0/5

Seven sacks reporter

Seven News sacks a reporter the day after he was cleared of an investigation, and on the last day of its weekday ratings.

The Seven Network has sacked sports reporter Dylan Howard, a day after being cleared by a police inquiry into stolen AFL medical records.

The private medical files were the basis of a Seven Network news story in September last year, which made allegations against several players at an AFL club.

Despite recent public declarations of support from the station, Howard is reported to have been called into a meeting this morning with news director Steve Carey and told the news. He was then told to clear his desk and leave immediately.

Two people who stole the confidential files contacted Seven and offered to sell the documents, which they claimed they found outside a Melbourne rehabilitation clinic a month earlier.

In January, Howard also covered a story on Wayne Carey’s arrest for Channel Seven, which included CCTV footage later said to be stolen goods, offered by a security guard to Channel Nine.

Howard did not comment on why he’s been terminated.

His sacking comes on the last day of weekday ratings for Seven News.

Source: Live News, Herald Sun

5 Responses

  1. Great news.

    Howard’s report caused a temporary sharp decline in 7’s Melbourne news ratings, eventually forcing 7 to apologise.

    7 are better off without dodgy journalists like Howard.

  2. i reckon someone will take him, in fact channel 9 melbourne would be perfect, i think offering him the job as Weekend Sports anchor would work well. Surely anybody is better than Grant Hackett, and nine and seven always love to poach each others journos. Despite the incident, he would make a handy investigative reporter for them, and give them a little more weaponry in their tight fight against seven in melb for ratings.

  3. Where now for Channel Seven Melbourne’s sports department? In the past four years it has lost many great reporters: Jim Wilson (now working for News Limited and Channel Seven Brisbane), Craig Hutchison (Sunday Herald Sun and Channel Nine), Heath O’Loughlin (who joined Channel Nine but recently quit) and now Dylan Howard. All are newsbreakers and made great contributions to Seven.

Leave a Reply