Ferguson Out

Only days after the launch of channel 9's THIS Afternoon, newsreader Mark Ferguson announced he will be moving to channel 7. Seven CEO David Lecke took the opportunity to have a swipe at Nine;

“Although we are not announcing his job description just yet, I know we can offer him something far more challenging and exciting than THIS Afternoon.”

Ferguson has been with Nine for over 17 years - rumour has it that he will be reading weekend news on Seven.

THIS Afternoon has not had good reviews - I managed to catch the first 20 minutes or so on Friday but found myself changing the channel because the content was so slow and dry. There was an awful lot of awkward banter between the hosts as well which makes for uncomfortable viewing.

Afternoon News

Channel 9 is spruiking its new afternoon news program This Afternoon, starting next Monday, 4:30pm weekdays. Hosts Andrew Daddo and Katrina Blowers will be taking a look at news and current affairs with live interviews, news bulletins, and panel discussions. Channel 9's weekend news reporter Mark Ferguson will be in the mix too along with a team of reporters nationally. It's an hour-long program so it will be interesting to see how many stories are doubled-up with other channel 9 current affairs programs 60 Minutes and ACA.