After the closure of 10 Daily there are more announcements about staffing at Channel 10
Two of Channel 10’s longest senior employees are leaving the network. Executive Producer Maria Michael and Head of Comedy Paul Leadon will be finishing up soon as the network continues its transformation after the merger of Viacom and CBS.
ViacomCBS Australia and New Zealand chief content officer and executive vice president, Beverley McGarvey, tells TV Blackbox:
“Maria and Paul have been wonderful colleagues and have made a great contribution to the success and culture of Network 10.
“They leave the network with my sincere thanks and all the very best wishes for the future.”
Michael was previously Executive Producer of The Living Room and had been at the network for 34 years. A loyal employee, Michael had worked her way through the ranks over the course of her employment until she became an Executive Producer for the network.
Photo: Mediaweek
Michael is a liked figure within 10’s Pyrmont building and is known for being a ‘all hands on deck’ type of person. No job is too big or small for her.
Leadon is also a long-time employee, having been at the network for 16 years. As Head of Comedy Leadon was most recently overseeing How To Stay Married but has previously worked across many genres and shows including Hughsey We Have A Problem and Gogglebox.
The news comes after Chief Content Officer and EVP ViacomCBS Australia and New Zealand Beverley McGarvey sent out a note to staff on Monday advising of “transformative measures”, saying;
“As part of the measures being undertaken, some staff will leave Network 10 and ViacomCBS Australia and New Zealand.
“To those staff, let me express my sincere thanks for all your hard work, dedication and professionalism during your time here. We will fully support you during this period and I wish you all the very best for the future.
A statement released to TV Blackbox says;
ViacomCBS Australia and New Zealand today announced that Maria Michael, Executive Producer, Entertainment, and Paul Leadon, Head of Comedy, are leaving the company.
Maria has been a valuable and dedicated member of Network 10 for the past 34 years, leading the production of many key programs including Video Hits, Family Feud and Bondi Rescue, and winning four TV Week Logie Awards with The Living Room.
Paul has been an integral part of the Network 10 team for 16 years, developing, writing and producing a number of key programs, from Rove Live, Good News Week and The Project (which he helped launch in 2009), to Hughesy, We Have A Problem, Gogglebox and How To Stay Married. He was appointed Head of Comedy in 2013.
Big Mistake taking Tim Bailey off the network You have many other networks that you don’t need the so called “celebrities” for including the project and living room What fools you are Tim Bailey was an Australian icon that we can all relate to in our daily lives from years ago and brings back good memories and more importantly in this time of uncertainty he was a constant. Good on you You wouldnt know if a bee bit your arse