Latest news with #SevenNetwork
Daily Mail
10 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Disaster broadcast as 7 News switches to wrong channel during live show leaving Brisbane viewers confused
Monday night's 7 News Brisbane broadcast, viewers were left scratching their heads when the local bulletin abruptly switched to Sydney's Mark Ferguson and Angela Cox mid-show. The surprise handover occurred around 6.37pm, shortly after an ad break, following a power failure at Seven's Mount Coot-Tha studios in Brisbane. According to TVBlackbox, for several minutes Brisbane viewers found themselves watching the Sydney edition of the news - with the broadcast running all the way through to the final news segment before sport and weather. It wasn't until Sydney's sports presenter Mel McLaughlin popped up onscreen that the unusual crossover was finally acknowledged. 'Welcome back, and welcome to our Brisbane viewers joining us due to a technical issue,' she said, as the segment shifted gears to the sports headlines. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. A Seven spokesperson confirmed the mishap to TV Blackbox, revealing: 'There was a power failure on station and the team worked incredibly hard to get back on air in time for the Sunshine State's critical weather forecast.' Queensland's weather guru Tony Auden eventually returned to screens to deliver the all-important local forecast, before presenters Max Futcher and Katrina Blowers reappeared for the bulletin's wholesome 'Sunny Side' segment. Local sports presenter Steve Titmus was also briefly spotted at the desk during the handover but didn't get a chance to present the final sports stories due to the disruption. Meanwhile, fans trying to catch the full replay on 7plus were met with a surprise of their own - only the first 30 minutes of the Brisbane bulletin were uploaded, with the Sydney takeover absent from the stream. The Sydney edition had yet to appear online as of Tuesday morning. In a lighthearted sign-off, Max Futcher offered a sly nod to the on-air blunder, telling viewers: 'Hope your night is going smoothly.' It follows the news that three senior reporters at Channel Seven have jumped ship to rival Network 10. Seven's award-winning former foreign correspondent Amelia Brace, 7News Sydney reporter Bill Hogan and Spotlight producer-reporter Denham Hitchcock all resigned from the network last week, The Australian 's Media Diary reported. They are reportedly set to join a new investigative show set up by Channel Ten 's news boss Martin White. Brace and Hitchcock exited Seven's studio in Sydney within hours of quitting and are set to start their new jobs at Ten on Monday morning while Hogan will begin with the network in three weeks' time. Ten has reportedly offered Brace a $50,000 increase on the $220,000 a year she had been getting paid. In a message to colleagues on Friday, she said: '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 departs only three months after having returned to Seven after a couple of years off living on a catamaran with his young family. 'I'm back. It's time to wash some of the salt out - and get back to what I do best,' he said in an Instagram post. 'Back in 2019 the network asked me to start what would eventually become the Spotlight program with one producer and one cameraman - and as the limited shows proved successful - the team quickly grew and it would turn into the network's flagship program. Brace and Hitchcock exited Seven's studio in Sydney within hours of quitting and are set to start their new jobs at Ten on Monday morning while Hogan (pictured) will begin with the network in three weeks time 'I stepped away for a few years to go sailing with the family - and have returned to find a new EP, a new team, new reporters, a fresh energy, an abundance of stories, and some genuine excitement about the year ahead.' He ended the message by asking followers and fans to send 'research ideas'. 'But please - researched ideas - not just wild theories,' he warned, before adding: 'Keep an eye on @7newsspotlight it's going to be quite the year.' Hitchcock's short return to Seven came after he welcomed his second child in December with his wife Mari. He returned to screens in May 2023, in the true crime documentary 'Who Killed Marea?', which examines a 20-year-old cold case. Hitchcock led the Sky News investigation into the mysterious and brutal slaying of Marea Yann who was killed in her home in rural Victoria in 2003. The departures confirm industry whispers that Ten will launch a 'news magazine show' to take on the likes of Nine's 60 Minutes, Seven's Spotlight, and the ABC's Four Corners. The Australian reported last month that a 'crack team' of producers, referred to as the 'investigations unit' was being assembled to helm the new program. It was claimed that Channel Ten reporter Dan Sutton would be the show's executive producer, with potential reporters currently being screen tested. A Network Ten spokesperson confirmed the establishment of the investigation unit to Daily Mail Australia.
Daily Mail
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Channel Seven suffers embarrassing blunder in Farmer Wants a Wife promo: 'Who are those girls?'
