Leckie successor on the rumour mill

Media this week has been speculating about a successor to Seven CEO David Leckie.

Sales boss James Warburton is again tipped to become the next boss at Seven as early as January, according to the Daily Telegraph.

Leckie, 58, could become a part-time chairman of Seven Media.

Talk of change at the top of Seven is not new.

In 2008 both Warburton and Programmin Chief Tim Worner were speculated to be future candidates. Both have strength in their respective areas, Warburton shares the same sales background as Leckie and TEN’s Grant Blackley, while Worner has been at the helm of the network overtaking Nine in ratings. Both held the fort when Leckie was hospitalised in 2008, along with Chief financial officer Peter Lewis.

Leckie’s colourful style was again in the spotlight this week after an interview with the Australian Financial Review, in which he said, “I don’t care what anybody says about demographics.” Earlier in the year he famously bagged one of the network’s own shows, Cougar Town: “OK, the Cougar Town, it’s a s*** show but we promote it and we get nearly 1.4 million watching it.”

The second half of 2010 is seeing considerable movement at the top of TV networks. David Gyngell handed the reins of Nine to Jeffery Browne two weeks ago, ABC1 has new Channel Controller Brendan Dahill and TEN has new shareholders in James Packer and Lachlan Murdoch. While Grant Blackley’s position was renewed at TEN, Nick Falloon is on the way out.

A Seven spokesperson denied the Leckie rumour, noting “there are no changes planned at the No. 1 television network.”

Source: Daily Telegraph