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Nine appoints Fiona Dear as Director of News and Current Affairs

Executive Producer of A Current Affair is promoted to top news job at Nine.

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Nine has appointed Fiona Dear, currently EP of A Current Affair, as the new Director of News and Current Affairs.

She succeeds Darren Wick who departed the network in March and will oversee Nine News bulletins, Today, A Current Affair, 60 Minutes and breaking news teams.

“Fiona is an outstanding news person, who has worked tirelessly here at Nine across all our broadcast news brands and perfectly understands our news culture of excellence. We are excited to see her lead the outstanding team of people in television news to bring the full range of news and current affairs to our audiences,” said Michael Healy Director of Television on the appointment. “At Nine we pride ourselves on our news brand, that heritage lives in the hearts and minds of Australians and has done so for over 60 years.”

Fiona Dear began her career in work experience at WIN Wollongong proceeding to a reporter for WIN News and subsequently Chief of Staff. She has led the team at ACA for the past five and a half years and was previously Deputy Director of News Sydney.

“I got a call from Nine inviting me in to talk about life!,” She said of her career beginnings. “And look where that took me, from Canberra to the COS in Sydney at the heart of our beating news brands, it was exhilarating and scary all at once. I was in no doubt I was working with the best in the business.

“I’m honoured now to be given this role, and I look forward to the challenges, the news that makes our business great and leading our people as we tell Australia’s stories every day.”

Dear added, “A Current Affair is a special family, it’s a team who care passionately about getting to the heart and soul of every story and I’m so proud to have had the opportunity to be a part of this brilliant team. I won’t be taking my eye off the ACA ball, but we will be announcing a new Executive Producer in due course.”

“Fiona has been instrumental in developing some of our most important news brands. We are delighted that she will lead our News and Currents Affairs teams as they continue to build on the exceptional results they are delivering,” said Michael Healy.

The appointment also comes at a time when headlines surround former news director Darren Wick. Nine has declined to comment on those reports.

5 Responses

  1. Can we please bring some world news back to 6pm bulletins? I saw Seven News the other night and there was nothing on Gaza, Trump’s court case, US/British elections….it was an hour of “a man was stabbed in Merrylands”.

  2. Congratulations Fiona, dear. Another WIN trainee makes it big. A file to be shown to the UOW work experience people as they roll through Mount St. Thomas. Seriously, excellent achievements. Well done.

    1. Nearly always for legal reasons where there are allegations, court proceedings or extremely sensitive subjects such as current wars, referendums etc. I’ve learned in the past that allowing some moderation opens up a can of worms, arguments ensue and it’s a headache to try and be fair to all. Anonymity isn’t a license to drop our levels of decency or risk contempt.

  4. I didn’t realise the Director of News & CA answered to Michael Healy, the stalwart seems to still have such power, despite… the CEO (Mike Sneesby).

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