SCA news director Deborah Clay defects to ARN to head Sydney and Brisbane newsrooms
Clay
Southern Cross Austereo’s Sydney news director Deborah Clay is defecting to rival Australian Radio Network to be its Sydney and Brisbane news director, Mumbrella understands.
SCA announced Clay’s departure this afternoon with Jeremy Simpson general manager telling staff in a note: “It is a with a heavy heart to let you know that Deborah Clay is leaving.”
“Deborah has led the Sydney news team for the last five year with high energy, an amazing work ethic and an enormous integrity. She has also been a wonderful advocate for our advances in the digital news space and has enthusiastically embrace social media.”
ARN declined to comment on the appointment but it is understood Clay will take up the new news director role across both markets later this year.
Clay has been the breakfast radio newsreader for the Triple M Grill Team for a number of years and is also a regular on Channel 7’s Sunrise in the Kochie’s Angels segment.
In 2013 she won one of Commercial Radio’s highest awards receiving the Brian White Memorial Award recognising “sustained journalistic achievement and effort”.
Nic Christensen
Update 11.00am ARN has this morning issued a statement confirming Mumbrella’s report:
The Australian Radio Network (ARN) today confirms that Deborah Clay will join the company in the newly created role of Sydney/Brisbane News Director and Drive News Presenter for WSFM and the KIIS National Network.
Deborah is a highly experienced broadcast journalist and has previously held News Director and Breakfast News Presenter roles at Southern Cross Austereo and has worked as a journalist at Sky News, Nova and 2SM. She is also a regular contributor on Channel 7’s Sunrise.
At the 2013 ACRAs Deborah received the Brian White Memorial Award in recognition of sustained excellence in journalism.
ARN National Content Director Duncan Campbell said Deborah’s appointment was part of an ongoing commitment to employing the best talent across the company, further strengthening ARN’s offering to both audiences and the commercial market.
“I am delighted to welcome Deborah to ARN. Her journalistic expertise and commitment to excellence in news make her well-placed to lead our highly experienced newsroom teams in Sydney and Brisbane. As ARN consolidates its position as one of Australia’s leading media and entertainment companies, this appointment demonstrates our commitment to recruiting and retaining the best. ARN is in an exciting new phase of organisational growth,” he said.
Deborah will join ARN in January 2016.
Another talented senior female leader leaves SCA…… interesting
User ID not verified.