Brittany Higgins Appointed Executive Director of Vida Fund to Combat Misogyny and Far-Right Politics
Southern Cross Media Group, the company formed from the merger of Seven West Media and Southern Cross Austereo, announced it will cut 250 to 300 jobs before June 30, 2026, as part of a major cost-reduction program. The cuts follow a deterioration in advertising market conditions, with the television sector down 25 percent in April compared to 2025, and come just weeks into new CEO Rohan Lund's tenure. The redundancies, expected to save $145–$150 million annually, signal deepening financial pressure across Australia's commercial media sector.
Southern Cross Media Group confirmed in an ASX statement that 250 to 300 full-time equivalent roles would be eliminated by June 30, 2026, citing advertising market conditions that had 'deteriorated materially more than anticipated.' CEO Rohan Lund said the company needed to 'reset its cost base,' with the program targeting mid and back office, corporate staff, and non-labour costs to remove duplication following the January 2026 merger of Seven West Media and Southern Cross Austereo. The merged entity, valued at $420 million at formation, had seen its market capitalisation fall to $287 million by the time of the announcement. Reports indicated that well-known on-air talent at Seven News were among those made redundant, including veteran correspondent Chris Maher and newsreader Natarsha Belling, though the company declined to confirm individual names. The cuts are broader than initially reported by WAtoday, which cited up to 200 roles, with the ASX announcement confirming the higher figure of 250–300. The restructuring comes amid wider industry contraction, with rival WIN Network also announcing cuts to its NBN News operation on the same day, and Nine Entertainment having recently made redundancies in its television news division.
Data: Reuters/article outlet
What's missing
The ASX announcement did not specify the breakdown of job losses between the Seven West Media television and newspaper divisions versus the former Southern Cross radio and audio operations.
How coverage differed
WAtoday initially reported the figure as 'up to 200' redundancies based on anonymous sources before the ASX announcement, while Nine.com.au and TV Tonight reported the confirmed figure of 250–300 from the official statement. The Guardian's live blog framed the cuts primarily as a news item within a broader daily digest, while TV Tonight provided the most granular detail on specific staff affected, reflecting its specialist media industry focus.
What different sources said
- Daily Telegraph SydneyCenter
Southern Cross axes top TV stars in mass job cuts
- Sydney Morning HeraldCenter
Seven’s owner announces massive job cuts as TV earnings drop
- The AustralianCenter
Southern Cross Media to axe up to 300 jobs in ‘reset’
- The AgeCenter
Brittany Higgins returns to frontline politics to fight ‘rising tide’ of misogyny
250 – 300 jobs to go in major Southern Cross cuts
- ABC AustraliaCenter
Woolworths to offshore hundreds of corporate jobs
- Nine.com.auCenter
Woolworths sending jobs overseas to compete against ‘international players’
Australia news live: Brittany Higgins takes up new job fighting ‘rise of misogyny’; Seven to cut up to 300 jobs within weeks
- WAtodayCenter
Up to 200 staff to go as Seven’s owner swings the axe
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