Australian-Media.com.au News

• Whitby stays as Seven Perth prepares to celebrate

  May 20 2008 8:03pm (UTC+8)  -  Article by Kevin

  Former Seven News Perth political reporter and fill-in presenter Reece Whitby will remain with Seven Perth despite being recruited by WA Premier Alan Carpenter to run for Labor pre-selection at the next state election.
  
  Whitby, who has been with Seven Perth for 17 years, is believed to be involved with preparations for the station's 50th birthday to be celebrated in 2009.
  
  He told reporters last month that seeking pre-selection was "a big scary step" after working as a journalist for 25 years.
  
  Premier Carpenter, also a former journalist with Seven Perth, said last month that he is "extremely happy that Reece Whitby has put up his hand for pre-selection for the Labor party".
  
  Whitby's appointment turned a few heads within the Labor party with claims that the Premier was "targeting journalists" - claims that intensified when former journalist Karen Brown also won pre-selection.
  
  Carpenter said he spoke to a variety of people about joining the party.
  
  Previously dumped MP John D'Orazio, who recently re-joined the party, says that "if you're aged, disabled, ethnic, or not a mate of the Premier you're not welcome in the WA Parliamentary Labor team".
  
  Whitby today said the decisions allow for new blood in the party.
  
  "Certainly what the Labor Party's managed to achieve is a sense of renewal," he said.
  
  "You know if you don't look to the future, if you don't attract new people with different experience from all walks of life, if you don't try to attract that new talent for the future, then you really are doomed for disaster."
  
  What Whitby's exact involvement is with Seven Perth's upcoming 50th birthday celebrations remains unclear.
  
  Initially owned by West Australian Newspapers, Seven Perth commenced broadcasting at 7.30pm on October 16 1959. The station didn't have any competition until 1965 when Channel Nine commenced broadcasting.
  
  The six years that Seven Perth had as the sole commercial station continues to benefit the station today. Ratings figures show that Seven Perth is consistently the most watched station in Perth - a title which it had managed to keep in the past even when other Seven stations in the country were consistently losing to Nine.
  
  According to official figures from Seven Perth, the station's nightly news bulletin brings in almost 250,000 metro viewers every weeknight. This compares with an average of 105,000 metro viewers who watch National Nine News.
  
  Recent high profile changes to National Nine News in Perth appear to have made little difference to the viewing habits of Perth news viewers - a fact which Seven claims comes down to experience.
  
  "When it comes to news, it's experience that counts", Seven gloated earlier this year.
  
  Australian-Media.com.au

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