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Axed weatherman's blunt farewell message live on-air

<p>Weatherman Paul Burt has lashed out at Channel 7 in an awkward final report after he was axed by the network. </p> <p>The veteran weatherman was recently cut by Seven after almost three decades in the industry as part of a cost-cutting move, and he took aim at the network in his final sign off on Saturday. </p> <p>“Hello everybody yes it is my last weather for the network tonight,” he began. </p> <p>“Let’s get straight into it everyone because it’s the most important thing is your Sunday and not me.”</p> <p>He then detailed the weather outlook before presenter Samantha Heathwood farewelled him.</p> <p>Burt then thanked viewers for their "trust, loyalty, and support" and thanked his family before unleashing on the network. </p> <p>“If I’d had the opportunity I wouldn’t have wanted to go this way,” Burt said. “It’s what happens when you get sacked”.</p> <p>The network then cut to footage for Burt, who has been at Seven since 2013, presenting various segments over the years, including him delivering the weather from a helicopter during floods. </p> <p>In an interview with <em>The Australian</em>, Burt revealed that he had only been given  “55 seconds to say my goodbyes”. </p> <p>“I really don’t understand it, why people are being treated this way,” Burt said.</p> <p>“It was a shock, I was told to come in and have a meeting which I did and I was told my contract was not being renewed. It was rather embarrassing for my wife and children. They found out before I could even tell them. Obviously things get leaked.</p> <p>“Some of the decisions made lately are quite harsh. I’ve lost a lot of friends who have been made redundant or got the sack.”</p> <p>Burt wasn't the only one made redundant in the network's cost-cutting move. Veterans including Robert Ovadia, Sharyn Ghidella,  Andrew Frampton and seasoned Melbourne crime reporter Cameron Baud have all gone.</p> <p><em>Images: Channel 7</em></p>

TV

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Australia’s first TV weatherman passes away at 94

<p dir="ltr">Australian meteorologist and TV presenter Alan Wilkie has died at age 94, just two months after his fellow weather presenter brother Ray Wilkie.</p> <p dir="ltr">Alan passed away peacefully on Monday night surrounded by his three children, Andrew, Katrina and Michelle, according to <em>9News</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The weatherman is being remembered as Australia's first TV weatherman after first appearing on the <em>ABC</em> in 1956.</p> <p dir="ltr">He then joined Nine in the late 1970s and had delivered the weather for the channel for over 25 years.</p> <p dir="ltr">His passion for the weather was obvious as it was estimated that he has read the weather 10,000 times throughout his career.</p> <p dir="ltr">In an interview with The Australian Women’s Weekly in 1977, Alan reflected on his first ever TV appearance and he explained that he only applied for the job because his previous employer, the Bureau of Meteorology, insisted.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It was in the very first week of television and I nearly died. I was so frightened. I don’t remember a single thing I said, but it must have been all right,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Alan grew up in the small town of Childers, Queensland and initially wanted to become a teacher but then went on to study science instead at the University of Queensland.</p> <p dir="ltr">His brother, Ray, was also a meteorologist and well-known weather presenter for Network 10.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ray passed away in May at age 98.</p> <p><em>Images: Nine News</em></p>

News

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Sam Mac accused of basically doing nothing

