Ten’s long-standing Melbourne director of news Dermot O’Brien resigns
Network Ten’s long term Melbourne director of News Dermot O’Brien is departing the company in what the company says is a resignation, and will leave the network on July 4.
News of his departure comes just a week after the struggling network announced cuts to its news department, with the early, mid-morning and late news shows cut and with as many as 150 jobs to be made redundant.
It follows comments from news director Peter Meakin who told Fairfax papers he would have to wait and see if he remained at the network, quipping “having high-priced old fart like me around is a bit of a luxury” following news of the cuts, which also saw breakfast show Wake Up axed.
O’Brien joined the network initially in 1992, working as executive producer of the current affairs program Hinch until 1994, and returned there in late 1995 as ATV 10 Melbourne director of news, a role he has held ever since.
Network Ten CEO Hamish McLennan said: “Dermot has been a vital part of our news and current affairs team for more than 18 years, firmly establishing Ten Eyewitness News in Melbourne as a high-rating and highly regarded news service.
“Dermot’s resume speaks for itself: the Melbourne Herald, AAP, News Limited in New York, The Australian, Seven Network, Nine Network, 3AW and almost two decades at Ten. He is a great journalist and a great news director. We are going to miss him and we wish him the very best for the future.”
O’Brien’s successor is expected to be announced soon.
In a statement O’Brien said: “It has been a great privilege to be the ATV 10 Director of News for the past 18-and-a-half years. Ten news has been an integral part of Melbourne’s world-class local television news offering and will continue to be so.
“Ten’s coverage of the Melbourne gangland wars, September 11 and the Black Saturday bushfires were memorable events in the network’s history, particularly for ATV 10. And our world exclusive on the arrest of the Bali Nine by Martine Griffiths won numerous awards.
“Ten News’ Melbourne staff over the years have been professional and extremely loyal to me, and I have received years of unyielding support from Mal Walden and Stephen Quartermain.”
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Another one getting off the Sinking Ship !
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Cue the latest round of Ten bashing from the punters….
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Another key executive runs for the door – can’t blame him.
Very talented guy.
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