IT HAS been a topsy-turvy world in MediaWorks during the 21 months the company has been led by chief executive Mark Weldon. But now he's gone, resigning this week saying the "personal costs" were too high for him to continue.
The public face of his reign has been punctuated bysome high-profile members of the news side of the organisation quitting. They included head of news Mark Jennings, the axing of John Campbell's weeknight show, and - more recently - newsreader Hilary Barry.
The hand-wringing and teeth-gnashing have been most apparent within the media world. The general consensus around Weldon's exit appears to be something along the lines of: "Hooray, the witch is dead."
But that's hogwash - Weldon's departure will change little, if anything. There will be another chief executive wheeled in who will probably chart the same course - a course where, in TV land at least (and, to a lesser extent, within newspapers), entertainment has become the be-all and end-all.
Weldon drove through changes his board expected, and if that meant kicking some sacred cows, that's what happened. The board said it was "very grateful" to him and was confident "the company will continue its momentum and growth". So to suggest change will come now Weldon's left the building is premature. Some will be excited with his resignation but those who bring in the money - the media buyers - say this isn't about personalities; it's about audiences. If audience numbers improve, then that's what the advertisers buy in to.
Thinking Weldon's resignation means a return to way things were is misguided. This isn't about journalism - it's about entertainment and making a buck. Get used to it.
