Seven slammed for controversial plan to hire astrologist

Kyle Sandilands and Jackie 'O' Henderson took a brutal swipe at Seven on Wednesday after the network revealed they are hiring an astrologist and comedian for their 6pm bulletin slot. 

The shock jocks took aim on their radio show, with Kyle sharing some harsh criticism after the new director of news and current affairs Anthony De Ceglie's defended the controversial move.  

'So they're gonna go, "Sagittarius. keep an eye out for the colour orange and your lucky number is 5." What's that going to do for anyone?' Kyle mocked.

'20 seconds? You're not going to get all the star signs in,' he added after co-host Jackie, 49, and newsreader Brooklyn Ross expressed they might enjoy the new astrology segment. 

'No apparently they won't be reading them out it'll kind of flash up on the screen is what I've heard,' Brooklyn clarified. 

'What like the stock exchange s**t that no one pays attention to? There's so much s**t in the news I don't even pay attention to,' Kyle snapped back.

He added: 'Sorry guys I don't think putting a 20 second astrology report on the news is going to redefine it.

'I like Channel Seven News because they're legit. Not because they're trying to get a comedian on or they're going to get [an astrologist] on to do the stars.'




Kyle Sandilands, 52, (left) and Jackie 'O' Henderson, 49, (right) took a brutal swipe at Seven on Wednesday after the network revealed they are hiring an astrologist and comedian for their 6pm bulletin slot







Kyle isn't the only one with doubts an astrology report and comedy skit are going to shake things up in the news, with one insider at Seven telling Daily Mail Australia the aftermath will 'make or break' the new CEO Jeff Howard.   

'This whole plan with the horoscope and comedian will either make or break the CEO but [there's] a lot of doubt that our audience will like it,' the source said.

'We foresee a lot of complaints in the comments particularly from the older audiences. This kind of stuff is more suited to the morning show not a 6pm bulletin.' 

However, Mr De Ceglie, who took over from former news director Craig McPherson in April, addressed concerns in a statement on Wednesday, saying he and his team are 'exploring new ideas and concepts', reported news.com.au. 

'We are incredibly proud of the groundbreaking and quality journalism that 7NEWS produces every single bulletin,' Mr De Ceglie said.

'We're exploring new ideas and concepts to bring in new audiences so that we can showcase them this journalism.

'We're not going to be afraid to innovate and we're only just getting started. One thing that will never change is our absolute commitment to telling the stories that matter to our viewers.'




The shock jocks took aim on their radio show, with Kyle sharing some harsh criticism after the new director of news and current affairs Anthony De Ceglie's defended the controversial move. Pictured: Seven's new astrologist Natasha 'Astro Tash' Weber 







Channel Seven confirmed a controversial change to its TV news bulletins - that they will feature an astrology report from 'Astro Tash' - amid division at the network over a radical shake-up as the axe falls on 150 jobs at the channel. 

Multiple insiders claimed on Tuesday there is now a tense atmosphere at the station, where some staff are 'miserable' and taking sick days to look for jobs elsewhere after a new regime took power intent on shaking things up. 

A '20 second' astrology report after the weather on the 6pm bulletin and a weekly comedy skit on Friday's at 6.57pm by Mark Humphries are some of the major changes that viewers will notice over the next week.  

Daily Mail Australia has been told that morale was already 'at an all time low' after the Spotlight show's Bruce Lehrmann fiasco and the sacking of veteran reporter Robert Ovadia.

And the raft of new changes in the wake of new boss Mr De Ceglie's appointment are being viewed with trepidation by some long-time network news insiders - with one critic describing the changes as 'depressing'.




'I like Channel Seven News because they're legit. Not because they're trying to get a comedian on or they're going to get [an astrologist] on to do the stars,' Kyle said. Pictured: Seven's new comedian Mark Humphries 







'All the journalistic credibility we've worked towards for iconwin so many years is being destroyed,' they fumed. 'People are gutted. It feels like a funeral in here.' 

Mr De Ceglie, Seven's new director of new and current affairs, has now confirmed for the first time that star signs will be part of the revamped weekday news - just as they have in some newspapers and magazines for decades. 

But the new boss hit back at critics, insisting both that morale is 'great' and that 'trying new things' is part of the network's bold new future.

He presented the changes as an overdue shake-up of a staid format that hasn't changed in decades. 

'If people think we are being inventive so far, they haven't seen anything yet,' Mr De Ceglie said in statement to Daily Mail Australia this week. 




Mr De Ceglie (pictured), who took over from former news director Craig McPherson in April, addressed concerns in a statement on Wednesday, saying he and his team are 'exploring new ideas and concepts' 







Mr De Ceglie - nicknamed ADC - confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that the stargazing reports will start soon and feature after the nightly weather.

He added that 'everyone is looking forward the first Mark Humphries spot this Friday'.

Mr De Ceglie, 38, was appointed Seven West Media's Director of News and Current Affairs and Editor-in-Chief in May.

His elevation came after five years as West Australian Newspapers' editor-in-chief, during which News Corp, for whom he had previously worked, tried to poach him back to a senior role in Sydney.



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Kyle SandilandsChannel SevenBruce Lehrmann