<p dir="ltr">Sam Mac has been called out in the Sunday Mail newspaper, with a local questioning what he actually does for a living.</p> <p dir="ltr">The <em>Sunrise </em>weatherman shared the snippet onto Instagram titled “Not a cloud in the sky” which was sent in by Neill from Woodcroft.</p> <p dir="ltr">Neill said he smiled when Sam said he had a “fantastic week” before slowly drilling the weatherman and his antics.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I had to smile when Sunrise’s Sam Mac recently said he’d had a fantastic week,” the note began.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Well, of course he would say that after being in the Hunter Valley all week. But what does he actually do?</p> <p dir="ltr">“It seems to me very little, except for giving the weather temperatures and telling viewers if it’s going to be raining or sunny.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Not a bad job: getting paid while enjoying free accommodation, meals and, I presume, airfares.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’d like to know what he does for the rest of the day.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CfBS5-TOXrX/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CfBS5-TOXrX/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Sam Mac (@sammacinsta)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Sam responded to Neill by sharing his hobbies, making it unclear on whether or not he should be offended by the letter.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Hello Neill from Woodcroft, &amp; thank you for your enquiry,” Sam began.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Firstly, I must commend you on your accurate summary of my role as a Weatherman, ie telling people the weather. Well spotted Sir. You got me.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Now, in answer to your question, when I’m not basking in the glory of free accommodation, meals &amp; airfares, I like to spend the rest of the day partaking in my favourite hobbies…Stone skipping, latin dancing, managing the anxiety of having to decide which jar to put my local matters bottle top in at Grill’d, collecting navel fluff, breakfast tv cosplay (aka “Kochplay”), beatboxing, downloading podcasts I have no intention of listening to, quilting, learning national anthems on the flute, &amp; if there’s anytime left over, I like to write snide letters to my local newspapers.</p> <p dir="ltr">“How about you Neill? What do YOU do for the rest of the day? Sincerely, Sam.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Sam discussed the letter with his colleagues Nat Barr and David Koch, who laughed and said they agreed with Neill.</p> <p dir="ltr">“A guy named Neill, with two Ls, from Woodcroft in South Australia wrote a letter in the Sunday Mail asking ‘what does that weatherman do for the rest of his day?’,” Sam said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He thinks I’m just on holiday, he thinks I’m just having a laugh, but as you guys know, I do the hard yards!”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Neill is very perceptive. We get you, Neill,” Kochie said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Neill is all of us,” Barr laughed.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Is your pen name Neill?” Sam then asked Kochie.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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When each pandemic day feels the same, Phil the Weatherman in “Groundhog Day” can offer a lesson in embracing life mindfully

