Hamish MacDonald joins ABC (US)
Former TEN correspondent lands a plum role with ABC network in the US.
- Published by David Knox
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Former TEN correspondent Hamish MacDonald has signed an impressive deal with ABC in the US as International Affairs Correspondent.
MacDonald, who parted ways with TEN in September, is in New York ahead but will move permanently to London, where he was based prior to his role with TEN.
Filing for such shows as World News with Diane Sawyer, Good Morning America, Nightline and 20 / 20, he will cover news in north Africa and the Middle East.
Good morning tweeps. From Monday, I am joining @ABC America as 'International Affairs Correspondent'. Which means, this holiday is over ;)
— Hamish Macdonald (@hamishNews) January 2, 2014
Fairfax reports he negotiated a release from his TEN contract after being approached by ABC.
“TEN’s management, and Bev McGarvey, could not have been more supportive,” Macdonald told Fairfax.
“They were very receptive to my reasoning,” he said. “This is a great opportunity.”
The news is in contrast to a previous report in September by News Corp that MacDonald’s exit had stemmed from a clash of opinions over his short-lived current-affairs series The Truth Is.
ABC’s president of news Ben Sherwood told staff Macdonald was “one of the best storytellers of his generation.”
“Hamish is a dynamic addition to our outstanding international news-gathering team.”
I will be very sad to leave my beloved home country, but will commit to a few smaller ongoing Australian TV & Radio projects in 2014.
— Hamish Macdonald (@hamishNews) January 2, 2014
During his 3 years at TEN, MacDonald appeared on the Late News, 6:30 with George Negus, The Project, TEN News and news specials on Julian Assange and motorcycle gangs. Hid previous roles in the UK included UK correspondent for Al Jazeera where he won Young Journalist of the Year award at the Royal Television Society awards.
MacDonald’s new role with ABC begins on Monday.
8 Responses
Oh, thats really Sad. I absolutly love Hamish. Such a great journalist and a super Hottie.
It’s a Pitty we wont be getting him back on our screens. His Little Doco series “the truth is” was fantastic!
This is definitely ABC (US)’s gain.
Ten treated him dreadfully.
And of course Hamish would have to publically thank them. Who knows he might work with some of the Ten management in the future and wouldn’t want to burn bridges.
My gut feeling is that his political views upset Rinehardt and Murdoch and they had to show him the door.
I guess the same applies to Dave Hughes who was never comfortable with Steve Price on The Project.
Sad state of affairs when anyone expressing an opinion on TV or radio that doesn’t meet with the current rightwing government’s approval are either censored or shut down completely.
There’s no evidence to suggest the views of Hughes and MacDonald were the reasons they departed. Hughes has been upkeeping a punishing media schedule for years. Eventually family beckons. MacDonald says he had been offered a US role. You can choose not to believe, but “gut feeling” is not evidence.
Good luck to Hamish McDonald on ABC (US). I hope he can do much better than when he worked on Channel 10.
@gabbo
Agreed.
And very nice to look at.
I wonder if ABC will let him keep his stubble?
Nice young man…like his work…I wish him well.
Ten let him down somewhat by completely imploding as a network.
Our loss – ABC (US) the big winners! One of the best young TV journalists we have. Perhaps just a bit too deep and cerebral for Oz commercial TV!