Ferguson & Cox Step Back, Seven News Shakes Up Lineup

0:00It's April 4th. This is Entertainment and Celebrity News, AI-powered stories from the world of fame. I'm Corey with the story. Sydney News anchor Mark Ferguson, the 60-year-old veteran and his co-anchor Angela Cox, just got their schedule's trim from five nights to four. On 7 News, they're stepping back from the Thursday 6 p.m. bulletin, passing it to Michael Usher and Angie Asimus for that key slot. The move aims to freshen up the end of week's shows and pull in more viewers during the Cutthroat Ratings War with Channel 9. Insiders say it boosts the weekend team's presence during the week, helping overall. Aussie viewers are noticing the shift, with seven already scoring wins like their extended news from 7 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. averaging one point. Two 1-6 million viewers across TV and streaming, topping a current affair by 3%. This comes after rumors last year about Ferguson scaling back amid network cost squeezes and that fierce 9 rivalry.

1:01Talk was, he might have taken a pay cut to help ease the pressure, though 7 denied any firm plans back then. Now the lineups locked in from Sunday to Wednesday for Ferguson and Cox, as 7 keeps tweaking to stay ahead in the game.