<p>Many of us will recall the comic film “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107048/">Groundhog Day</a>.”</p> <p>Originally released in 1993, it stars the incomparable Bill Murray as Phil Conners, an insufferable Pittsburgh weatherman. A minor local celebrity who believes himself destined for much better things, he resents his piddling assignment to report on the Groundhog Day celebration in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.</p> <p><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/381172/original/file-20210128-19-1q2x4lm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;rect=26%2C3%2C2493%2C1560&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="Punxsutawney Phil on Groundhog Day" /> <span class="caption">Punxsutawney Phil after emerging from his burrow on Gobblers Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.</span> <span class="attribution"><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/GroundhogDay/bd8d5370e7854bfea728a485b9c16bbf/photo?Query=groundhog&amp;mediaType=photo&amp;sortBy=&amp;dateRange=Anytime&amp;totalCount=603&amp;currentItemNo=11" class="source">AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar</a></span></p> <p>The plan is to return to Pittsburgh after the festivities. But when a blizzard shuts down the highway, Phil finds himself trapped in Punxsutawney. He wakes up the next day, only to discover that it’s not the next day at all. It’s Groundhog Day all over again.</p> <p>For some reason he’s trapped in Feb. 2, forced to relive the same day over and over again.</p> <p>“What if there is no tomorrow?” he asks at one point, adding: “There wasn’t one today.”</p> <p>It is a question that will resonate with millions forced to stay indoors as the Omicron variant of the coronavirus spreads and people wake up every morning wondering if the day ahead will be any different from the 24 hours they have just endured.</p> <p>But I have a more positive spin. As a <a href="https://cas.la.psu.edu/people/jde13">scholar of communication and ethics</a>, I argue that the lesson at the heart of the movie is that because we can never count on tomorrow, life must be lived fully in the present, not just for oneself, but also for others. Ultimately, “Groundhog Day” gives us a lesson in mindfulness.</p> <h2>Metaphor for mindlessness?</h2> <p>Phil was trapped in Groundhog Day, perhaps for hundreds of years. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/21/movies/groundhog-day.html">The original script said 10,000 years, though the director reportedly said it was 10</a>. Either way, that’s a long time to wake up to the same song every morning.</p> <p>Finally, Phil awakens, and it’s Feb. 3, that is, the next day.</p> <p>I believe what brings about tomorrow for Phil is that he learns to practice mindfulness.</p> <p>Phil’s repetitive existence can stand for a metaphor for mindlessness, for how we all get stuck in cycles of reactivity, addiction and habit. Locked in our routines, life can lose its luster.</p> <p>It can quickly seem like nothing we do matters all that much. “What would you do if you were stuck in one place, and every day was exactly the same, and nothing that you did mattered?” Phil asks two local guys at the bowling alley. “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DazUImBLEhM">That about sums it up for me</a>,” one of them responds.</p> <p><iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DazUImBLEhM?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p>Contemporary practices of mindfulness can trace their roots back to <a href="https://plumvillage.org/books/the-heart-of-the-buddhas-teaching/">Buddhism</a>. For Buddhists, the concept of reincarnation or <a href="https://www.lionsroar.com/just-more-of-the-same/">rebirth</a> is important. Many Buddhists believe that all living beings go through many births until they achieve salvation.</p> <p>As a scholar, I believe the idea of rebirth is more complex than is often understood in popular culture.</p> <p>Pali is the ancient sacred language of Theravada Buddhism. Scholar of Buddhism <a href="https://www.stephenbatchelor.org/index.php/en/stephen">Stephen Batchelor</a> notes that the ancient Pali language word “punabbhava,” often translated as “rebirth,” literally means “<a href="https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300205183/after-buddhism">again-becoming</a>,” or what we might think of as “repetitive existence.”</p> <p>That’s Phil’s life, stuck in Groundhog Day. That’s what Phil is trying to escape, and what we are all trying to escape in COVID times – repetitive existence, a life stuck in one gear, frozen by habits and patterns that make every day feel the same, as though nothing matters.</p> <h2>Taking a moment – to respond, mindfully</h2> <p>If Phil’s stuckness is a metaphor for mindlessness, Phil’s awakening, I argue, is a metaphor for mindfulness. <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/204352/the-miracle-of-mindfulness-by-thich-nhat-hanh/">Mindfulness</a> is the practice of experiencing life as it is happening, squarely in the now, without immediately reacting to it or being carried away by it.</p> <p>Mindfulness is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nwwKbM_vJc">a practice</a> of getting to know ourselves and our conditioning a little better. Conditioning is an automatic pattern of reacting to the world. By stepping out of autopilot, pausing, and noticing, many of us can find that we <a href="https://www.parallax.org/product/the-mindfulness-survival-kit-five-essential-practices/">are no longer captive </a> to our conditioning. Consequently, we gain the space to make choices about how we want to respond to life.</p> <p>That is what Phil does in the movie – he escapes repetitive existence by overcoming his initial conditioned, obnoxious, egotistical reactions to the world. At the beginning of the film, he calls himself the “talent” and berates the “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFgpsHrGvWY">hicks</a>” who live in the small town. He is too good for Groundhog Day. He wants to escape Punxsutawney as fast as possible.</p> <p>As the film continues, Phil accepts his situation and turns repetition into an opportunity for growth. He begins to find meaning in the place where he is trapped. He embraces life, fully, which also means that he notices his own suffering and the suffering of those around him.</p> <p>Phil addresses his own suffering by pursuing his passions and developing his skills. He learns to play the piano and becomes an accomplished ice sculptor.</p> <p>Initially, Phil felt nothing for those around him. People were objects to him, if he noticed them at all. By the end of the film, he feels compassion, which, according to the mindfulness teacher <a href="https://www.rhondavmagee.com/about-mindfulness-trainer/">Rhonda Magee</a>, means “<a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/565790/the-inner-work-of-racial-justice-by-rhonda-v-magee-foreword-by-jon-kabat-zinn/">the will to act to alleviate the suffering of others</a>.” Mindfulness is a practice that draws us into the world, into service. <a href="https://pennstate.pure.elsevier.com/en/publications/compassion-and-human-development-current-approaches-and-future-di">Compassion</a> is at the heart of a mindfulness practice.</p> <h2>Mindfulness in pandemic times</h2> <p><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/381175/original/file-20210128-21-kdi02x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/381175/original/file-20210128-21-kdi02x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="Mediation in times of Covid." /></a> <span class="caption">Compassion is at the heart of meditation.</span> <span class="attribution"><a href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/woman-wearing-a-scary-face-mask-clasps-her-hands-in-news-photo/1228160036?adppopup=true" class="source">Mark Makela/Getty Images</a></span></p> <p>Mindfulness does not mean turning away from <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/rhonda_magee_the_inner_work_of_racial_justice?language=en">difficulty</a>. It is a practice of meeting difficulty with <a href="https://www.tenpercent.com/covid">compassion</a>. Though Phil finally accepts that there might not be a tomorrow, nevertheless he acts to ensure that if tomorrow comes for himself and those around him, it will be better than today.</p> <p>For example, Phil saves the lives of at least two people: a young boy who, before Phil’s intervention, falls out of a tree onto a hard sidewalk, and the town’s mayor, who, before Phil bursts in to give him the Heimlich, chokes on his lunch.</p> <p>Phil’s mindful awareness of what is happening in the moment allows him to act for tomorrow without losing track of today. Phil’s mindfulness, and his compassion, drive the film’s central love story between Phil and Rita. At the beginning of the film, he was capable of loving only himself. By the end of the film, Phil has learned to love mindfully.</p> <p>According to <a href="https://theconversation.com/thich-nhat-hanh-who-worked-for-decades-to-teach-mindfulness-approached-death-in-that-same-spirit-175495">Thich Nhat Hanh</a>, who died recently, <a href="https://www.shambhala.com/true-love-1594.html">loving mindfully</a> means that “you must love in such a way that the person you love feels free.” Phil has learned that love is not about manipulation or possession but about collaboration in making a shared life together.</p> <p>To the best of his ability, Phil dedicates himself to alleviating the suffering of others in a present that is real and for a future that might not come. He does this in small acts of compassion like fixing a flat tire and more momentous acts like saving a life. This mindful dedication to the future in the face of uncertainty is, I argue, what allows him to wake up to a new day.</p> <p>This is a <a href="https://theconversation.com/5-buddhist-teachings-that-can-help-you-deal-with-coronavirus-anxiety-134320">good lesson</a> for us all, stuck, as we are, in a perpetual pandemic Groundhog Day, and dreaming, as we are, of tomorrow.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/153605/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jeremy-david-engels-222106">Jeremy David Engels</a>, Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/penn-state-1258">Penn State</a></em></span></p> <p>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/when-each-pandemic-day-feels-the-same-phil-the-weatherman-in-groundhog-day-can-offer-a-lesson-in-embracing-life-mindfully-153605">original article</a>.</p> <p><em>Image: <span class="attribution"><a href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/bill-murray-and-andie-macdowell-in-a-scene-from-the-film-news-photo/163063765?adppopup=true" class="source">Columbia Pictures/Getty Images</a></span></em></p>

