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Anna exits TT ahead of schedule

Anna Coren is said to have been "shown the door" by Seven bosses, with Matthew White to join TT from Monday.

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Channel Seven bosses are said to have “shown Anna Coren the door” ahead of schedule which will see her present her final Today Tonight bulletin tomorrow night.

Matthew White will take over from Monday, despite plans for holiday.

The sudden switch comes ahead of plans for a transition in December and is seen by many as retaliation for Coren’s public and messy departure from Seven to CNN in Hong Kong.

Seven chief David Leckie and his news boss Peter Meakin yesterday cut her loose, angry a favourite, recruited and mentored star had chosen her own path.

“He oversaw her poaching from Nine as a reporter and she was given key overseas assignments before she got the Today Tonight gig last year,” a network source told the Daily Telegraph.

“Leckie absolutely loved her, but he was furious when she didn’t tell them she was auditioning for CNN while she was on holidays (in July).”

Executive producer Craig McPherson was more gracious, saying yesterday, “Anna leaves TT in great shape having anchored over a successful two years. On behalf of all of us I’d like to thank her for her efforts and wish her the very best in her move.”

Other Seven sports presenters are believed to be looking to move into some of White’s former duties, including Mark Beretta, Jim Wilson and Ben Damon -said to be the favourite.

Over at ACA Tracy Grimshaw is off for the week from Monday, to be replaced by Leila McKinnon. That will probably give White a free kick, given there will be significant curiosity in how he performs, moving from sports and light entertainment to public affairs.

Source: Daily Telegraph

24 Responses

  1. Anyone guess what the topics are for next week ?

    How many exclusives will Seven have too ?

    Press release should be -Matthew White moves from sports and light entertainment to infomercials

    Anna Coren sees the light and flees.

  3. If I were Anna I’d be breathing a huge sigh of relief. Still the Seven bosses are acting so precious!

    And I wonder if Matt White will start giving the “insincere concerned glance” [a Today Tonight trademark ;)] every time a story about shonky builders or neighbours from hell ends…?

  4. Good luck to Matt.Will be interesting too see who will win ratings for matts first week with Leila McKinnon doing ACA next week.Mark Baretta should replace matt on seven news and Jim Wilson move too sunrise.

  6. Now there’s rumours That Chris Bath is prepared to leave Channel Seven for Channel Nine. Personally, I would love Bathy on 9 as she is a great presenter and has a great personality. However – the only possibility for her would be to read the news on weekends replacing Mike Munro and why would she leave 7 for the same job at 9? Unless of course 9 boned Mark Ferguson and gave Bathy weekdays.

  7. Bass you are correct (about Sales Jobs) but being a current affairs host is hardly the same – it’s not like she can take her clients with her and I doubt very much that Seven will lose audience share to CNN!

  8. pre-recorded + 1.

    Best wishes and good luck to her ! I feel sorry for anyone presenting TT / aca – I just think why on earth would you want to be part of this trash show?

    Personally, i think she’s above leaving on friday with a “parting shot” – but it would have been fun if she had/will. We can dream – cant we ? 🙂

  9. “Seven chief David Leckie and his news boss Peter Meakin yesterday cut her loose, angry a favourite, recruited and mentored star had chosen her own path.”
    “Leckie absolutely loved her, but he was furious when she didn’t tell them she was auditioning for CNN while she was on holidays (in July).”

    LOL!! Oh come on!
    Mentored Star?, Favourite? Loved Her?
    Then why give her a job on show that has tacky and questionable media ethics, zero credibility and nearly no chance of having a career afterward her tour of duty is over? Anna isn’t a stupid lady (really, she isn’t) and after seeing what happened to Naomi I don’t blame her for making the decision to get out of there.
    But for Leckie and Meakin to turn around and spout of these BS terms like mentored and favourite is a bit of a laugh. If thats how they treat their favourites then I prey neither of those guys ever adopt!!!

  11. David – “moving from sports and light entertainment to public affairs”

    I think you mean Light Entertainment to uh Light Entertainment 😉

    To knoxoverstreet – Any network would do this, and just about any company if you worked in Sales would march you out the door that day if not sooner, 9’s track record on stuff like this isn’t exactly all innocent either 🙂

  12. 7 will launch a new current affairs show called Sunday Night to rival 60 Minutes next year on Sunday nights

    If this is true Alex i bet Samantha Armytage got this gig for giving 60 minutes a miss!

    Television is so cut throat i think egos and power rule way too much they need to be a little bit nicer and thankful for what they have.

    It beats digging ditches anyday.

  13. Unfortunatly for me she is a professional and there wont be any fireworks. I have to tune in and see tho’.
    And 7 should have Samantha fill in and build excitment for Matty next year.

  15. it would be great opened with the words

    Anna: welcome to trash tonight thank god I have only got 24 minutes left then I am outta here

    And her final words were

    Anna: Thank god I don’t have to put up with all this bulls**t anymore why on earth that this trash rated so well is simply amazing

  17. Lucky her. she gets to leave early, they have to keep paying her salary, she gets more time to settle into HKG. its all a win for her and these 7 bosses look like old, fat, child like men. i dont watch this show but just reading this article speaks volumes of the bosses at 7

  20. Chris, as much as id love to see her say “Thank god i don’t have to spout this poor excuse for tabloid journalism any more” or something to that effect, she isn’t that stupid, doing something unprofessional like that would more than likely jeopardize her new job and ability to get a new one in broadcasting.

  21. Ah 7 such a classy network! I can’t stand Anna or TrashTonight but surely she deserves better then this. Just seems petty and spiteful and completely unprofessional to me.

  22. I love Anna Coren she is great…useless on TT as it was a woeful vehicle for her and she is so much better than that…That said, we could only see her occassionally …living in regional NSW and watching Prime who don’t show it in Sth NSW…I like Matt White too…good talent..we will nvere see him now

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