Leigh McClusky
Encyclopedia
Leigh McClusky is an Australian journalist and presenter who has previously worked for Channel 7
in Adelaide
. She held the role of presenter of Today Tonight South Australia
from 30 January 1995 to 17 August 2007.
She started her career as a cadet reporter for the Melbourne Herald in 1979. Since then she has worked throughout the Australian media. McClusky was also a feature writer for the Australian Associated Press
, as well as a researcher and reporter for the ABC
program The Investigators
. She has also worked on country newspapers and spent two years reporting with Channel Nine's
A Current Affair.
In 1992 McClusky moved to Adelaide
to present the ABC's
The 7.30 Report
, which at that time was state-based.
When the program became national in 1995, Kerry O'Brien took the role of presenting the program. McClusky then moved to Channel Seven
where she started hosting the new state-based current affairs
program Today Tonight
, where she remained the anchor ever since the program started until August 2007.
Since March 2001 McClusky has taken Today Tonight South Australia's
ratings above A Current Affair which is produced nationally.
McClusky gave birth to a son, Murdoch, in 2002 and a daughter, Sigourney, in 2006.
On 6 July 2007 McClusky made the announcement that she was going to leave Today Tonight
as she was expecting twins, and will not return. It was speculated that the relief presenter Rosanna Mangiarelli
would take over her role, which was confirmed by Seven on Sunday, 15 July 2007.
On 17 August, McClusky anchored her final show which concluded with members of the TT and 7 News teams, plus her husband (Simon Haigh owner of Haigh's Chocolates) and children joining her on set. The following December she gave bith to twins, a boy, Jock, and a girl, Tansy.
McClusky has now started her own media and public relations business called McClusky & Co in Adelaide.
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
in Adelaide
SAS-7
SAS is a television station in Adelaide, South Australia. It is part of the Australian Seven Network.SAS-7 was originally known as SAS-10, commencing broadcasting on 26 July 1965. On 27 December 1987, SAS-10 and ADS-7 switched broadcast channels, ADS moving to channel 10, SAS moving to channel 7...
. She held the role of presenter of Today Tonight South Australia
Today Tonight
Today Tonight is a controversial Australian News and Current Affairs program, produced by the Seven Network and shown weeknightly at in direct competition with rival Nine Network program A Current Affair....
from 30 January 1995 to 17 August 2007.
She started her career as a cadet reporter for the Melbourne Herald in 1979. Since then she has worked throughout the Australian media. McClusky was also a feature writer for the Australian Associated Press
Australian Associated Press
Australian Associated Press is Australia's national news agency. The organisation was established in 1935 by Fairfax and The Herald and Weekly Times.AAP employs more than 175 journalists who work in bureaux in all Australian states and territories...
, as well as a researcher and reporter for the ABC
ABC Television
ABC Television is a service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation launched in 1956. As a public broadcasting broadcaster, the ABC provides four non-commercial channels within Australia, and a partially advertising-funded satellite channel overseas....
program The Investigators
The Investigators
The Investigators was a children's science program, presented by children, on Channel 4 in Great Britain. It showed various interesting experiments from how to blow a balloon up with yeast to building bridges...
. She has also worked on country newspapers and spent two years reporting with Channel Nine's
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
A Current Affair.
In 1992 McClusky moved to Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
to present the ABC's
ABC Television
ABC Television is a service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation launched in 1956. As a public broadcasting broadcaster, the ABC provides four non-commercial channels within Australia, and a partially advertising-funded satellite channel overseas....
The 7.30 Report
The 7.30 Report
The 7.30 Report is an Australian nightly television current affairs program, that was shown on ABC1 and ABC News 24 at , Mondays–Thursdays...
, which at that time was state-based.
When the program became national in 1995, Kerry O'Brien took the role of presenting the program. McClusky then moved to Channel Seven
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
where she started hosting the new state-based current affairs
Current affairs (news format)
Current Affairs is a genre of broadcast journalism where the emphasis is on detailed analysis and discussion of news stories that have recently occurred or are ongoing at the time of broadcast....
program Today Tonight
Today Tonight
Today Tonight is a controversial Australian News and Current Affairs program, produced by the Seven Network and shown weeknightly at in direct competition with rival Nine Network program A Current Affair....
, where she remained the anchor ever since the program started until August 2007.
Since March 2001 McClusky has taken Today Tonight South Australia's
Today Tonight
Today Tonight is a controversial Australian News and Current Affairs program, produced by the Seven Network and shown weeknightly at in direct competition with rival Nine Network program A Current Affair....
ratings above A Current Affair which is produced nationally.
McClusky gave birth to a son, Murdoch, in 2002 and a daughter, Sigourney, in 2006.
On 6 July 2007 McClusky made the announcement that she was going to leave Today Tonight
Today Tonight
Today Tonight is a controversial Australian News and Current Affairs program, produced by the Seven Network and shown weeknightly at in direct competition with rival Nine Network program A Current Affair....
as she was expecting twins, and will not return. It was speculated that the relief presenter Rosanna Mangiarelli
Rosanna Mangiarelli
Rosanna Mangiarelli is an Australian journalist and presenter who works for the Seven Network in Adelaide.Mangiarelli is currently the main presenter for local public affairs program Today Tonight South Australia.-Career:...
would take over her role, which was confirmed by Seven on Sunday, 15 July 2007.
On 17 August, McClusky anchored her final show which concluded with members of the TT and 7 News teams, plus her husband (Simon Haigh owner of Haigh's Chocolates) and children joining her on set. The following December she gave bith to twins, a boy, Jock, and a girl, Tansy.
McClusky has now started her own media and public relations business called McClusky & Co in Adelaide.