Network 10 is axing local bulletins in Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth under a major restructure of its news operations.
High-profile presenters Kerri-Anne Kennerley and Natarsha Belling are expected to lose their jobs, along with weathermen Tim Bailey and Mike Larkin.
The network’s morning program Studio 10 will be shaken up under the cost-cutting program.
National weekend bulletins and panel show The Project will not be affected.
Weekday news bulletins will be centralised in Sydney and Melbourne from September 14 under the restructure.
The Brisbane and Perth bulletins will be anchored in Sydney, while Melbourne will present the Adelaide news.
Presenters, journalists and operations staff will all be targeted under the widespread cuts.
“These painful changes reflect the state of the media industry in recent years and the need for all media companies to achieve new efficiencies,” Network 10 news director Ross Dagan said.
Local weather presenters will be replaced by a national meteorologist, however Network 10 will continue to employ staff in every city.
“While our viewers in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth will see some on-air changes, we will continue to produce local news and employ local reporters, camera operators and production staff in those cities,” Dagan said.
The Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance is concerned the sackings will strip newsrooms and deprive audiences of local news.
MEAA spokesman Adam Portelli said centralising the news bulletins showed enormous disrespect to viewers.
“The end result of these cuts is that viewers will simply seek their news and information somewhere else,” he said.
