The former ABC political editor Andrew Probyn has landed a new gig with the Nine Network months after he was made redundant by the public broadcaster.
The news was shared with Nine staff in an internal email on Sunday. It stated that with “three decades of experience as a reporter and an envious track record of breaking major stories”, Probyn would “bring an extra level of in-depth coverage to our team” as national affairs editor.
Guardian Australia reported in July that Probyn was in discussions with Nine.
Probyn said in June he was “flabbergasted” by the ABC’s decision to let him go. In Sunday’s email, he was quoted as saying he was delighted to join Nine’s stable.
“I’m delighted to be joining Nine’s powerhouse Parliament House bureau. At a time when the need for reliable, trusted and agenda-free news has never been greater, I look forward to working alongside Charles Croucher and some of Australian journalism’s best,” he said. Probyn will start in November.
The ABC’s decision to let him go appeared to blindside Probyn earlier this year, with the broadcster saying at the time the decision was part of “savings measures and reinvestment initiatives” needed to transition to a digital-first organisation.
The award-winning journalist was hired by the ABC from the West Australian newspaper in 2017 and was made political editor after Chris Uhlmann left the broadcaster for Nine.
The national affairs editor is a new role in Nine’s Canberra bureau.
Nine has been building a super bureau in the press gallery by knocking down the walls separating the Sydney Morning Herald, the Age and Nine’s TV bureaus. The arrangement makes it the largest bureau in the gallery.
The Guardian contacted Probyn for comment.
Additional reporting Amanda Meade
