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George Negus to quit SBS for TEN

Exclusive: George Negus will exit SBS at the end of the year to join TEN, leading to speculation he will front the new 6pm news-based programme.

EXCLUSIVE: George Negus will exit SBS at the end of the year to join Network TEN, leading to speculation he will front its new 6pm news-based programme.

Negus has fronted SBS international current affairs series Dateline for six years  as well has appearing on TEN’s 7PM Project in a mutual arrangement enjoyed by both networks. The appearances have helped give him a younger audience following. Now he will make a permanent move.

Negus is understood to have had a number of discussions with SBS Managing Director Shaun Brown about his future, but will continue with Dateline until the end of the year.

TEN is yet to reveal its presenter for the half-hour news-based programme that comprises its 6pm timeslot, but rumours of ABC’s Jennifer Byrne have been denied by TEN.

In a statement to SBS staff Negus said, “It has been both a personal and professional privilege to work with you all for the past six years. I’ve worked with great colleagues at Dateline, NACA, in the studio, the control room, wardrobe, make-up, the atrium, the café – even in Management!

“In the process, terrific friendships have been made that I’m sure will remain long after ‘the moustache has left the building.'”

With The Simpsons and Neighbours shifting to Eleven, TEN is investing heavily in the News landscape.

It plans to introduce a 30-minute national news program targeting viewers seeking “a smarter, more informed and insightful approach to the stories, issues, events and news-makers of the day.”

It will be followed by 30 minute local news editions with state-based hosts around the country including Sandra Sully and Mal Walden.

TEN is expected to confirm Negus’ appointment this weekend.

32 Responses

  1. If Ten wants to push a faaaaar left agenda, then George Negus is your man, I certainly won’t be watching. And did this happen before Packer took over, surely not, Negus sucks…!

  2. I think Jennifer has been out of the more serious side of things for too long and just doesn’t have that newsreader attitude anymore IMO.

    George good, Jennifer not so much.

  3. Interesting, George is not really the funky and modern image that 10 likes to project, but he does bring an earthed, considered and experienced persona to a new program. Alone, i can’t see him or it, any differennt from his sbs or abc shows. He works really well on 7pm project – watching the space…..

  4. @Kenny

    Why wouldn’t Negus be the Presenter/Auto-Cue Reader, pretty much what he does on Dateline now, fills in the story and cuts to the report., he’s not out in the field gathering stories now.

    Negus may have some Editorial control over what is shown and then present it and this may be the same deal he does with TEN (if TEN are as serious about this News Block as it seems).

  5. Can’t see George being just an autocue reader. He’s more likely to be a field reporter, but definitely more than a newsreader.
    “…speculation he will front its new 6pm news-based programme”. As Magaret Thatcher would say, “speculation by who” (or should that be “whom”?). Speculation by the uninformed playing guessing games?

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