggested that the 58-year-old anchor could be replaced by the network’s weekend team of Michael Usher and Cox.
The Daily Telegraph reports that Seven’s news bosses are ‘warm to’ the idea of replacing the newsreader with a duo.
According to sources, the weekend news team has been in training since 2021 to take over the weekly news broadcasts.
Mark Ferguson’s future at Channel Seven has been decided after months of speculation. Mark is pictured
TV insiders also report that this change was proposed late last year, but former news director Craig McPherson shot down the idea.
This comes after another employee announced his departure from the Brisbane newsroom amid the network’s recent staffing crisis.
According to the newspaper, Seven News chief reporter Steve Hart is one of the latest to leave the highly rated network. Courier post.
According to the outlet, an internal email to staff on Tuesday reportedly stated that “family reasons” were the reason for the TV veteran’s decision to quit.
Hart moves to WIN News in Wollongong.
The reporter’s wife reportedly lives in Sydney and Hart’s weekly commute played a major role in his decision to leave the network.
The veteran newsreader will now co-present Seven’s Sydney 7News with Angela Cox (right)
Hart has been with Seven Network for two years and previously worked at 10 News and FOX Sports.
Ny Breaking Australia has reached out to Seven for comment.
He is the latest Channel Seven Brisbane star to leave, following the shock departure of Shane Webcke from the sports desk last week.
In a statement, the Brisbane presenter said he will step down from his role in January but will remain with Seven for NRL Insights.
According to the newspaper, Webcke had recently held talks with Seven’s management to reduce his working hours so he could spend more time on his family business. Courier post.
Insiders previously suggested the anchor, 58, could be replaced by the network’s weekend team, Michael Usher (left) and Cox
“After 18 years of covering sports for 7NEWS Brisbane, I have decided to move in a new direction and will be stepping down from my newsroom role from January,” he said.
‘I’ve been thinking about it for a while. It gives me more flexibility and more time to focus on my family’s farming interests.
‘But I won’t be going far. I’ll still be appearing regularly on 7NEWS, along with my good mate Gilly, to provide rugby league insights for our viewers.
“I have been treated so well over the past 18 years and I am grateful to Seven for helping me through this next phase.”
The former rugby league player played his football career with the Brisbane Broncos, where he represented Queensland 21 times at the State of Origin.
Seven News senior reporter Steve Hart (pictured) is one of the latest to leave the highly regarded network
Channel Seven Brisbane star Shane Webcke, 49 (pictured), has announced his shock departure from the sports news desk amid the network’s recent staff massacre
In 2006 he retired from the sport and became a Sunday to Thursday sports presenter on Seven News in Brisbane, a role he will continue in until January.
Webcke is one of many Seven employees who have had their duties reduced or been laid off as a result of cost-cutting measures the network has implemented in recent months.
Seven West Media has cut 150 editorial staff in a series of job cuts involving big names including Queenslanders newsreader Sharyn Ghidella and veteran weatherman Paul Burt.
Seven Network’s recently appointed news and current affairs director Anthony De Ceglie has replaced section leaders 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.
The network has also fired veterans Robert Ovadia, Andrew Frampton and seasoned Melbourne crime reporter Cameron Baud, known among friends as the ‘Harvester of Sorrow’ for his gritty news reporting.
In Sydney, Ovadia, perhaps the highest-profile of all the figures sacked prior to Ghidella’s dismissal, has announced that he will take Seven to the Fair Work Commission for unfair dismissal.
The staffing changes come amid the network’s recent staffing disaster