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Michael Usher exits The Latest as production relocates to Perth

“In March, 7NEWS will shift production and presentation of late-night news program The Latest to its Perth headquarters to streamline efficiencies."

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EXCLUSIVE:

Seven News presenter Michael Usher will exit late night programme The Latest as production relocates from Sydney.

A Seven spokesperson said, “In March, 7NEWS will shift production and presentation of late-night news program The Latest to its Perth headquarters to streamline efficiencies. For viewers, the format, production quality and integrity of the program will not change.”

Usher has presented the show since its launch in 2018, frequently screening around 10:30pm, with Angela Cox more recently on alternate weeknights.

TV Tonight understands a small number of roles will be impacted by the change in production.

Usher previously told TV Tonight, “The big point of difference with The Latest is that its content is all interviews and crosses. We don’t run reporter stories. I like to think our audience has been flat out all day and evening, and we can help them catch up on the day’s news, and give them an idea of what’s brewing in the morning, so they can go to bed up to speed.

“I also always try to end The Latest on a positive note. An image of thoughts that’s uplifting before the day ends.”

Michael Usher will conntinue with Seven News Spotlight.

21 Responses

  1. Light weight commercial tabloid news at best. Usher is wasted at Seven. So very few good news journalists and presenters in Australia. The over-the-top bluster and everything is a ‘crisis’ mentality really wears thin. As for the news copy writing and editing … amateurish and embarrassing. Yet people watch it? What does that say?

  2. Change usually means something is not doing so well. Why do the tv channels think news is entertaining? Ok maybe during covid we had a reason to be kept up to date, but not so much now,

  3. This is crazy! Does Seven realise Usher and Cox bring an appeal to watching this news program. I was only commenting over the summer break that I wouldn’t be surprised if Mark Ferguson got bumped for Usher and Cox at Six in Sydney. They did a great job doing the Sydney news over summer.

    1. Usher and Cox are undoubtely an excellent team, and would do well on the Sunday-Thursday 6pm news in Sydney. That being said, when we were getting the 5 city metro ratings, in recent months, Seven had been very competitive with Nine, and regularly beating Nine by a few thousand viewers, in Sydney for the 6pm news with Mark Ferguson in the chair. I would think that Seven would not want to disrupt that momentum, although they sure are disrupting The Latest’s momentum with the move to Perth, so who knows what they will decide to do.

  4. “For viewers, the format, production quality and integrity of the program will not change.” Ah excuse me random Channel 7 Spokesperson but viewers will absolutely notice that Michael Usher and Angela Cox aren’t hosting the program any more!
    They are both the reason the show is what it is and make it so enjoyable to watch. I watch the show each night because of them. Both are great natural newsreaders and don’t have to act their presentation style which so many others are guilty of. Michael was great for late news with his calm voice and interesting interviews. Same with Angela.
    Such a poor and stupid decision and as usual viewers worse off for the sake of the network saving a couple of bucks! Well it was nice while it lasted. Very disappointed!!!

    1. The single biggest problem with late night news in Australia is that it almost never airs at a consistent time. It is hard to catch the bulletins as they can air at any time between roughly 9:30 and midnight. If memory serves, 10’s upcoming bulletin is supposed to air consistently at 10pm on 10 Play and at 10:30pm on 10, so maybe that will help provide some consistency for viewers wanting a late news bulletin,. Perhaps it will encourage Seven and Nine to be more consistent with scheduling their late news bulletins.

  6. Seven’s Sydney news team, Usher included, has done an excellent job with the program. While I am dissapointed that they won’t be handling the show anymore, I look forward to seeing what the Perth news team does with it.

    Mr, Knox, you mentioned that Michael Usher will continue with Seven News Spotlight. I would assume that he and Angela Cox will be continuing to present Sydney’s 6pm news on Fridays and Saturdays as well. Do you know what other role(s) Angela Cox will take on at Seven once this change occurs? She is an excellent presenter, and I would hate to see her duties be reduced after this change occurs (unless, of course, she wants her duties to be reduced).

  7. Good to see the Latest being relocated to WA. Given that WA is 2-3 hours behind the east coast, I think WA deserves to have a live The Latest bulletin.
    The 9 Late News is being produced from Perth studios by Thommo. As much as I don’t watch 9 News Late, I think WA have a live bulletin. Live news is very important

    1. I don’t think 9 Perth get’s a separate late bulletin, as I believe that producing roles are still in Sydney, and also it is often presented from Sydney and Newcastle.

    3. The news would be recorded in Perth.
      When it’s shown at say 10.00 it will still be old news.
      The east would get live news not Perth viewers.
      The 3 hour difference is a pain for Perth but live sport is fantastic

    4. Live news is essential for keeping viewers up to date. Three hour old bulletins from the east coast don’t cut it in a world where news is moving at an increasingly fast pace. Every state and territory needs its own live and local news bulletins, and this is doubly true in Perth due to the time difference. Perth should have its own dediciated bulletins in every timeslot where the networks run national news, from early morning till late night, seven days a week. Unfortunatley, that would be an expensive undertaking, and since Seven is moving The Latest to Perth to save money, I don’t forsee them wanting to make the investment that would be required to give Perth its own dedicated late night news bulletin.

    1. My understanding is that 9 does present their late news from Perth at least three nights a week with Michael Thomson or Tracy Vo presenting the program. Peter Overton presents it from Sydney on Sundays, and Jane Goldsmith presents it from either Sydney or NBN in Newcastle on Thursdays. I don’t know why 9 feels the need to present the news from two or even three different places throughout the week. It seems like it would be more efficient to present it from a single location all week long. That being said, presenting it from different places each night does allow more members of 9’s news team to recieve national exposure, and it would ease pressure on 9’s Sydney and Perth staff to not have to produce the late news every single night.

  9. it makes sense this means the newsreaders can go to bed earlier since perth is 3 hours behind the east ,
    the production team dont have to stay up so late

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