★★★★★ 0/5

Stormy weather as Seven’s David Brown dumped for Giaan Rooney

Who didn't see this coming? After nearly 20 years meteorologist David Brown is dumped for newcomer Giaan Rooney.

42
Leave a comment

2012-12-21_0202More changes at Seven News Melbourne -as predictable as Melbourne’s four seasons in one day- sees David Brown removed as 6pm weather presenter after nearly 20 years in the role.

Instead he has been relegated to weather reports on the 4:30 news and  filing reports on weather events for Sunrise, Sunday Night, Today Tonight.

As tipped by TV Tonight, Giaan Rooney’s instalment as weather presenter over summer was simply part of a bigger plan to replace Brown permanently. A Seven spokesperson recently told me he would be returning from holidays in February -but it’s now clear not to the same role.

Seven has been determined to lift its ailing Melbourne figures and sees a female presence as adding to its appeal, opposite Nine’s Livinia Nixon.

While Brown, 52, has been a meteorologist for decades, Rooney, 30, only has 6 weeks experience in presenting weather.

“I did not use scripts,” he told the Sunday Herald Sun.

“I analysed the maps myself using my years of experience as a meteorologist to make forecasts.

“I definitely think my experience brought something extra to the role.”

In December amid speculation about his future, Seven News director Simon Pristel said, “Nothing has changed with his status or role.”

But in television such claims are usually the calm before the storm.

Dumping presenters can frequently backfire in television. TEN copped a barrage of criticism for letting go presenters including Helen Kapalos, Bill McDonald and Ron Wilson. It took years for Nine to recover from replacing Mark Ferguson with Peter Overton in Sydney.

Tactfully, Brown said of his new role, “I see it as just another fork in the road.

“It will be a new challenge after 20 years.”

42 Responses

  2. I’m not too familiar with David Brown (I’m in nth Qld where Peter Burne was replaced by a younger, prettier model. Although she is actually a meteorologist too so that’s not too bad.) But David Brown was great on Sunrise for a short time a few years back. IMO an actual meteorologist adds credibility. If they need more of a female presence, why not get Giaan Rooney presenting sport? Doesn’t that make more sense?

  3. Surely it would be better to bump sandy Roberts, who has always divided people and put giaane on sport, she is a sportsperson and has experience presenting sport.

    Then theyd have a sports person on sport, an experienced meteorologist on weather, and a veteran newsreader and still get their female presence. Seems it would be a win win win, this situation is bizarre.

  4. I wonder what network TV is going to do when the baby boomers die. No-one needs a weather report on television anymore. We can get far more from bom.gov.au than we’re ever going to get from a TV weather report.

    The only reason these things still exist is because boomers can’t get themselves out of the habit of religiously watching it.

  9. Apart from Magdalena Roze, how many qualified meteorologisits are across the networks? Anyone know?
    I’d probably know more about weather than Giaan…but hey, the networks love a pretty face. Qualified or not…

  10. Don’t live in Melbourne but I agree that it is a stupid thing to do by getting rid of a highly experienced person and putting in a younger person with no experience hope it backfires on seven and they loose all their viewers

  11. Great move Ch7 because I’m going to switch from 9 to 7 to look at a female present the weather…which is what i already get on 9..instead of getting better weather details from someone who understands the words that are coming out of his mouth, oh well at least now..when I do stick around to watch the weather because I’m to lazy to open the BOM website..I don’t need to switch over to Ch7 and potential miss it anyway.

  14. What an incredibly bad decision by seven. A respectected man in his field is dumped for a script reader? What the heck is going on in the minds of the people that run these shows? Quite frankly it’s awful watching Giaan at the moment, she looks completely out of place. The only reason I can see for this change is that she must be cheaper for the network.

  15. They’re going in the wrong direction. In this day and age where weather is going to play a bigger part in news we need people that know weather. David Brown is a meteorologist and we need more poeple like him presenting weather. This is just silly. She’s a swimmer. The last meteorologist I can remember presenting weather was Alan Wilkie in Sydney. By the way what ever happened to Alan?

  16. Thanks David Brown, it was fun.

    Also, I don’t know who is picking Giann’s wardrobe, but it is an interesting study in how to make an attractive girl look dowdy and overdressed. She looks a lovely girl, but would be better suited dressed wearing something that reflects that. She is a great talent.

  18. As lovely as Giaan is, she knows nothing about the weather. What is it with Networks in general having pretty women read the weather ? Livinia Nixon knows nothing about the weather either, instead someone else prepares the weather report in the afternoon for her to read.

  19. This seems like a very ill thought through decision. I don’t care much for ch7 news but ill often flick over to watch David Brown’s weather as I know he actually knows his stuff. I like Livinia on Ch9 but she is a presenter, not a meteorologist and sometimes i want to know more detail about weather events. Until now, that was a point if difference and credibility for ch7. Giaan Rooney is a good performer but I don’t think the weather is a good match for her. A bad decision all round. All the best to David for the future.

  20. It’s appears somewhat typical when ratings drop for a particular network they tend to panic and copy what their rivals are doing instead of sticking to a point of difference. With news and current affairs, they tend to push the “experience that makes the difference” yet make decisions that are totally opposite. In this changing world with crazy weather patterns, wouldn’t it make sense to promote how experienced your weatherman is? You know, an Actual weatherman?

  21. How is Giann being on for a couple of minutes at the end of the bulletin going to lift ratings ?
    I’d prefer someone who knows what they’re talking about,not someone who is just there for their pretty face and is just reading a clipboard that was prepared by someone else.

    Another bad move from Seven.

  24. A terrible decision Channel 7..Hoiw can a station git rid of someone who actually understands weather and never needs an autocue with someone who cannot anaylse the weather map and needs an autocue to read the weather.I’m furious with 7.

  25. My forecast is a year downy the track this move won’t be helping ratings and there’ll be a credibility issue with Giaan and he’ll be back. His expertise is a positive point of difference between 7 & 9. I really think Giaan is a talent but needs a more appropriate vehicle.

Leave a Reply