Nine loses news icon as Hendo retires Danielle Veldre
HOW do you replace a 40-year old brand institution? That must be the question facing the Nine Network as it stares down the barrel of the prime time gateway 6pm news spot minus newsreader Brian Henderson.
Henderson this week announced his retirement at age 71 from the network he has called home for the past 46 years—40 of which were spent reading the six o’clock news.
Starcom COO John Sintras said it would be difficult to gauge the impact of Henderson’s departure.
“It would be hard to say at this stage. I’ve never had no Hendo in my career. People have always said no-one will have a shot at news until Hendo dies or retires,” Sintras said.
Mitchell Media director Harold Mitchell expected a smoother transition and said a similar change was experienced in Melbourne when long-time Nine Network news reader Brian Naylor retired.
“It will mean no change to the ratings at all,” Mitchell said. “[Henderson’s departure] is a change, but the same thing happened when Brian Naylor retired and was replaced by a very well-respected weekend news reader—there was no change.”
Mitchell said news viewing was habitual rather than dependant on a personality to drive viewers to the timeslot.
