Media Movers: Radio shuffles with Virginia Trioli and Neil Mitchell, Daily Mail promotion, Stephen Tate departure, Seven, ABC

Posted on 2 September 2023

Media Movers takes a look at the recent movements announced across the industry during the week of 28/8/23

Media Movers across the industry include:

• The latest move in a number of ABC staffing shuffles, Virginia Trioli has told listeners that she will be leaving as host of ABC Radio Melbourne‘s Mornings show. Her last show will be Friday, September 15.

Beginning the show on Thursday, Trioli said “After many years of daily broadcasting, and almost two decades of rising for the toughest alarms the ABC has to offer, life circumstances require me to work and live differently now.”

• Karina Recchi takes over as the new editor of 9Honey. She was previously the homepage editor at nine.com.au.

• Shannon Hollis steps into the role of acting general manager for audio at News Corp Australia. Prior to this role, she was the head of commercial audio at NewsCast.

• Raf Epstein will take over as host of the Mornings program on ABC Radio Melbourne, following is stint as Drive presenter.

Epstein’s new role comes after Virginia Trioli announced that she will farewell Mornings on Friday, 15 September.

Epstein has built a large and loyal following, keeping the Drive audience up-to-date and connected with what is happening in Melbourne at the end of each working day for the past 11 years.

• Channel 9 Melbourne welcomes Gillian Lantouris as crime reporter while Lana Murphy is on parental leave.

• i98FM has announced the promotion of Jaben Ryan as content. He was previously an advertising account executive.

• 3AW morning announcer Neil Mitchell has been the subject of much conjecture about his future at the market-leading Melbourne radio station. He had been running promos before his Friday show alerting listeners that he would reveal his decision regarding that decision.

“You know I don’t like talking about myself and I don’t like self-indulgence,” he started his 3AW announcement. “And here it is, no mucking around…

“I am stepping down from the morning program on 3AW and I will stand aside in three months.” He later revealed his final day on air would be Friday December 1.

• The South Sydney Morning Herald has welcomed Christine Chen as a reporter. She is a graduate journalist at Momentum Media.

• Triple M Dubbo welcomes Jodi Howard as part of the new breakfast team with Chris “Matho” Mathison. The program will be known as Jodi and Matho for Breakfast and will broadcast from 6-9am.

• Accenture Song has welcomed back Bronwyn van der Merwe.

Van der Merwe will work across the Australia and New Zealand business as functions lead with a remit to help drive purpose-driven growth for clients across its product innovation, marketing, commerce, and customer sales and service offerings.

Van der Merwe brings over 20 years of experience in the design and innovation space to the role.

• ABC Western Queensland has welcomed Grace Nakamura as a journalist. She was previously a part-time Journalist at ABC News Brisbane.

• The Guardian Australia has welcomed Jack Snape as sports reporter. He was previously a sports journalist at the ABC based in Canberra, ACT.

• Superdream has announced the appointment of Ashleigh Cox as account director.

Cox brings with her an impressive background in marketing and advertising to the Brisbane-based full-service marketing agency. She has previously held roles as senior account manager at WonderKarma and account director at HERO.

Her experience includes working with brands like Suncorp, BHP, Goodstart and AVEO.

• Leroy Brown, content director of 96three FM, takes over as breakfast host at the station starting on 11 September 2023

• Pedestrian Group has welcomed Courtney Borrett as an e-commerce writer. She was previously a freelance writer and a copywriter at Snack Drawer.

• dmg media has announced the promotion of Lachlan Heywood to the position of managing director, Daily Mail Australia.

In this executive role, Heywood will assume responsibility for the day-to-day commercial operation of Daily Mail Australia while overseeing sales and working closely with editor Barclay Crawford and our Australian editorial team.

Rich Caccappolo, CEO dmg media said: “We are pleased to announce Lachlan’s promotion to managing director. With his extensive background as a seasoned media executive and over 25 years of experience in various leadership and management roles across Australia, including his successful tenure working alongside us, we are confident he will help lead our team through our next phase of growth.”

• The National Indigenous Radio Service has welcomed Nance Haxton as a senior reporter. She is also a freelance investigative journalist and podcaster.

• ARN welcomes Laura Anderson as a journalist and newsreader. She was previously the news director of 4BC.

• Seven has announced premiership hero and 7AFL expert commentator Daisy Pearce will join Seven’s AFLW team for the 2023 season, following her retirement from the game earlier this year.

Her addition to the team comes as the new season is set to begin, and Seven Network’s AFL Women’s commentary team is locked and loaded, ready to bring fans an epic season eight of the AFLW competition on Seven and 7plus.

Fresh off the back of her decorated career with Melbourne, Pearce will join Seven’s commentary team for the opening clash between reigning premiers Melbourne and Collingwood, where she will join her former teammates one last time to unfurl the 2022 premiership flag under lights at Ikon Park from 7.00 pm AEST live on Seven, 7mate and 7plus.

• Eleanor Pendleton moves into the role of publisher at Gritty Pretty as Danielle Gay steps into the role of editor.

• Channel 10 Sydney farewells Alexandra Anastassiou as social and digital editor. She has been in the role since November 2022.

• Paramount Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) has announced that head of entertainment and factual programming, Stephen Tate, will depart the business.

For over two decades, Tate has enjoyed one of the longest continuous tenures of any commercial Network Executive in Australia.

Tate has been responsible for some of Network 10’s most successful franchises including Australian Idol, Big Brother, Australian Survivor, The Bachelor Australia, The Masked Singer Australia, The Amazing Race Australia and of course I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!.

• Warwick Tiernan retires as assistant head of audio at the ABC’s Audio Network and has worked for the ABC for over 20 years.

• ABC managing director David Anderson has had his term extended by the ABC Board for a further five years.

• Edwina Storie has been promoted to the lead role of SBS’s youth and current affairs brand, The Feed.

• ABC News has welcomed Luke Royes as the NSW digital editor.

• Eliza Spencer will soon begin a new role as a rural and regional reporter in Cowra for the Rural Network at the Guardian Australia.

• CNET has farewelled Jackson Ryan at CNET after four years as the science editor.

• Chloe Burgess-Jones is now a casual weekend announcer for Central Coast’s Hit 101.3.

• The Border Mail has welcomed back Georgia Smith as a sports journalist.

• Bridget Judd has been promoted to Queensland deputy digital editor of ABC News Online.

• Joshua Louder has moved on from A Current Affair after 10 years of journalism.

• ABC News has welcomed Kathryn Diss as WA’s chief reporter.

• Dominique Loudon will now appear on 9 News Queensland as the new weekend sports presenter alongside Mia Glover.

• Melissa Wait has returned to the comms space as brand experience lead for SAFM at Southern Cross Austereo.

• Joseph McGowan has joined 9 News Adelaide as a news producer.