Newsreader Chris Bath is set to depart Ten as the broadcaster continues to restructure its news division.
The move follows this week’s announcement that Ten plans to reduce its low-rating primetime news experiment, 10News+, to a half-hour bulletin. Industry insiders say Bath’s contract will not be renewed.
Bath, 58, has spent seven years at Ten, hosting a 90-minute national Saturday evening bulletin, a separate 90-minute Perth bulletin, and a one-hour Sunday evening bulletin for both markets.
She also presents a drive radio program on ABC Sydney from Monday to Thursday.
She is expected to be replaced by 34-year-old Georgie Tunny, who joined Ten in 2022 as a presenter on The Project, which was cancelled in June due to high production costs.
According to sources, Bath was considered “too expensive” to keep on the broadcaster’s books.
The decision suggests Ten boss Beverley McGarvey may be scaling back plans to target an older audience as younger viewers continue to drift from free-to-air television.
Bath’s departure is part of a broader trend at Ten. Earlier this year, the network also lost The Project hosts Waleed Aly, Sarah Harris, Steve Price, and Hamish Macdonald.
The timing coincides with Ten’s owner Paramount Skydance’s international workforce cuts following Skydance’s merger with Paramount.
CEO David Ellison confirmed the layoffs in a company memo this week, telling CNN on Wednesday: “In some areas, we are addressing redundancies that have emerged across the organisation.”
“In others, we are phasing out roles that are no longer aligned with our evolving priorities and the new structure designed to strengthen our focus on growth.”
Image: Channel 10
