Media Movers: Rupert Murdoch steps down, ABC appoints Rachel Millar, 4BC Mornings new host, Veridooh, SCA

Posted on 23 September 2023

Media Movers takes a look at the recent movements announced across the industry during the week of 18/9/23

Media Movers across the industry include:

• Long-term freelance sports writer Matt Cleary has joined Next Media’s Golf Australia magazine as a senior writer.

• The ABC has announced the appointment of Rachel Millar as the new head of entertainment, overseeing programs such as Hard Quiz, The Weekly with Charlie Pickering, Gruen and the Fresh Blood comedy initiative.

Millar has worked across programs including Shaun Micallef’s Mad as Hell, Rove, Andrew Denton’s Interview, Spicks and Specks, Kath and Kim and Aunty Donna.

• Omar Dehen has joined the Australian Human Rights Commission as a media advisor on a six-month contract.

• KarryOn has welcomed Katrina Holden to the team as editorial director.

• Journalist and broadcaster Bill McDonald has been named as the new host of 4BC Mornings, completing the live and local lineup across the revamped station.

With more than 35 years’ media experience across news and sport, including coverage of the Commonwealth and Olympic Games, and a Clarion Award for his coverage of the 2008 Gap floods, McDonald will be replacing longtime host Ray Hadley.

• Basmah Qazi has joined Mamamia in the role of senior lifestyle writer.

• Urban List has welcomed Emma Bishop as a commercial content editor.

• SCA has appointed Rebecca Trewick as general manager for Mackay and the Whitsundays, announced by SCA executive general manager of Queensland, Ken Wood.

Trewick, who is currently SCA general sales manager in Mackay, has been with SCA for the past five years, and with the company, has also worked in Cairns and the Tablelands.

• Tanisha Angel has left her role as the digital editor at Robb Report ANZ.

• Jacinta Counihan has joined 7NEWS Wagga as a reporter.

• Following a career that began nearly 70 years ago in 1954, Fox Corporation and News Corporation announced that Rupert Murdoch is stepping down as chairman of each board effective as of the upcoming Annual General Meeting of Shareholders of each company in mid-November.

Murdoch will be appointed Chairman Emeritus of each company. Following the Annual General Meetings, Lachlan Murdoch will become sole chair of News Corp and continue as executive chair and chief executive officer of Fox Corporation.

• Gerald Lynch has joined the Northern Weekly Star as a journalist.

• Gracie Abadee has been promoted to supervising producer at Sky News Australia.

• Bolster Group has appointed ad tech specialist Jonathan Mandel as its newly established Head of Media – a role that will see him lead a team of 10 media specialists to expand the group’s digital solutions and ad-tech capabilities.

Mandel brings more than 15 years of experience to the role – beginning his career as a client-side digital strategy specialist to more recent leadership roles in sales and operations. He comes to the role after a recent term as head of digital ad product & operations at LiSTNR (SCA), where he led a large team through the digital transformation from broadcast to digital audio.

• Sherri Mimis is now an associate producer at A Current Affair in Sydney.

• Steven Christie is now a digital video producer at Channel 10.

• Veridooh has appointed David Di Tonto to lead its national sales team to oversee the rapid growth of independent media agencies partnering with the out-of-home verification provider.

Di Tonto joins the adtech firm with more than 12 years of experience in advertising, including at businesses such as Nine, SCA, and most recently Playground XYZ where he was national sales team lead, also for independents.

• Jack Hahn has returned to Sydney to work at Channel 9’s Today as a reporter.

• Kirsten Diprose will host ABC Victoria’s Statewide Drive for the next few weeks.

• Following its US launch, Engaging.io has appointed Melissa Erickson to lead the growing North American business.

With 15 years of experience in tech consulting, Erickson has been appointed as North America solutions consulting lead. She will work in partnership with Ben Whitehead who recently joined Engaging.io in the US as a sales and solutions consultant.

• Mathew Perry has finished as a reporter and producer at ABC Upper Hunter.

• Madeleine Hale has finished as a digital news presenter at Sky News Australia.

• Bobbi Mahlab AM has joined the board of directors for Women in Media.

Bobbi Mahlab AM is an entrepreneur, board member and gender equality activist and also is the chair and founder of Mahlab Media.

• The Public Interest Journalism Initiative has announced Anita Jacoby AM will join its board in October.

• Tex Reeks has started as an associate producer at 9 News Sydney.

• Weekend Today has welcomed Abbey Mikkelsen as a producer.

• Charlie Dally-Watkins has left 7NEWS Sunshine Coast.

• Laurie Bullock has started as the editor of Daily Liberal.

• Thomas O’Brien has been promoted to deputy head of news at Sky News Australia.

• Isabel McMillan is now a reporter at The Advertiser.

• KIIS FM has welcomed Georgia Love as the news presenter on the breakfast show.

• Gerogia Makalich is now also a producer at Channel 7 Mackay.

• Matt Tilley will host the breakfast program on ABC Radio Melbourne while Sammy J is on leave.

• Alanna Tomazon has started at the Newcastle Herald as an education reporter.

• Alexandra Anastassiou is the new social team lead at Mamamia.

• Joshua Joynes is the acting editor at Woman’s Day on a 12-month contract.

• Nico Arboleda has joined Mahlab as the senior content producer.

• Reena Gupta has finished as the deputy editor of Junkee.

• Sacha French has finished as the executive producer of the Hughesy, Ed and Erin Show on 2DAY FM.

• Declan Rurenga has finished as the editor of The Area News.