Basil Zempilas to wind back Seven News duties
Perth Lord Mayor to remain with Seven but no longer as weeknight sports anchor.
- Published by David Knox
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Sports presenter Basil Zempilas will scale back his Seven News Perth role as he seeks more flexibility in his schedule.
Sources confirm he will appear in a ‘semi-regular’ role, but will no longer be presenting every night.
Zempilas has been presenting sport for 21 years, and is known for an exhaustive commitments including Seven News, TripleM radio and duties as Perth’s Lord Mayor.
He first joined Seven as a cadet sports reporter in 1994, but has presented Sport alongside Rick Ardon and Susannah Carr since 2001.
He has also presented Weekend Sunrise, requiring coast to coast flights and at one point was being touted as a possible successor to David Koch on weekday editions.
Rumours of a shift first broke on 6PR this morning, with Peter Ford suggesting his anchor role will be replaced by Ryan Daniels.
Seven has confirmed Zempilas is not departing entirely, and continues with Commonwealth Games, Olympics and Telethon.
the @SevenPerth and the @7Sport teams and Telethon, Comm Games, Olympics etc plus Sunrise appearances will remain a constant, as will covering for Ryan and Barra when they are off or away as they have done for…
— Basil Zempilas (@BasilZempilas) February 14, 2022
and that includes for me personally. And the right thing to do now, as we prepare to handle the challenges of COVID and our border reopening is to be even more available to and for the @CityofPerth. And so it is.
— Basil Zempilas (@BasilZempilas) February 14, 2022
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- Tagged with Seven News, Telethon, Weekend Sunrise
8 Responses
Seems odd that it was ever considered appropriate for a local news programme to employ the local mayor.
Many of us Perth-ites are irritated by the complications of his Mayorship whilst maintaining so many other profile roles. He should be off 7 altogether during his tenure. Either that or commit to 7 and not be mayor, either would be good.
he’s more than welcome to wind back a lot more. I won’t mind.
Does anyone else think it’s wild and a massive conflict of interest for a city mayor to be employed by that city’s major news outlet.
How does a Lord Mayor also work on tv? Who is running Perth?
Not good news, makes him available to ruin even more sporting coverage
Here I was thinking it was good news, but you’re right, I hope that doesn’t mean the ‘flexibility’ is calling more AFL games each week *ugh*
Interesting that apparently he planned to leave when the borders opened. Maybe a sign he will call AFL, otherwise why are the borders relevant to his decision??