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TEN board sacks new CEO, Gina Rinehart takes charge.

Exclusive: More drama at TEN as the board sacks its new CEO and installs Gina Rinehart as boss.

ginarEXCLUSIVE: The Board of Network TEN has sacked its new CEO Hamish McLennan after just 2 weeks in the role and appointed shareholder Gina Rinehart to the top job.

The WA billionaire becomes the sixth CEO at the struggling network in just over two years.

McLennan, a former News Corporation executive, is believed to have been dismissed by the Board after failing to lift the ratings during his first two weeks in the job.

Sources say Board members argued that he was perceived to be spending too much time at the Grand Prix in Melbourne and parties in Canberra when he should have been focussed on lifting the network’s performance. The Board has acted immediately, determined to show advertisers it means business.

A source told TV Tonight,”Hanging around with F1 drivers in Melbourne and sipping champers with the media -it just wasn’t a good look when MasterChef was barely in front of SBS. In his first week in the job he went off to Canberra to schmooze with the Press Gallery and politicians. That might be the way to do things with Rupert but not around here.”

A TEN spokesperson declined to thank McLennan for his weeks of service, issuing a blunt statement: “We will not be renewing Hamish’s contract, the details of which we will not discuss publicly.”

Lachlan Murdoch is understood to have put himself forward as Interim CEO once again but Board members howled down the idea in a heated debate. The words “Everybody Dance Now are said to have been exchanged.

With shareholder Bruce Gordon currently embroiled in WIN Television’s legal stoush, the only option was to appoint Rinehart, who has immediately embarked on a hardline approach to turn the network around.

Charlie Pickering has been axed from The Project for his ‘pinky, lefto tree-hugging’ views and the show itself has been trimmed to 30 minutes and bumped to 4pm weekdays. In its place is an expanded, weeknight edition of The Bolt Report.

Dan Ilic has been given his marching orders from Can of Worms for his ‘pinky, lefto tree-hugging’ views and for every ‘smart-arse YouTube clip he has ever and will ever create.’

New quiz show Who Wants to be a Billionaire? will go head to head with Eddie McGuire’s Hot Seat.

Offspring has been axed because of its obvious references to family and siblings. It will be replaced by Family Feud.

In a new crossover idea, all three MasterChef judges will now become contestants on The Biggest Loser.

Adam Boland has been told to cut costs on his new breakfast TV project and will now appear as presenter as well as producer. There are unconfirmed reports he is trying to entice Jerry Seinfeld to co-host, wearing a knitted tie.

Russel Howcroft has been banned from ABC’s Gruen Planet and told to front a new show about the strategies behind selling iron ore and the ways in which it can add to our quality of life. A new Creative Development Unit has been set up to devise a title.

Also coming are The Miner Wants a Wife and  Prospecting with the Stars.

TEN Programmer Beverley McGarvey insisted, “We have developed another new schedule that builds consistency yet again, with shows that are smart, different, authentic and screen with their own stock exchange ticker.”

After months of prolonged under-performance, advertisers and media buyers are said to be encouraged by the network’s new direction.

“Why didn’t they give her the keys to the network ages ago?” a source asked.

“It’s a very big ask, but if Gina can turn the network’s fortunes around, it will be a miner miracle.”

Update: April Fools everyone! Thanks for playing.

175 Responses

  1. I was just about to collapse but realised that this is a joke!!!lol btw I think Ten will launch The Project spin off aka The Morning Project later this year!!!

  2. Looks like you got Charlie Pickering a beauty. Maybe you owe him a drink for freaking him out this morning. TV Tonight did get some great publicity on The Project and the news.

  3. People that are saying that CP read this on The Project especially for people who work at TEN should go into this blog and learn what we discuss about aka F1, TENs programming

  4. haha. Seven News (in Sydney) ran a story about April Fools Day, and this article popped up. Keep up the great work David.

    Now only if they actually read the comments in some articles and see what viewers actually want… Doubt it! lol.

  5. LOL you had me for a while there David. I was actually thinking what a great idea to have Gina as CEO of Ten. In my mind I was comparing her to Kerry Packer and thought if she likes watching TV like Kerry did and is vocal about what and when they show on air, then she might have a decent shot at turning around Ten’s fortunes but alas…an April fools gag haha.

  6. Ha ha.. They just showed this on The Project and Charlie was saying he read it this morning and he really thought he had been fired, but they just hadn’t told him personally.

  7. I was assuming it was all real until I reached F1 and then I continued to see what was in the post. Who knows your wish might come true? With all the drama unfolding at TEN but with McLennan they will no doubt be in a better position and they have been getting better ratings under Hamish McLennan. And by the way you got the name right for F1 not FIA as for previous post with ONEs rating last Sunday

  8. Good One David, ya Stooged me good.
    I was just telling the wife and she doesn’t like CP either!
    Your best line though is “Russel Howcroft has been banned from ABC’s Gruen Planet and told to front a new show about the strategies behind selling iron ore and the ways in which it can add to our quality of life.”

    Love it. He’d go nuts.

  9. What really surprised me is that Sydney Confidential and Melbourne Confidential along with The Fix at ninemsn.com.au haven’t run the story… I thought it might have been because they are actually checking stories or writing their own but then realised it was a public holiday so they’re not there.

    Sadly with all that has gone at TEN, this is could be, besides being a great April Fool’s Day joke, a premonition of what is to come

    Well done David

  10. I think TEN could repeat “Entertainment Tonight” & show it on ELEVEN 6pm weeknights. It would be a good lead in to Neighbours at 6:30pm instead of showing “Sabrina The Teenage Witch” repeats over and over again

  11. This is why the Government’s media reforms needed to be passed in. To stop anyone person controlling what the Australian public is hearing.

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