Movies

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Weatherman's ruff day on the job

<p>Many people around the world have settled into a schedule of working from home due to the coronavirus pandemic. </p> <p>However, things don't always run smoothly as one weatherman discovered during his latest live broadcast.</p> <p>Canadian <span>weatherman Anthony Farnell was presenting the day's weather forecast live on air when an unexpected visitor crashed the show. </span></p> <p><span>Anthony's Goldendoodle named "Storm the Weather Dog" wandered into his live report on Canada's Global News TV station and started searching for treats in front of the green screen. </span><span></span></p> <p><span>Despite Anthony's best efforts to get his pup off screen, Storm kept surveying the area looking for something to eat.</span><span></span></p> <p><span>the weatherman walked off screen in an attempt to lure Storm out of the live broadcast, but to no avail. </span></p> <p><span>Anthony eventually gave in and grabbed a snack for his demanding pooch before continuing with the weather forecast. </span></p> <p><span>Since working from home, Storm has become somewhat of a regular during Anthony's broadcasts, from barking loudly to crashing the scenes. </span></p> <p><span>The dog's most recent appearance has left viewers in stitches, with the video racking up over 200,000 views. </span></p> <p><span>"My new favourite WFH problem. I don't know why, it just gets funnier," wrote one person on Twitter, resharing the video.</span></p> <p><span>Storm has become an online sensation, with an Instagram account that boasts over 3,000 followers. </span></p> <p><span>Check out the hilarious video below.</span></p> <p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Yp6qeLTM3iU" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p><em>Image credit: Global News</em></p>

