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New exec producer for Today, A Current Affair.

Steve Burling moves from A Current Affair to become Nine's new Director of Morning Television.

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Darren Wick, Nine’s National Director of News & Current Affairs, has confirmed new appointments in Sydney affecting Today, A Current Affair and Nine News.

Steve Burling, currently Executive Producer of A Current Affair, has been appointed Director of Morning Television, to oversee Today, Today Extra and Weekend Today. Fiona Dear, currently Deputy Director of News in Sydney becomes Executive Producer of A Current Affair, whilst Meredith Marks is promoted within Nine News to become Deputy Director of News Sydney.

The appointments come on the first day of the merged Nine / Fairfax companies.

Heres is Wickie’s note to staff:

Steven Burling has been appointed Director of Morning Television. In this role, he will be the Executive Producer of Today and also have oversight of Today Extra and Weekend Today. For Steven, it’s a return to the programme where he began his career with Nine – on his birthday, in the Year 2000. He started out as a segment producer on Today and a “meeter and greeter”, looking after on-air guests. Steve rose through the ranks of Today, spending several years as the Entertainment Producer for Richard Wilkins. He subsequently became the Sydney Bureau Chief for A Current Affair, field producer and then Chief of Staff for 60 Minutes. And, for the past 12 months, the Executive Producer of ACA. He’s leaving the programme in great shape.

Fiona Dear has been appointed Executive Producer of A Current Affair. Fiona is one of our most experienced leaders in Nine News. For the past two years, she’s been the Deputy Director of News in Sydney. Prior to that, she spent a decade in the hot seat as Chief of Staff. Fiona has overseen coverage of the biggest events – bushfires, terror attacks, Olympic Games, Royal Weddings to name just a few. She’s passionate about News and Current Affairs and is always looking and pushing for the edge that will set Nine above our opposition. Born and raised in Sydney’s western suburbs, her DNA is locked into the working class audience that ACA champions. She’s taking over one of the most committed teams at Nine and will lead from the front.

Meredith Marks has been appointed the Deputy Director of News in Sydney. Meredith joined the Nine Sydney Newsroom as an Associate Producer in 2009. She’s worked her way up the ranks to become one of the strongest Executive Producers at Nine News. Meredith has often been calling the shots from the control room during rolling coverage of major breaking stories for the past decade. She has exceptional news judgement and will play a critical role in 2019 as we restructure our news teams to be the machine drives the new Nine family of television, digital, radio and newspapers.

4 Responses

  1. David, Just one teeny critique about this and other stories. I kindly request that you insert the word — ‘ pictured’ –, after the name of who it is. You know all these behind the scenes guys well, but we often don’t. Is the picture Darren or Steve. kindly, Bob.

  2. Current Affairs should be about the news of the day and not championing a certain group. A long time ago, programs such as A Current Affair and 60 Minutes were appointment television as they covered the news of the day, but today it is championing a certain group, and this is for higher advertising revenue by dumbing down it stories and moving away from hard-hitting journalism that ABC and SBS do well at.

    Current Affairs is Brexit. Current Affairs is news on the Korean Peninsula. Current Affairs is about what is happening on Nauru. It is not fence disputes or alleged welfare cheats or consumer reports. I personally think programs such as A Current Affair and 60 Minutes should stop this championing and go back to what it used to be: real current affairs.

    This championing was why Today Tonight failed, and unless A Current Affair goes back to hard-hitting journalism, then it will go…

  3. Fiona, ‘always looking and pushing for that edge’. Wow, this could be good. ACA with real current affaires stories. No more -fence disputes, dodgy tradies, cheating dates, loan sharks and Woollies vs Coles. Please Fiona, I hope you live up to your ‘biggest events’ reputation and show us that passion. Good luck.

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