They were assembled by Kerry Stokes to topple Nine. But on Friday, Angus Ross, the last of a once formidable executive team, farewelled Seven.
They were one of TV’s great “Dream Teams”….
But the management team once assembled by Kerry Stokes ended an era on Friday 13th when Angus Ross, Group Managing Director, Seven Television was retrenched by Southern Cross Media.
Ross (pictured centre) was arguably the last of a formidable team of executives tasked with overtaking Nine in the relentless battle of advertising and TV ratings.
They chased All People aggressively, and won successively, ending Nine’s seemingly unassailable dominance of television in Australia.
They included, variously, David Leckie as CEO, Tim Worner as CEO / Head of Programming (2014: second from right), Angus Ross as Head of Programming / Scheduling, Brad Lyons as Head of Production (pictured right), Peter Meakin as Head of News, Saul Shtein as Head of Sport, John Holmes as Head of Drama, Adam Boland as Head of Morning TV, James Warburton as CEO / Head of Sales, Bruce McWilliam as Commercial Director, Susan Wood as Head of Publicity, Simon Francis as Corporate Spokesperson… and in more recent years names such as Julie McGauran, Kurt Burnette (pictured second from left), Craig McPherson, Michael Pell, Sarah Stinson, Lewis Martin, Brook Hall, Kate Amphlett, Andrew Backwell, amongst others.
Over the decades Seven’s programming, including originally created formats and clever commissions, saw the network shoot to the top of the ratings ignited by Sunrise and Seven News, and backed up with hits including My Kitchen Rules, Packed to the Rafters, Dancing with the Stars, The X Factor, House Rules, Deal or No Deal, The Amazing Race Australia, Home & Away, Better Homes & Gardens, The Chase, Border Security, Australia’s Got Talent, A Place to Call Home, Today Tonight, Sunday Night to name a few. International hits included Desperate Housewives, Lost, Prison Break, Grey’s Anatomy, Downton Abbey and more.
But with Stokes departing as Chairman of the newly-merged company last month, a new broom is sweeping through the network. CEO Jeff Howard was let go, along with Lucinda Gemmell as Chief People and Culture Officer, Chief Operating Officer Dr Trent Dickeson and Angus Ross. Expect more to come.
Southern Cross Media Group chair Heith Mackay-Cruise is cutting costs and will not replace Ross’ executive role, instead having the executive team report to John Kelly, Interim Chief Executive of TV and Audio. When they told staff of Ross’ departure in a Town Hall meeting on Friday, it is said to have been met with silence.
On Friday when Ross cleaned out his office and headed to lunch with colleagues the news rippled through the industry and network. There were more than a few tears given one of TV’s ‘nice guys’ was departing with nearly 27 years and a string of successes behind him.
In a note to colleagues he cited:
“Number one for 17 of the past 19 years – one of the most sustained periods of market leadership for any major television network globally, not just in Australia.
Finishing 2025 with our most dominant performance ever.
Two consecutive years of Total TV growth, including growing audiences across key tentpole franchises – a result that defies international trends post Covid.
Securing the content across Entertainment and Sport that has driven unprecedented digital growth on 7plus.
Launching the strongest combination of multichannels, with 7mate and 7two as absolute category leaders.
Taking home-grown formats to the world – Border Security, MKR, House Rules and more.
All this success only happens because you genuinely care about the content. Keep fighting for it.”
It’s a view shared by many.
Chief Content Officer Brook Hall told TV Tonight, “I’ve had the privilege of working alongside Angus for more than 20 years. He’s the best content strategist of the modern television era, and rightly had earned the respect and loyalty of his people and peers, not just in Australia, but in the global television market.
“Angus’ industry expertise and passion is unmatched, but he also taught me the importance of backing people. He built a Content team who are the best in the business and if we can go on to achieve even a fraction of what he did, we’ll be doing something pretty special.
“Angus hasn’t just been my boss, he’s been my mentor and my friend. I know I speak for many when I say he’ll be missed.”
David Mott, CEO ITV Studios Australia said, “In a job where you live and breath the business everyday and where you live and die by the ratings I know only too well what that feels like ..plus the added pressure of a very ‘engaged’, hands on proprietor and many CEOs Angus has brilliantly managed his way through all that over 27 years. Under Angus leadership Seven are still a major force in the market with significant scale and there is no denying the role Angus played in that success.”
Mark Fennessy, CEO Helium Pictures said, “Angus has always been a genuine champion of television content and the people who make it. His instincts as a programmer helped define Seven’s success for nearly three decades and influenced the broader direction of Australian television.”
More change is expected at Seven, likely to impact both programming and talent.
Where Angus Ross resurfaces in six months time is anyone’s guess. He indicated “spending quality time with Jo, Emily and the dog before the next adventure.”