Seven news anchor Mark Ferguson has reduced his air time from five nights to four, as has his co-host Angela Cox.
The pair will no longer be on the Thursday night 6pm bulletin, which will now be covered by Michael Usher and Angie Asimus. They will continue with Sunday to Wednesday, reported Sydney Confidential.
Mediaweek reached out to Seven for comment and didn’t receive an official one. However, according to other industry sources who spoke directly to Mediaweek, the change has been anticipated for some time as part of a broader strategy to strengthen the overall offering through a planned “shake-up”.
Sources say that Seven is confident in the four veteran presenters – Ferguson, Cox, Usher and Asimus – and the new structure gives the first two opportunities that are not desk-bound.
Mark Ferguson and Angela Cox. Image: Seven
Rumours of Ferguson, 60, ‘stepping back’ have been around for some months, with suspicions that Seven will make a decision for financial reasons.
This was strenuously denied by Seven in December, when a spokesperson said: “No such announcement has been made to newsroom staff.”
Top image: Mark Ferguson. Image: Seven