I wouldn't be surprised if there is a bit of tension in the newsroom. A high-profile signing like J Rowe with previous experience as an evening news presenter who left 9 partly because they didn't give her a high-profile bulletin is always going to have some effect on a newsroom that contains other major bulletin aspirants.

I can't see J Rowe getting preference over Bathy. A "dixie chicks" style 6pm bulletin might be interesting, but if Rowe got the nod over Bathy we'd see Chris leave for another network.

It certainly makes the next few months interesting though - hopefully Sam Armytage will be the first casualty and head off somewhere else like Adelaide (where they actually need more presenters).

i doubt that Sam would leave, especially to Adelaide, she's a star in the network's eyes

With all due respect, Ben, couldn't you have chosen a different picture of Jessica Rowe for the story? Because it looks like she's laughing in it, and it might make these babies cry:





All japery aside, though, I shudder to think of what would happen if, during a Seven News broadcast, she was in the situation that Sandra Sully was in on Ten News late last night. That is, being so amused by something the sports anchor says that she struggles with a weather report.

Because if it WAS Jessica in that situation, she'd laugh for 10 minutes without stopping, and Seven would have to pull the plug.

I almost titled the article "Hyena causes chaos at Seven" but I realised Google wouldn't have picked it up

Heh heh - fair enough.