The familiar face that brought Newcastle and the North Coast their weather forecasts for years has suddenly disappeared from television screens, with veteran weatherman Gavin Morris being made redundant by the Nine Network.
Local viewers had been wondering about Morris's absence in recent weeks, with many assuming he was simply on holiday. The truth emerged when the Newcastle Herald reported on November 22 that the popular presenter had lost his position as part of network restructuring.
A Legacy of Local Weather Reporting
Morris represented the latest in a line of respected NBN TV weather presenters spanning five decades, following in the footsteps of Des Hart, Nat Jeffrey, and Garry Youngberry. Like his predecessors, Morris brought specialized knowledge to his role, being an experienced surfer who provided accurate surf reports alongside his weather forecasts.
Phil Donoghoe of Ballina expressed disappointment in how the departure was handled, noting it took too long for NBN Newcastle to officially acknowledge Morris's exit. The station eventually addressed the change with a statement from Natasha Beyersdorf at the end of the Monday night news broadcast.
Newcastle's Broadcasting Heritage
The letter reflects on NBN Newcastle's rich history of quality journalism and programming. The station has been home to many respected journalists over the years, including Murray Finlay, Ray Dinneen, Noel Harrison, Mike Rabbitt, Jodi McKay and Paul Lobb.
NBN made television history with groundbreaking work by Jim Sullivan and award-winning cameraman Barry Nancarrow, whose footage of the Star Hotel riot became iconic. The station also brought Australian audiences the adventurous travels of The Leyland Brothers.
While acknowledging the excellence of current presenters including Natasha Beyersdorf, Jane Goldsmith and Lauren Kempe, Donoghoe lamented that the Nine Network has ripped one good local out of NBN Newcastle.
Broader Community Concerns
The edition also featured several other letters highlighting important issues affecting Australians. Frank Ward of Shoal Bay wrote about the financial challenges facing elderly Australians, revealing how his home care package of approximately $60,000 per year is being consumed by high service costs.
Ward detailed how basic services like cleaning now cost $102 per hour, with workers receiving only $35 of that amount. He also expressed frustration with private health insurance after discovering his policy wouldn't cover an $800 out-of-pocket fee for day surgery on his eye.
Climate change debate continued in the letters section, with Don Owers of Whitebridge challenging claims that scientific documentation about carbon emissions is lacking. Owers pointed to analysis suggesting that News Corp Australia outlets have been significant sources of climate misinformation.
Other correspondents raised concerns about government spending priorities, with Robert Stewart of Muswellbrook questioning the allocation of $600 million for a Papua New Guinea rugby league team while hospital bed shortages persist.
The discussion about scientific research continued with mixed views on the CSIRO, while Denise Lindus Trummel shared nostalgic memories of radio legend John Laws from his early days working at 2KO in Newcastle.
