A 7News Brisbane promo has been labelled ‘disrespectful’ towards former anchor Sharyn Ghidella.
The Queensland-based news presenter, 57, was sacked from 7News earlier this year 17 years with the network amid a string of media job cuts.
In the promo video, 7News anchor Max Futcher announces the arrival of Ghidella’s replacement Sarah Greenhalgh with an eyebrow-raising statement.
‘You are going to have two people committed to the news like you’ve never seen before in Queensland,’ he says in the short clip.
The line has caused a stir, with many news industry insiders viewing it as a ‘jab’ at Ghidella.
‘Many see this promo as not only a jab at Sharyn but also a snub to veteran presenters who’ve been in the game for years,’ a source told the Courier Mail on Sunday.
‘It’s just disrespectful,’ they added.
Insiders have reportedly also bristled at Futcher’s reference to 34-year-old Greenhalgh as ‘still young’ in the promo as implying Ghidella was ‘too old’ to read the news.
A new 7News Brisbane promo has been labelled ‘disrespectful’ towards former anchor Sharyn Ghidella. Pictured
In the promo video, 7News anchor Max Futcher (pictured left) announces the arrival of Ghidella’s replacement Sarah Greenhalgh (pictured right) with an eyebrow-raising statement: ‘You are going to have two people committed to the news like you’ve never seen before in Queensland,’ he says in the short clip
Ghidella presented the network’s Brisbane bulletin since 2013 but was axed from her role after 17 years earlier this year.
Sharyn confirmed the news of her job loss in a fiery Facebook post, revealing how she learnt of her role being cut while at the hair salon.
After several anxious weeks of job cuts, she took aim at the failing network for prioritising gimmicks like astrology readings over keeping veteran talent.
The line has caused a stir, with many news industry insiders viewing it as a ‘jab’ at Ghidella. ‘Many see this promo as not only a jab at Sharyn but also a snub to veteran presenters who’ve been in the game for years,’ a source told the Courier Mail on Sunday. ‘It’s just disrespectful,’ they added
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‘When you work in TV for as long as I have, not a day goes by when you aren’t expecting the proverbial tap on the shoulder… After 38 years, my shoulder tap has finally come,’ she began.
‘It wasn’t quite how I expected it to end at Channel Seven. I was actually sitting at the hairdressers for work, when I got the call informing me, that after 17 years with the network, my time was up.’
She said her recent time at the network had been ‘miserable’ and she was glad to be heading out the door.
‘While somewhat saddened by this decision, there is also some sense of relief. As has been widely reported, the past couple of weeks in TV has, sadly, been a miserable affair,’ she wrote.
‘A long list of talented, loyal and dedicated employees have been shown the door, in what seems to have been an interminable process of pulling the Band-Aid off slowly when it comes to removing what has been deemed excess stock.
‘These people are some of the best content creators in the business. They are good people and it’s been heartbreaking to watch.’