TV Week editor Thomas Woodgate departs
TV Week’s editor Thomas Woodgate is departing the magazine, saying it’s time for him to sign off.
The departure – after what he calculated as six years, 339 print issues and 35,000 pages of TV content – comes as the magazine’s flagship event, the TV Week Logie Awards, is on hold for 2020, and as the magazine’s publisher, Bauer Media, makes deep cuts to staff in the wake of COVID-19.
The TV Week Logie Awards, which reward TV personalities, production crews and networks based on both merit and popularity, had been scheduled to take place on 28 June with a simplified voting method.
In the wake of COVID-19 travel and event restrictions, the magazine then looked at putting on the event “in some form” but conceded it would “not proceed as planned”.
Two weeks ago, the magazine decided the large-scale event would be canned completely for 2020.
All this has been happening alongside deep changes in the magazine industry, as TV Week’s publisher Bauer Media purchased Seven West Media’s magazine arm Pacific Magazines for $40m in a complicated and delayed deal.
Just prior to the deal getting across the line, Bauer made 70 staff redundant and suspended a number of print titles, citing the action as necessary in the wake of decreased advertising revenue.
When Bauer then absorbed Pacific Magazines, it made another 60 staff redundant and stood a further 14 down.
Woodgate did not reference either of these events in his farewell post, simply saying the time was right.
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“I’m leaving on a high and with the mag in great shape and with countless highlights and memories,” he said in an Instagram post. “None of it would have been possible without working alongside some of the best in the industry. The TV Week team is the best in the business and they are the epitome of what makes TV Week so incredible: talented, creative, and passionate. Thank you for everything. I will miss you all.”
On LinkedIn, he also reflected on how the Logies had evolved as an event.
“I will genuinely miss the TV Week Logie Awards. Six red carpets with countless highlights and memories – transforming the event into a multi-platform offering that targets a wider demographic, and making the event more relevant than ever. Thank you to Bauer Media for giving me the platform to achieve all that I have.”
Woodgate said he was excited for what comes next.
It’s not yet clear whether Woodgate’s role will be replaced. Both he and Bauer Media have been contacted for further comment.
Woodgate is just ONE of hundreds of people at Bauer and the former Pacific Magazines who are now redundant in the wake of Channel 7 trying to write down its extreme debts, and Bauer trying to whittle down the combined business in preparation to exit the country.
Every one of those redundant people who have been thrown under the bus by greedy and incompetent corporate bigwigs is deserving of this kind of attention. These are the ordinary victims of corporate greed and gross corporate incompetence. Two once great Australian publishing companies ruined – great job guys.
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Total PR spin this development …. He jumped off (or was pushed off) a sinking ship. It’s been a desperately sad week for people working in magazines.
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