Rear Window

Post-Bruce Lehrmann, Kerry Stokes tries to reset

Mark Di StefanoColumnist

Updated Apr 29, 2024 – 6.42pm, first published at 5.06pm

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Boom! Oh look, it’s the Hunger Games cannon going off again. Another face appears over the Eveleigh industrial estate. The latest bloke connected to Seven’s Bruce Lehrmann-rapist rehab project joins the growing unemployment queue.

Seven’s new CEO, Jeff Howard, announced head of news and current affairs Craig McPherson had resigned on Monday, getting departing praise for playing a “pivotal role” in the ratings successes of Sunrise, and before that Today Tonight.

Anthony De Ceglie (right) with Senator Michaelia Cash at a WA leadership lunch in 2022. James Brickwood

Does Seven regret letting Lehrmann in the doors yet? Not even a year after the original program went to air, Spotlight’s executive producer, Mark Llewellyn, is gone, producer and massage expert Taylor Auerbach kamakazied himself and his former boss and ex-bestie Steve Jackson. Now, Craig’s out. To say nothing of its tarnishing of recently departed CEO James Warburton and SMS raconteur Bruce McWilliam. It’s a bit like getting a bite in a zombie flick; once it gets you, you’re only playing for time.

It was pretty apparent to us weeks ago McPherson was a dead man walking. Certainly, not helping his case was Matt “The Package” Shirvington and Weekend Sunrise producers mis-identifying the Bondi mass murderer as Jewish student Ben Cohen. One of Howard’s very first acts as CEO was signing a payout for Cohen last week, negotiated by Rebekah Giles (again, as predicted). The terms are strictly confidential, but it’s said to be “well in excess” of six figures.

Considering some of the recent receipts logged by staff in Concur, what’s another few hundred grand out Seven’s doors? At least Ben will put it to better use.

Morale among Seven staff must be plumbing new depths. You could even spare a thought for network star Sonia Kruger, the presenter poached from rival Nine and wife of the departed McPherson. (Our usual disclosure: Nine’s the publisher of this newspaper.)

To state the obvious, Seven West Media must surely be in desperate need of a reset. It’s staggered from the Ben Roberts-Smith scandal straight into the Lehrmann mess, all as the company’s share price has sunk to 22¢ – where it was before the COVID pandemic.

For the fix-up job, Kerry Stokes has knighted his favourite newsman Anthony De Ceglie, the editor of The West Australian newspaper, to take charge in Sydney as Seven’s new head of news and current affairs.

Look, on one level the choice is wholly unsurprising. Stokes thinks the world of De Ceglie, who he still privately boasts about poaching from the News Corp tabloids a few years ago. Plus, at The West, the editor’s shown adeptness at fulfilling his boss’ multiple needs, whether on issues political or commercial.

On the other hand, what does this say about what Stokes thinks about his core TV news department if he’s parachuting in a newshound from Perth? It certainly solidifies influence within the company’s western operations. And how about that nice, retro feel it evokes: “Stuff the TV lifers, here’s an editor with the big man’s total trust.”

Buried at the bottom of the reshuffle was news of another once-top newspaperman’s ascension within the Stokes media family. Chris Dore was named acting editor of The West Australian, until a permanent replacement can be found.

It’s another very pointed show of trust from Stokes. Dore’s 27 years at News Corp ended abruptly in late 2022, when he exited as editor-in-chief of The Australian in circumstances that grew more suspect as weeks went on. There were eventual reports that Dore allegedly said something at a Wall Street Journal party in the United States which led to his departure.

Well, that must be practically ancient history now. Dore’s lately been churning out reams of copy for Stokes’ new digital product, which involves penning a weekly column called “Front Dore”, inspired by us!

Rather than opting for cleanskins – or women, gasp – for the reset, Stokes has gone for a Back to the Future reshuffle. Hard-nosed lads. Ink-stained to the bones. After all, it’s always worked out so well before.

Mark Di Stefano is Rear Window columnist, based in the Sydney newsroom. He previously worked at BuzzFeed, the Financial Times and The Information before joining the Financial Review as a media and tech correspondent. Connect with Mark on Twitter. Email Mark at mark.distefano@afr.com