Mass exodus at Channel 7 as three high-profile reporters defect to Network 10
Senior 7News Sydney reporter Bill Hogan, former foreign correspondent Amelia Brace, and Denham Hitchcock, a reporter and producer for the channel's flagship current affairs program Spotlight, have all jumped ship, according to The Australian.
The trio will reportedly be working on a new, long-form investigative offering established by 10's head of broadcast news Martin White.
The Australian reports that Brace and Hitchcock began their new roles on Monday after leaving Seven's Sydney offices 'within hours of quitting,' while Hogan is set to follow after working out a further three weeks notice.
Network 10, which was bought by Paramount in 2017, is investing in an investigative unit to pursue long-form stories as part of its news offering. It's believed the new hires will be working on a program to rival the likes of the ABC's Four Corners, Nine's 60 Minutes, and Seven's Spotlight.
Brace, who will reportedly be pocketing $270,000 for the role - a $50,000 increase on her salary at Seven, is said to have told colleagues on Friday, 'It feels off to not have an official 'last day' to say goodbye, but it's best for me to just fade away for now.'
'Stand up for yourselves, and each other … and think of me every time you have to find a f**king case study.'
Meanwhile Hitchcock had only recently returned to Spotlight after leaving the program in 2023 for life on a boat with his family. He was part of the original team who established Spotlight in 2019 and rejoined again in February this year after returning to terra ferma.
In a statement shared on social media, Hitchcock said he's excited to be joining the network his own father used to work for and hopes to help with 10's 'plans for the future'.
'Well here we go. I've switched channels,' he said on Monday, 'But also in a way - I've come full circle. I grew up watching my father on Channel 10 News every night.
'I had a bunk bed with eyewitness news stickers all over it - and can still sing the theme song.'
The triple defection comes less than a month after the head of Seven's news division Anthony De Ceglie, left after just 13 months in the job.
De Ceglie, who Seven chairman and AFL diehard Kerry Stokes had taken under his wing, left his position to take up the job the inaugural CEO of new rugby league team the Perth Bears.
He reportedly told the newsroom the position was 'too good an opportunity to pass up,' and that he 'couldn't wait to build a sports team in his home state from the ground up'.
His departure from Seven follows a series of failed news experiments in 2024, notably the introduction of a weekly satire spot with comedian Mark Humphries and an astrology segment.
Staff morale also took a hit as experienced reporters and newsreaders were shed to cut costs.
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