Published: 22:22, 28 July 2024 | Updated: 22:24, 28 July 2024
Speculation has been rife since Sharyn Ghidella, a familiar face on Seven News in Queensland, was abruptly let go last month as part of the network's cost-cutting measures. Now, one astute viewer on the Media Spy forum suggests her dismissal was a message to other presenters.
The viewer believes Seven is sending a clear signal that no one is indispensable, and that other stars who don't accept their offered contracts could face the same fate.
"I wonder if Sharyn was let go to send a message to other presenters (e.g. Mark Ferguson) to accept a contract that is on offer, as no one is indispensable," the commenter wrote. "It looks like it will backfire in the ratings for QLD but maybe achieve the outcome in other negotiations."
The commenter also pointed out the seeming contradiction of hiring a new presenter in Melbourne, Karina Carvalho, despite cost concerns, especially as Blake Johnson is already on the team.
Ghidella, a mainstay on Seven News in Queensland since 2007, was informed of her dismissal earlier this month, marking the end of nearly four decades in the industry.
The popular host confirmed the news in a fiery Facebook post, revealing she was getting her hair done for a network promo when she received the call.
"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 wrote. "It wasn't quite how I expected it to end at Channel Seven."
Ghidella went on to describe her recent time at the network as "miserable" and expressed relief at leaving.
"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."
Ghidella also expressed her disapproval of the network's recent rebranding, which has seen comedian Mark Humphries feature in regular skits and an astrology "report."
"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," she wrote.
She ended her post by thanking the many friends she made during her long career with Seven.
The theory that Ghidella's dismissal was a message to other presenters remains unconfirmed. However, the network's cost-cutting measures and the subsequent backlash from viewers and talent alike have undoubtedly raised questions about their strategy and the future of the network.