He was one of the farmer's looking for love on the new season of Farmer Wants a Wife before he was axed from the show. But on Tuesday, photos linked to contestant Jack Rowlandson accidentally ended up on the show's social media pages. Seven has since taken the pictures down after fans pointed out the blunder on the FWAW Instagram and Facebook accounts. Before the new series dropped in April, Daily Mail Australia revealed that Rowlandson had filmed episodes of the show before he was edited out of the series. The tell-tale pictures show three 'mystery women' joining the shows ladies for the Country Ball episode which screened on Monday. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 'Who are the two girls behind Thomas' ladies, maybe the farmer that got edited out?' one eagle-eyed fan commented after the snap was shared to Facebook. 'I'm wondering too,' commented another viewer on the same thread. One fan jumped to the conclusion that the women were linked to Jack's storyline. 'Maybe they forgot to edit out the girls with the farmer who was booted out?' they commented. Viewers watching the series have not seen any footage of Jack or his ladies. Seven deleted the photo showing the unknown women on Tuesday morning. It comes after FWAW made headlines earlier this year. Daily Mail Australia recently revealed that there had been a fifth farmer in the mix for the 2025 season. However Jack, 26, was cut from the show's final edit. The professional bull rider was not part of the cast when Seven officially announced the farmers starring on the show, but was in the final eight lineup. Daily Mail Australia had previously revealed there was turmoil on the set of the bucolic dating show when it emerged that the handsome reality star was seeing more than one of the contestants at the same time. Originally eight farmers, including Rowlandson, were announced as taking part in filming for the 2025 season, while Seven sifted through thousands of applicants from women wanting to appear on the show as contestants.
Herald Sun
a day ago
- Health
- Herald Sun
Greg Blewett's motor neurone disease heartbreak for mum
Greg Blewett was in a hotel room in country Victoria when he took the call. It was the summer of 2014, and the respected former Australian Test cricketer was on a Cricketers Association Masters tour. 'I got the phone call from Mum, and I could tell something was wrong straight away,' he says. 'She said, 'Honey, I've got MND,' and she just broke down. 'I'll never forget that phone call. I obviously came home straight away.' Shirley Blewett, a 'tough country girl' who grew up on a property in the Adelaide Hills had noticed the symptoms of Motor Neurone Disease several months before. 'In the lead up, we knew something was wrong with Mum, the diagnosis just took a long time,' Greg says. 'We noticed it in her speech first; she just started to slur her words a bit. 'Mum wasn't a big drinker, but we thought, 'is she having a couple of nips of brandy without us knowing?''' She wasn't and worryingly, the symptoms weren't going away. 'It progressively got worse and at one point we thought she might have had a mini stroke,' Greg says. 'As it happens with MND, it just gets worse and worse, but it probably took 6 months to diagnose.' Within 12 months of that devastating diagnosis, Shirley Blewett was dead. She was just 69. Eleven years on and in the lead up to this weekend's 11 th FightMND Big Freeze, Greg, a Seven Network commentator, Triple M identity and popular podcaster, is speaking publicly about losing her, for the first time. Recalling the morning she passed away is still raw, difficult and emotional. 'I had just come back from overseas, I'd been away for 3 weeks, I'd just got engaged to Katheryn,' Greg says. 'For a long time there it wasn't great, she was battling so hard, but you never really know how long they have. 'I asked Mum 'are you sure it's ok if I go?', she was like, 'go, go, go'.' The pair spoke several times while Greg was away and were looking forward to seeing each other at the end of the trip. But it never happened. 'The morning we got back from overseas Dad rang and said 'Listen, mum's really not well, you'd better come up quickly',' Greg says. 'We didn't quite make it, in between that phone call and me getting there, we lost her. 'I just missed her literally by minutes, it was heartbreaking.' For Greg, his father Bob and older sister Kerry, it was impossible to believe someone who'd lived such a full life, could go so quickly. 'Mum was very sporty, she played a few games of basketball for Australia, loved playing tennis and netball and in later years she loved her golf,' Greg says. 'She was a workhorse who did everything for us. She loved her family, her Mum and Dad, her two sisters and her brother. 'All of my mates, they all loved Mum, she was just one of those very infectious loving people to be around.' Motor Neurone Disease is a rare neurodegenerative disorder that strips its victims of their independence, dignity and in a final cruel blow, their voice. With Voluntary Assisted Dying not an option for Shirley back then, her close-knit family had no choice but to watch her deteriorate, day by day. 'We, like any family living with MND, we really struggled with it,' Greg says. 'Seeing what Mum went through was brutal and absolutely heartbreaking. 'It's just hopeless, the slow deterioration and at times fast deterioration, it's just horrible.' Shirley fought so hard to stay, but in every case, MND wins. It's a death sentence for its unwilling prisoners, with no exceptions. 'She had no control over it, she couldn't beat it,' Greg says. tough as nails, she dealt with it as well as she could, but she hated the fact she was going through it. 'She obviously loved her kids, loved the grandkids, letting go of all of that would have been so hard for her.' 2752 Australians are currently living with Motor Neurone Disease and that number is expected to rise to 4304 by 2050. There's no known cause, no effective treatment and no cure. It's claimed the lives of some great South Australians including dancer and director Roz Hervey, former State Liberal Party leader Dale Baker and mother of 3, Anna Penhall. Fight MND, a movement sparked by Australian of the Year Neale Daniher and two others, is working feverishly to find a cure. Despite his own prognosis, Daniher has inspired and united a nation, raising more than $115 million for drug and clinical trials. But the Beast is not backing down and there's no cure on the horizon. Last year, a conference of world leading MND researchers heard it could take up to 30 years. In the meantime, MND South Australia is doing what it can to provide care and guidance for local patients and their families. From a warehouse at Mile End they provide all of the equipment a family might need, wheelchairs, mobility aids, bed raisers, ventilators and communication devices. MND SA Chairman Andrew Danson says with medical advances, people are being diagnosed with the disease sooner. 