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A Current host

Today's sports presenter Cameron Williams hosted A Current Affair for Easter. Where are the all the news journos?

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acawIf Nine is wondering why viewers think its news brand has changed so much lately, it need look no further than A Current Affair over the Easter weekend, which had sports presenter Cameron Williams sitting in the host chair.

Normally Leila McKinnon is ACA‘s deputy but it was the Today show’s sports-man who was leading the bulletin over Easter. Williams also co-hosts the Sunday morning edition of Today alongside McKinnon, but this weekend she was replaced by Shelley Craft.

Last year ACA even had a week front by Eddie McGuire. Karl Stefanovic has also filled in.

But has anybody bothered to ask one of the show’s journos to front the show? After all they are part of the ACA brand.

It seems what’s good enough for Seven is good enough at Nine. Today Tonight’s ‘Matt’ White was also busy with sports prior to taking up the vacancy left by Anna Coren.

19 Responses

  1. I don’t think it has ever been commonplace to have a reporter fill in for an anchor – the networks (at least Nine) usually utilise another studio-based “identity”, rather than any on-the-ground crew – let’s be thankful they didn’t get Brady Halls to fill in!

    It’s just a shame that in Adelaide we now get “Adelaide’s ACA” rather than Tracy Grimshaw’s version – I guess that’s what we get for being parochial and having different owners to the major capitals in the Network.

  3. I enjoyed Cameron Williams filling in,l think in next few years he will move more into news than current job sport.He has said that he does want to move into news in time.

  4. Elise Mooney and Ben Foredom are both capable anchors. Just get one of them do to it. It would help to create a perception of an “ACA team”.

  5. Good point. I think Nine has lost a lot of credibility in news. Its ratings are often less than The ABC. With the loss of Nightline and Sunday the message is clear – they dont care about anything but short term finacual gain. With Kerry gone pride is irrelevent. Tradition and prestige is a forriegn concept to what is mogul-less and owned by too many people.

  6. This growing ‘trend’ if you like of having sports reporters/network personalities fronting news/current affairs is not a good sign IMO. I’m sure there are enough actual news reporters willing to become presenters – but then again ACA and TT aren’t exactly “current affairs”. As to Cameron Williams on ACA they’re probably trying to get viewers accustomed to their co-host on the (struggling) Today on Sunday .

  8. Anna is the worst person to work for CNN

    I’m not a journo champ so let’s not get personal and say ‘I would like to see you do it’

    I have seen her and she is terrible in my opinion, I respect yours as well.

  10. David, I fully understand your message an agree wholeheartedly.
    Let’s put it simply when A Current Affair started and Mike Willesee was in the chair, almost everyone watched – guaranteed to have an in studio guest and proper 5-10 minute interview with solid questioning and as title suggested it was about current topics and delved into them in detail. loads of time getting behind the scenes.
    I liked that show.
    Now ACA or TT is total tripe filled with ‘bra stories’ that the hosts say they do not like yet still do (go figure), weight loss/diet, which foods are good for you and loads and loads of “cross promotion stuff”
    Give us a journo , give us decent current affairs on 9 or 7 – no more fluff.
    Otherwise i will stay with SBS or ABC if I need the in depth stuff.

  11. @Tony Anna is fantastic on CNNI, one of their best anchors.
    I would like to see you anchor breaking news on an international news channel and see how smoothly you do it….

  12. I don’t see a problem either.. He is a sports presenter on the Today show but he also fills in for Karl when he is away so he is well qualified to do the ACA job.

    And the person who complained about Shelley Craft, the weekend edition of Today is suppose to be more light entertainment, Andrew O’Keefe isn’t exactly a journalist but he hosts Weekend Sunrise.

    I thought Shelley did a fantastic job! She was better than Leila imo.

    1. Not every story on a blog is pitched as “big news” and some will be “reactionary” comments to what’s on air. I think it’s orderly to comment on a shifting change (on both Seven and Nine) to put forward sports presenters as current affairs hosts, seemingly over the choice of others that have been a part of the brands for many years (as I noted when Eddie fronted ACA too).

      I actually didn’t criticise Cameron Williams so much as ponder where the future is heading, particularly in the light of a network looking to lift its current affairs figures.

  13. Yes you are correct Wayne. Lets face it his coverage of the China earthquake has helped Nine News recieve a nomination for a Logie, for the coverage.

    David I fail to see if there was any need for this article I am sorry. Cameron has come out publicly and said in the near future he wants to move away from the sport side and centre himself in the news spectrum. I think he has every right to do so as well.

  15. Anna Coren was not exactly a good presenter. Has anyone seen her on CNN? She is terrible. Her coverage of the Pakistan, Sri-Lanka cricketers crisis and attempting to do live crosses was an embarrasment!

    Williams is fine if White is doing it on Seven… you don’t have to be too smart to read off an auto-cue because the journalism has been taken away from these hosts and these pathetic trash shows

  16. Cameron Williams makes me cringe. He should stick to sport. I never watch the Today Show when he is filling in for Karl. Surely there are more qualified people to fill in on ACA or is that the point? 9 doesn’t see it as a worthwhile job for their journos?

  18. I don’t see a problem, he is a news reporter, not just a news presenter…operative word being reporter – his coverage of the China earthquakes for the Today show was first rate.

    Perhaps the ACA reporters, whatever their level of ability at reporting the news, are just not skilled in the presenting side of things.

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