Daily Horoscopes with Astro Tash arrives tonight on 7NEWS

Seven News is set to unveil a new nightly horoscope segment as part of its 6pm bulletin tonight.

The segment, which will follow the weather forecast, will be presented by Natasha Weber, also known as Astro Tash, and will be brief, lasting just 20 seconds each evening.

This programming change is the latest in a series of adjustments that have not resonated well with viewers. The introduction of a satirical segment on Fridays has also met with negative feedback.

Former Brisbane news presenter Sharyn Ghidella voiced her dissatisfaction on Facebook, commenting on the impact of these changes on both current and former staff.

“I’ve seen the toll it’s taken on those who’ve left, those delivering the pain and those still there, and when it comes to witnessing this heartache, I think I’m done,” she wrote. “I’m also not one to have my evening news served up with humour and horoscopes either, so, to be honest, it is time to go.”

These changes come amidst a challenging period for Seven News, particularly on the East Coast, where it has been losing ground to Nine News.

In 2024, Nine News is poised to win the ratings year in the key markets of Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.

According to week 28’s 5-City Metro ratings, Nine News won by significant margins:

• Melbourne: 276,000 vs 234,250
• Sydney: 226,250 vs 198,250
• Brisbane: 205,750 vs 162,500

Ratings source – MediaSpy

Despite the criticism, Anthony De Ceglie, the newly appointed director of news and current affairs and editor-in-chief at Seven West Media, is pressing on with the new initiatives. He expressed his commitment to innovation in a statement leaked to The Australian, saying,

“I think one of the big things I’ve noticed already is an almost paranoia about trying something different because it’s too risky or we might lose the ratings war with Nine.”

“If we’re too focused on the daily ratings we’ll never take that giant game-changing risk that up-ends everything and leads to major success.”