Family & Pets

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"The best in the business": Channel 10 slammed for axing Tim Bailey

<p><span>Channel 10 has been brutally called out for letting go of long-time weatherman Tim Bailey.</span><br /><br /><span>The network has confirmed they will be giving the legendary reporter a proper, well-deserved send-off after he became the latest victim to Channel 10’s brutal budget cuts.</span><br /><br /><span>The 57-year-old was promptly replaced with a female weather presenter on <em>10 News first</em> on Tuesday evening but a spokesperson has affirmed Tim will recieve the goodbye he deserves.</span><br /><br /><span>“Tim is taking a break for the rest of this week and is on leave next week. His leave next week has been planned for some time,” the spokesperson told Tv Tonight on Wednesday.</span><br /><br /><span>“Tim has been a valuable member of the 10 team for many years. He and 10 are in discussions about when he will leave the network.”</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CDgX7aLDhGc/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CDgX7aLDhGc/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Tim Bailey (@dailybailey10)</a> on Aug 5, 2020 at 4:24am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p><br /><span>The statement comes after <em>KIIS FM</em> host Kyle Sandilands brutally called out the network for retiring the much-loved presenter after his 30 years of service.</span><br /><br /><span>“There is no other weatherman, at least in Australia, nearly as good, as passionate and as enjoyable to watch as Tim Bailey,” Kyle said on air on Wednesday.</span><br /><br /><span>Tim enjoyed an illustrious career as the network's eccentric reporter and weather guru, and has earned an army of fans since the early 1990s.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7837336/tim-bailey-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/231e79d4cec44b878251aefbb926f053" /><br /><br /><span>Kyle went on to mention that he was taken aback when he learned the star was axed and was not present on Tuesday's <em>10 News First.</em></span><br /><br /><span>“I tuned in to watch his final bulletin last night, and he was gone. Not even there,” Kyle said.</span><br /><br /><span>His co-host Jackie 'O' Henderson agreed it would have been respectful for Tim to give a proper sendoff to his loyal viewers.</span><br /><br /><span>Kyle went on to question why Tim would be replaced in favour of another weather person for a national bulletin.</span><br /><br /><span>“Why don't they [Channel 10] use the best in the business? Why can't Tim go on and do the weather for the whole country?”</span><br /><br /><span>Kyle added: “The Pleasure in watching a talent like Bailey is hard to replace.”</span><br /><br /><span>Tim became a familiar face on Channel 10 after he scored a gig on <em>Good Morning Australia</em> with Mike Gibson and TV veteran Kerri-Anne Kennerley back in 1980.</span><br /><br /><span>Prior to being axed, Tim reported the weather on-location around New South Wales towns for Ten News at Five.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B_pCel7DdPZ/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B_pCel7DdPZ/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Tim Bailey (@dailybailey10)</a> on May 1, 2020 at 3:04am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p><br /><span>He also acted as a cover reporter for Ten Network.</span><br /><br /><span>Tim, along with at least 24 other stars, including <em>Studio 10</em> host Kerri-Anne and journalist Natarsha Belling, were let go in the brutal afternoon of budget cuts.</span><br /><br /><span>Staff members were informed that the news and operations department was being “restructured” as a result of the sharp decline in advertising revenue caused by the coronavirus pandemic.</span><br /><br /><span>The changes are expected to be effective from Monday, September 14.</span></p>

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Today show's Stevie Jacobs reveals the surprisingly sweet reason he was cut

