Kyle Sandilands and Jackie ‘O’ Henderson came under fire from Seven on Wednesday after the network announced it was hiring an astrologer and a comedian for its 6pm show.
The shock jocks took on the critics on their radio show, with Kyle issuing fierce criticism after new director of news and current affairs Anthony De Ceglie defended the controversial move.
“So they’re going to say, ‘Sagittarius, watch out for the color orange and your lucky number is 5.’ What’s that going to do for anybody?” Kyle scoffed.
“20 seconds? You don’t get to see all the zodiac signs,” he added after co-host Jackie, 49, and anchor Brooklyn Ross hinted they might enjoy the new astrology segment.
“No, apparently they don’t read them out. It kind of appears on the screen,” Brooklyn clarified.
“What’s with this stock market shit that no one pays attention to? There’s so much shit in the news that I don’t even pay attention to,” Kyle snapped back.
He added: ‘Sorry guys, I don’t think a 20-second astrological report on the news is going to redefine news.
‘I like Channel Seven News because they are legitimate. Not because they want to bring in a comedian or because they [an astrologist] “Now go do the stars.”
Kyle Sandilands, 52, (left) and Jackie ‘O’ Henderson, 49, (right) were hit with a brutal blow at Seven on Wednesday after the network revealed they are hiring an astrologer and comedian for their 6pm show.
Kyle isn’t the only one who doubts whether an astrology report and comedy sketch will make waves in the news. An insider at Seven told Daily Mail Australia that the fallout will “make or break” new CEO Jeff Howard.
This whole plan with the horoscope and the comedian will make or break the CEO, but [there’s] “There is a lot of doubt whether our audience will like it,” the source said.
“We anticipate a lot of complaints in the comments, especially from the older audience. These kinds of things are more suited to the morning show than a 6pm bulletin.”
However, Mr De Ceglie, who took over as CEO from former news director Craig McPherson in April, raised concerns in a statement on Wednesday, saying he and his team were “exploring new ideas and concepts”, the report said. news.com.au.
“We are incredibly proud of the groundbreaking and high-quality journalism that 7NEWS produces in every bulletin,” said Mr De Ceglie.
‘We are exploring new ideas and concepts to attract new audiences so we can show them this journalism.
“We’re not afraid to innovate, and we’re just getting started. One thing that will never change is our absolute commitment to telling the stories that matter to our viewers.”
The shock jocks took it up on their radio show, with Kyle issuing some harsh criticism after new director of news and current affairs Anthony De Ceglie defended the controversial move. Pictured: Seven’s new astrologer Natasha ‘Astro Tash’ Weber
Channel Seven has confirmed a controversial change to its TV news bulletins, introducing an astrological report on ‘Astro Tash’, amid divisions within the network over a major overhaul following the axing of 150 jobs at the channel.
Several insiders said Tuesday that the atmosphere at the station is now tense, with some staff members “unhappy” and taking sick days to seek work elsewhere after a new regime came to power and sought to shake things up.
A 20-second astrological report following the weather forecast in the 6pm bulletin and a weekly comedy sketch on Fridays at 6.57pm by Mark Humphries are some of the key changes viewers will notice over the coming week.
According to Daily Mail Australia, morale was already “low” following the Bruce Lehrmann fiasco on the Spotlight show and the firing of veteran reporter Robert Ovadia.
And the series of new changes that have been implemented following the appointment of new boss Mr De Ceglie are being viewed with suspicion by some network news insiders, with one critic even describing the changes as “depressing”.
‘I like Channel Seven News because they are legitimate. Not because they want to bring in a comedian or because they [an astrologist] “to do the stars,” Kyle said. Pictured: Seven’s new comedian Mark Humphries
“All the journalistic credibility we’ve worked so hard to build for so many years is being destroyed,” they fumed. “People are devastated. It feels like a funeral here.”
Mr De Ceglie, Seven’s new director of new and current affairs, has now confirmed for the first time that zodiac signs will form part of the revamped weekday news, as has been the case in some newspapers and magazines for decades.
But the new boss hit back at critics, insisting that morale is “great” and that “trying new things” is part of the network’s bold new future.
He presented the changes as a long-awaited overhaul of a set format that has remained unchanged for decades.
“If people think we’ve been inventive so far, they haven’t seen anything yet,” De Ceglie said in a statement to Daily Mail Australia this week.
Mr De Ceglie (pictured), who took over as CEO from former news director Craig McPherson in April, raised the concerns in a statement on Wednesday, saying he and his team were “exploring new ideas and concepts”.
Mr De Ceglie – nicknamed ADC – confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that stargazing reports will begin shortly and will be released after the night’s weather forecast.
He added that ‘everyone is looking forward to the first Mark Humphries spot next Friday’.
Mr De Ceglie, 38, was appointed director of news and current affairs and editor-in-chief of Seven West Media in May.
His promotion came after five years as editor-in-chief of West Australian Newspapers, during which time News Corp, where he had previously worked, tried to lure him back to a senior position in Sydney.