Mary quits SBS
- Published by David Knox
- on
- Filed under News
Respected newsreader Mary Kostakidis has quit SBS after 21 years.
The decision follows months of speculation about unhappiness over the new format World News in which Kostakidis was made to share the desk with Stan Grant.
Kostakidis was part of the initial 0-28 team when the network was born.
She also took a sudden absence of leave several weeks ago, forcing SBS to clarify it was to care for her ailing parents.
According to a source speaking to Media Spy, “She feels it’s not even The Stan and Mary Show – it’s The Stan Grant Show. She’s personally offended by the money-grubbing commercialisation of the show, and feels management are abandoning the kind of principles with which SBS was set up, and she personally helped devise.”
SBS management have advised staff Mary is currently on leave on doctor’s advice.
Stan Grant is also on leave.
Source: The Australian.
6 Responses
I miss Ms Kostakidis … she was the serious, professional dedicated person who made easier my transition from the European news culture to the Australian style of news… for me she was the missing link between the two continents. I wish I could tell her that … I hope she knows how many people love her and miss her every night at 6.30.
All the best,
Meda Sicoe
Everything quoted here was in the domain of the wider media and referenced thanks. Which particular part do you have issue with?
DEAR DAVID,one would suggest that one has the facts firstly,and secondly,have them true and correct before writting.
How on Earth can I tell SBS they have lost a faithful viewer? This crass ignorant male cannot possible replace our sophisticated, intelligent, Mary…..
I only wish Mary had quit long before she saw SBS evening news leading with a story on Paris Hilton!!!! The most respected news bulletin on TV has become a joke! How sad! What’s happened to all the wonderful programs that SBS used to show which made viewers utilise their brains, instead of making them brain dead? Amongst their current wonderful offerings are programs such as “Maturbatathon” and the oh so intellectually-stimulating “Kick”. What’s happened to the hard-hitting journalistic gems that used to appear on Dateline? Now we have Indonesian surfboard makers and Iranian taxi drivers. And why is it that the wonderful little viewer feedback program “Hotline” disappeared after advertisements started interrupting programs… I’m thinking management would have had to put on extra staff to deal with the viewers’ complaints and heaven forbid anyone criticised them for ruining SBS.
Stan Grant was always regarded as much of a joke when he was at Channel 7 (wasn’t he the basis for Mike Moore?), why SBS thought he could bring some respectability (which it already had with Mary) to the news desk is astounding. He didn’t bring ratings to Seven and he was never going to do it at SBS. It was no secret than Stan Grant was signed to SBS by one of his former pals at CNN. Clearly the old rule applies – it’s not what you know, it’s who you know, and it helps to be male. It is unfortunate to see the dumbing down of SBS into a pseudo commercial channel (and adopting the principles of commercial TV) which has cost them the support and loyalty of names such as David Stratton and Margaret Pomeranz, and possibly now Mary.