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text "> <p><em>Today</em><span> </span>show weatherman Stevie Jacobs has broken his silence after being dropped from the breakfast show’s 2020 line up.</p> <p>The weatherman was one of the casualties when Nine announced a range of changes to<span> </span><em>Today, Today Extra<span> </span></em>and<span> </span><em>Weekend Today</em>.</p> <p>He revealed why he wasn’t in the line up via a touching post on Instagram.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B6OeGFchrPX/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B6OeGFchrPX/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">Hello Goodbye. One of my most cherished moments on Today. I want to say a sincere thank you to everyone for the incredible warm messages of support. Today has been my home for almost 15 years and I love the program and my colleagues dearly. Sadly I can’t commit to the future travel requirements of the job and have to put my beautiful daughters first. They are my world, my life and my joy. I hope to see you all back on the tellie soon. I couldn’t be more proud of my achievements or more grateful for the opportunities I’ve had with Nine. I will miss my morning family madly and wish the new team all the best for 2020 and beyond. A special thanks to my weather crew who are like brothers to me. We have had some amazing adventures. Looking forward to having breakfast with my girls and doing school drop off. Not going to miss that alarm. Thanks for the love and thanks for the laughs. It’s been an incredible ride and I am a lucky man. @thetodayshow</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/sjweather/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> Steven Jacobs</a> (@sjweather) on Dec 18, 2019 at 11:49am PST</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“Sadly I can’t commit to the future travel requirements of the job and have to put my beautiful daughters first,” he wrote. “They are my world, my life and my joy … Looking forward to having breakfast with my girls and doing school drop off.”</p> <p>Jacobs has two daughters from his seven-year marriage to Rose Jacobs.</p> <p>In the post, he also thanked the<span> </span><em>Today</em><span> </span>show, which he’s been a part of for a whopping 15 years.</p> <p>“I love the program and my colleagues dearly,” the Channel 9 star wrote. “I couldn’t be more proud of my achievements or more grateful for the opportunities I’ve had with Nine. I will miss my morning family madly and wish the new team all the best for 2020 and beyond.</p> <p>“Thanks for the love and thanks for the laughs. It’s been an incredible ride and I am a lucky man.”</p> <p>It appears that Jacobs had no idea about the announcement, as<span> </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/morning-shows/stevie-jacobs-explains-why-he-was-cut-from-the-today-show/news-story/2612cf95c01202a26b0473c5fa5d75f8" target="_blank">news.com.au</a></em><span> </span>understands that he was “blindsided”.</p> <p>In a statement, Channel 9 said that Jacobs “will be leaving the<span> </span><em>Today<span> </span></em>team but may work on future projects with the network”.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div> <div class="post-actions-component"> <div class="upper-row"><span class="like-bar-component"></span> <div class="watched-bookmark-container"></div> </div> </div> </div>

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The hilarious outfit Today show’s Steve Jacobs wore on air

<p>Today show weatherman Steve Jacobs is showing us that he too can rock a cute outfit on set, pushing the envelope just a little bit further than usual.</p> <p>On Friday’s episode, the journalist revealed the interesting look he chose for the day – going for a classy navy-blue blazer, blue shirt and a very tight pair of cut off denim shorts.</p> <p>The Today show posted an image of the ever-cheeky Jacobs posing in his hilarious shorts alongside the program’s entertainment reporter, Brooke Boney.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BvSPRYrpHy4/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BvSPRYrpHy4/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" target="_blank">Ever wondered what goes on under the desk? Now you know! 😂👖 #9Today</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/thetodayshow/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" target="_blank"> thetodayshow</a> (@thetodayshow) on Mar 21, 2019 at 2:11pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“Ever wondered what goes on under the desk? Now you know!” The cheeky caption read.</p> <p>Pouting for the picture, the weatherman showed off his bare legs in the showy pants.</p> <p>Brooke, 31, replicated the same pose as Steve, while dazzling in a pink sheer top, faded blue jeans and pumps.</p> <p>The Today show made headlines last week for hitting an all-time low in ratings, coming third behind the ABC News’ breakfast morning show program – an unlikely contender.  </p> <p><em>Sunrise </em>has been keeping the lead by a long shot, typically amassing over 400,000 viewers each episode.</p> <p>Do you think Steve rocks the denim shorts look? Let us know in the comments below.</p>

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