'That means they need the support earlier and typically, they're just asking us what's next, what do we do?'' Andrew says. 'If we can help them maintain some level of independence and dignity, I think that's a really important thing.' Andrew knows first-hand how insidious this disease is. On his birthday, January 13, 2020, he lost his father Peter Danson to MND at the age of 64. 'It just took away everything,' Andrew says. 'He was a very proud man, independent and larger than life. It took all that away from him.' MND costs the Australian health system $27 million a year but there's an enormous discrepancy between funding for patients, depending on their age. Anyone diagnosed before the age of 65, receives $240,000 more in care annually than someone diagnosed at 66 or older, because they qualify for the NDIS. Three years ago, MND SA was granted $600,000 a year to help close that senseless gap by the Malinauskas government. They're hoping this week's State Budget will not only maintain that funding but increase it. 'We couldn't provide the aged care service if we didn't have the support of the government, not to the level we do,' Andrew says. 'It's very important and crucial funding for us.' Greg Blewett is an ambassador for MND SA and says he draws inspiration from seeing improved care for patients and their families. 'We're all praying and hoping that there is a cure because the people that have been around MND know how horrible it is,' he says. 'In the meantime, it's really important to support the person suffering and everyone around them to make it as good as it possibly can be.' In March this year, my husband Dave lost his Dad to Motor Neurone Disease, just 12 weeks after a doctor delivered those 3 dreaded words. He was the happiest person I've ever known with the most brilliant and infectious smile. The deep creases on his handsome face came not from worry or stress, but from a life of love and laughter. Walking, reading and talking were his favourite things and the Beast took them all, picking them off, one by one. On the morning he was diagnosed, amid the shock, the disbelief and the tears, he sent a selfie to his 3 children. He'd put on a Fight MND beanie, and that radiant smile was still there. Please buy one if you can this weekend, or donate to the MND SA team, caring for South Australians, until we find the answers. Originally published as Australian cricket star Greg Blewett tells of mother Shirley's heartbreaking MND struggle
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
They may be fierce rivals but Today and Sunrise have one thing in common - and it's really annoying
Seven's Sunrise and Nine's Today are famed for their long-running ratings feud and differing styles. But the breakfast show rivals appear to have one thing in common - they rarely finish on time. According to a new survey, both programs extended their usual running time several times last month. Industry blog TV Tonight monitored both shows in May and noted that neither Sunrise or Today managed to wrap up by 9am. According to the publication, Sunrise regularly ate into the running time of The Morning Show, which follows the breakfast show Monday to Friday. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. Extended episodes of Sunrise occurred across five episodes in one week. One episode on May 22 finished at 9.14am - the start time for The Morning Show. Over on Nine, the survey found a similar story. Hosted by Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo, Today ran into overtime across five days, with one episode on May 23 finishing at 9.13 am - well past the 9 am start time for Today Extra. The report indicated that the overruns at both networks could give their mid-morning programming a 'jolt' in the ratings. Meanwhile, a Nine spokesperson explained said the extended run times for Today are due to breaking stories. 'As a live news and current affairs program, Today is inherently dynamic and responsive to the unfolding news cycle,' they said. 'The 9.00am news bulletin, in particular, can vary in duration depending on the volume and urgency of the day's stories. We believe delivering comprehensive and current news to our audience is the most important consideration.' Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Seven and Nine for comment. The Australian Communications and Media Authority offers guidelines for electronic program guide, which is self-regulated and includes classification details for parental guidance. Recommendations include that 'the 'following program' field in the EPG must change straight away to the 'present program'. 'There is no formal requirement for broadcasters to meet the EPG principles however we use a number of means, including public complaints, to monitor their performance against the principles,' an ACMA spokesperson told TV Tonight. Bridget Fair, CEO of FreeTV Australia, told the publication that the EPG 7-day schedule is a 'forecast only' and free-to-air requires flexibility around breaking news. 'However, the now/next information [on the EPG] needs to accurately reflect what program is actually going to air, for common consumer device features such as parental lock to work properly,' she added.
AU Financial Review
23-05-2025
- Business
- AU Financial Review
Seven's flagship news loses ground amid departures, scandals
Forget Morning Wars, the fierce (non-fiction) fight for supremacy at 6pm has been raging, and over the past two years the flagship news bulletins at billionaire Kerry Stokes' Seven Network have been losing ground. For the second consecutive year, the Seven Network is on track to lose the total audience across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. The Nine Network won the battle in the 2024 calendar year by a wafer-thin margin – 807,100 viewers to Seven's 803,400. This year, that lead has grown.
