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Hamish MacDonald joins TEN News

Journalist Hamish Macdonald is joining TEN's new 6pm news-based programme -which now appears to have a name.

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Journalist Hamish Macdonald is joining the new 6pm news-based programme coming to TEN in 2011.

The former anchor for Al Jazeera has been appointed Senior Foreign Correspondent of the new show and will share hosting duties with Hugh Riminton in Negus’ absence.

The new programme, part of TEN’s revamp in January, now appears to have a name: 6pm With George Negus -just in case you were in any doubt about the time or host.

MacDonald began his media career with WIN before working with UK Channel Four News in 2003. in 2006 and later moved to Al Jazeera Network before adding UK foreign correspondent for Sunrise to his CV. He was named Young Journalist of the Year in the UK in 2008.

He left Al Jazeera in June.

Jim Carroll, TEN’s Head of News & Public Affairs, said, “Hamish has already made a significant mark with his work to date and we are delighted he is joining us to bolster the already outstanding 6PM reporting team.

“He’s spent extended periods reporting from the frontline of the war in Afghanistan, street riots across Asia and investigated secret border incursions between India and China as well as oil industry corruption in Cambodia.

“Hamish has honed his interviewing skills on numerous world leaders and senior figures in South East Asia’s Jemaah Islamiyah terrorist network.

“His anchoring capabilities have also been clearly evident in his live presenting of major news events including the British, US & Afghan elections, the G20 summit and the Sichuan Earthquake.”

During his time with Al Jazeera Hamish hosted the flagship Newshour program as well as People & Power and Inside Story. He also stood in for Sir David Frost on Frost over the World.

MacDonald added, “I can’t wait to get stuck in to this hugely exciting project. These opportunities don’t come around very often so I am very grateful to Network TEN for letting me take part.

“It’s a real thrill to be joining this dynamic team and I am particularly excited by the prospect of learning from the likes of George Negus, Chris Masters and Hugh Riminton.”

MacDonald will be based in Sydney but will travel to follow news stories.

6PM with George Negus will launch in January 2011

24 Responses

  1. Hamish you are a breath of fresh air…I love watching you and Nat on the 6pm news you both seem to enjoy it,,,you work well together..

    merry xmas to you!!!

  2. It is fabulous that Hamish is at the forefront of the news. I have been involved in politics, publicity and journalism and I have to admit Hamish is the best I have seen in over 40 years. He has got everything that t.v. requires – looks, intelligence, great to look at and his accent is to die for. All my family and I agree that he is just so professional and polished and about time t.v. has attained this for the public.

    Heather

  4. I know that I will be watching.

    I cant bear turning on ACA or Today Tonight anymore because they are pathetic pieces of television. I honestly believe they are contributing to the dumbing down of this country.

    I yearn for the ACA days when Jana was doing substantial interviews with people of note and all evidence suggests that Ten are creating something substantial.

    As mentioned earlier in the comments… it will be a slow burn, but I think it will do well in the long term.

  5. I am constantly amazed at the negativity that some people have on this site. We the TV viewing public are always lookout for something new. When stations like 10 try to do something different, they get comments like “it is going to fail” etc. I remember when Master chief was reported on this site, there was a barrage of “it is going to fail” Personally, I won’t sit there and watch all the news ten will be showing every night, but I give them credit for trying something new. Let’s face it, ten at least gives shows a chance before they are pulled, or not… 7pm project is a fine example.

  7. “TEN hasn’t got a good track record with news “. I dunno. Almost 800,000 at 5pm, beating primetime shows like RPA, House, Good Wife, City Homicide. 250,000 ahead of 7 & 9 at 5:30. The only commercial station to keep a full Late News bulletin. Presenters with authority unlike the Barbie-dolls Nine has. No-gimmick presentation unlike the ridiculous Asian-style “Live” wipe complete with sound effects that Nine persists with, not to mention Nine’s “Live” from the GTV9 roof and “Live” from the carpark pretending to be elsewhere.

  8. Sounds like I may start watching commercial news at 6 again, whiich I haven’t done since ABC24 started.
    What’s with the illiteracy from some posters? All too often basic primary school stuff.
    “when all there (they’re) interested after a days (day’s) work is what (what’s) happening in there (their) state”.
    Seems too much time spent watching TV instead of studying.
    Actually, after a day’s work I want to hear less about our abysmal NSW State government and more about what’s happening in the world outside of Sydney and Canberra.

  9. i like the name. its a strong sounding name. btw i’m a fan of george so am a lil bias. looking forward to TENs shift in news. goodbye neighbours to ELEVEN. the only thing that will save neighbours is if they bought back scott and charlene.

  10. the flop of the year it wont last a month who will be watching in the summer months, pls wont be interested in watching a national new at 6pm when all there interested after a days work is what happening in there state

  11. So we have:

    6pm with George Negus
    The 7pm project
    The 7:30 american filler
    The 8:35 never on time show
    The 10:36 late news

    Can we have a more original name

  12. Andrew, I hope you’re right, but TEN hasn’t got a good track record with news & the shift in content for 6pm would have to be monumental. So epic, I’ll have to see it to believe it.

    Kaye, I did say they weren’t as dumb as Nine & Seven. There’s a little bit of hope these people from real news organisations won’t be wasted. We’ll see…

  14. 6pm With George Negus sounds like an easily thought up name for one of those mock TV shows on Thank God You’re Here, not a genuine production. There are already enough time of day based titles, and they’re boring and non-descriptive.

    Couldn’t they have called it something like inDepth with George Negus, Globewatch, Beyond the n3W5 Desk…

  15. Another great appointment. Apart from the name of the program I am really looking forward to this. It has a great anchor and a formidible reporting team. I reckon the reporting team on this is the best in the business. With Hugh in Canberra, Max Futcher as senior correspondant, Hamish on foriegn duties with already Danielle Isdale in Europe and Emma in the US – it’s a well rounded team. Add to that Emily Rice on environment you have a great package as an Alternative to Seven and Nine. It won’t be a clone!!!

    As I have said before, Ten is by far the best commercial news service.

    Also I heard an interview with Ten News cheif Jim Carroll and the new sets are already being built for the overhaul.

    Onwards and upwards and more power to them for tyring something new. I reckon it will be a slow burn and not a hit out of the gate but will do better than The Simpsons in the slot.

  16. I just saw Mark O’Brien on Ten News in Melbourne…a face i haven’t seen on TV for years since he worked at channel 7. Perhaps all of these new recruits to channel 10 will have short lived careers when Packer puts his pen through them. I remember that when Hugh Rimintin was recruited it was with an eye to an expanded news service so he might read the wind and return to CNN in Hong Kong.

  20. @Stan I think it’s clear from the personnel being hired that 6PM is going to be somewhat different to your stock standard “cat up a tree” news services. Surely people of this calibre would not be getting on board if it was only going to duplicate the fluff that appears on Seven or Nine’s 6pm news.

  22. What a waste!

    First they get Hugh Riminton from CNN International, George Negus from SBS Dateline & now Hamish Macdonald from Al Jazeera! Do we even know that TEN’s 6pm news content will be that much different from its 6am, 9am & 10:30pm dumbed down offerings (not as dumb as Nine & Seven, though)? I haven’t heard much about their content so far.

    From the wars in Sudan to ‘Tiger’ the cat stuck up a Sydney suburban tree. Good grief.

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