The Ten Network has lost one of its most respected and well known names with the confirmation today that long standing Political Editor Paul Bongornio is the latest staff member to take a voluntary redundancy package.
Bongornio will depart in August after more than 30 years with the network. He will however return occasionally to fulfil a ’commentary role’.
The Australian reports today that Tens Canberra bureau chief Stephen Spencer was dismissed by the network on Friday leaving a vacuum of political experience at the network.
Bongornio first joined Ten’s Brisbane newsroom in 1978, he then moved to the Canberra Bureau in 1998. Earlier this year he became a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) “For significant service to the print and broadcast media as a journalist, political commentator and editor.”
Speaking with The Australian today Bongornio said “What Channel Ten News is experiencing now is highly distressing and emotional for all of us who have been involved with the network,’’
“In this extremely difficult times for Ten News, I’m happy to retain my association with the network and the Ten bureau and I will be seen again on Channel Ten.”
Last week it was confirmed John Hill, Danielle Isdale, Mazoe Ford, Ellie Southwood and Antoinette Lattouf were some of the key on-air talent that had accepted a redundancy package as Ten continues with its plans to cut 150 staff members over the coming months.
While Ten management has always promised local 5pm news bulletins would be maintained the truth is these cuts are savage. This website understands Perth and Adelaide will be left with only four reporters working per day after the cuts while Melbourne will have six, Sydney will have seven, and Brisbane will have five news-crews to cover all the daily news and sport issues.
One Ten source speaking with this website today said,
“its essentially going to be run like the weekend National bulletin, under the guise of a local bulletin due to the presenter. But audiences aren’t stupid, they’ll realise very quickly that Ten can no longer cover even the most basic local news”
Danielle Isdale joined the network in 2009 as part of the failed George Negus experiment before going on to host the now axed Late Night News. It is understood she will now relocate to London after her wedding later this year
John Hill is a senior journalist who was nominated for a Walkley award for his jaw-dropping interview with political candidate Jaymes Diaz.
News Corp has reported that TEN’s London and Los Angeles news bureaus will close making the fate of correspondents Ben Lewis, Lachlan Kennedy and Emma Dallimore uncertain.
Reporter Antoinette Lattouf has been recently spotted in the SBS newsroom where its believed she will work as a freelancer.
Matt Doran in one name escaping the cuts by leaving the news division and joining the cast of The Project.
Also avoiding the cuts is former Wake Up host Natarsha Belling. Valued highly by the network Natarsha will return on-air this week as a guest host on Studio10 and will also be a fill-in News Presenter for the network
With the process of voluntary redundancy now nearing completion, News Directors in each state will this week commence the forced departure process, informing staff they are no longer required.
Long standing Melbourne News Director Dermot O’Brien recently quit after 18 years with the network. Sources suggest he was unwilling to be apart of destroying what he had previously built.
Under the plan Ten will attempt to rationalise production by reducing backroom staff and moving as much production as possible to Sydney.
Journalist’s will now spend more time in studio adding local voiceovers to vision obtained from foreign broadcasters.
This is the second time Ten has made savage cuts to its news division in the past 4 years. In the past week this website has been contacted by a number of Ten Network employees distraught at the situation now facing them, and concerned at the standard of local news that will be presented in the future.
Despite the dramatic ratings slump that Ten has faced during the last four years, the 5pm Eyewitness News bulletin has always been a shining light and often the most watched program on the network.
In the past 12 months Ten has embarked on a big event strategy investing millions into BBL Cricket, Winter Olympics and Commonwealth Games. Sure these events are capable of bringing in big peak audiences for brief periods of time, but without a solid programming line-up including News viewers will continue to vote with their remotes.
The editor of this website would like to talk with any Ten Network employee’s affected by these changes. All communication is strictly confidential and no names will be published.
