Nine News shakes up reporting and producing teams

TV Blackbox can reveals a big shake-up on air and behind the scenes of Nine News as the network prepares to get serious about the West.

Reporter and presenter Sophie Walsh has been appointed Europe Correspondent to work alongside Amelia Adams and reporter Tim Arvier will become Nine’s North America Correspondent, replacing Robert Penfold who recently announced his retirement.

Walsh, who has been with the network for almost 10 years, has had a variety of roles including a seven year stint as a reporter in the Brisbane newsroom. She is currently based in the Sydney newsroom as and works across a variety of bulletins.

The appointment of Walsh came after Michael Best left his post in Europe and returned to Australia to head up Nine News in Perth as News Director. The return of Best to the West and the recent signing of Perth’s number one investigative reporter, Gary Adshead, in the role of State Political Editor shows how serious Nine is taking Perth. It’s a market that continues to be a problem as Seven is dominant in that region.

Darren Wick, head of News and Current Affairs for the Nine Network sent out the following e-mail to staff to advise of the changes;

Dear Colleagues,

I’m pleased to announce the 2019 postings to our 9 NEWS Foreign Bureaus in London and Los Angeles.

SOPHIE WALSH has been appointed Europe Correspondent and will join Amelia Adams, based in London. Sophie has been with NINE for the past decade, beginning as an Associate Producer in our Sydney newsroom. She moved to our Brisbane newsroom as a reporter and Weekend Weather presenter. In Queensland, Sophie was literally in the eye of the storm of some of the most extreme weather events Australians have ever seen – cyclones, floods and bushfires. She returned to the Sydney newsroom as a reporter and presenter. Sophie has covered several international assignments for NINE, including the Palu earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia; this year’s Christchurch terror shootings and a Royal Tour Down Under. She is replacing Michael Best and will take up her new role in the coming weeks.

JASON CONDUIT has been appointed Europe cameraman and will work alongside Tyson Scott, based in London. Jason has been with NINE in our Melbourne newsroom for the past eight and a half years and is one of our most accomplished, innovative and experienced camera operators. Jason has been one of our go-to people for breaking news, covering assignments in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia as well as local emergencies in Victoria and Tasmania. Jason is a previous winner of the Jeremy Little Scholarship, awarded annually to the best emerging camera operators at NINE. Jason is replacing Andrew Greaves and will take up his new role in the coming weeks.

MICHELLE TAVERNITI has been appointed Europe Producer and will be based in London. Michelle is one of the senior producers in our Sydney newsroom and has played a leading role in the production of major breaking news events, steering national coverage for the network and the 6pm bulletin. Originally from radio, with a background as a reporter and Chief of Staff, Michelle has risen through the ranks at NINE, working overnight on Today Show News, then moving onto the 6pm desk where she often E.P.’s the main bulletin of the day. She has extremely strong news judgement, is highly respected and valued by her colleagues. Michelle is replacing Matt Bachl and will take up her new role in August.

TIM ARVIER has been appointed North America Correspondent and will join the team in our Los Angeles bureau. Tim’s background at NINE during the past decade has seen him work in our Darwin and Sydney newsrooms, and as an investigative reporter for A CURRENT AFFAIR and 9 NEWS in Queensland. He’s broken some of the biggest stories in his home state, including the release of notorious sex offender Robert Bardon, exposing how the Government secretly housed him next to a childcare centre and school. And, his Freedom of Information exclusive on the controversial Lady Cilento Hospital name change led to a Crime and Corruption Commission inquiry. He was in our reporting team covering the Christchurch mosque shootings. Tim will start in the Los Angeles Bureau in July, under the direction of newly appointed Bureau Chief Richard Moran.

NICK RICHARDSON has been appointed North America cameraman. Nick has been with NINE in our Sydney newsroom for the past eight years and has covered everything from local crime to breaking international news. Among Nick’s major assignments have been the Palu, Indonesia earthquake and tsunami; the 2018 Commonwealth Games; bushfires on the NSW south coast and filming NINE’s exclusive interview with the grandmother of the Australian man who launched a terror gun attack in Christchurch. Nick is the current recipient of the Jeremy Little Scholarship, awarded annually to the best emerging camera operators at NINE. Nick will take up his role in Los Angeles in January, 2020.

My personal thanks to the dozens of camera operators, producers and reporters who applied for these positions. The standard of contenders has been exceptional with more than 80 applicants across all Newsrooms and Current Affairs programmes.

We intend to rotate the Foreign Bureau postings on a regular basis, so that many more will get a chance at working overseas for NINE in the coming years. We have teams of talented, passionate and hard-working people in our News and Current Affairs teams. And, for that reason, we remain committed to opening up as many career development opportunities as we can.

Please join me in congratulating our new correspondents.

Regards,

Wickie