In the scheme of things, New Idea's year so far has been about as good as Channel Nine's; in between breaking embargos and paying Wayne Carey to talk about getting wasted and punching his girlfriend, suffice to say it's been a red letter start to the year for the mag.

Well, as though they didn't already share plenty of characteristics with Nine, New Idea is now apparently going on a boning frenzy, with staffers dropping left, right and centre. Health reporter Jane Worthington was apparently sacked via a phone call this week and is the latest to go.

Her firing follows the dismissal of New Idea veterans Patrice Fidgeon and Sue Smethurst last week.

Confidential sources yesterday alleged the sackings were part of a secret hit list poised to target current staffers Phil Koch, Lee-Anne Carter and Donna Ogier for the chop next.

Publisher Suzanne Monks denied the existence of such a list, confirming the trio's on-going employment.

"All (are) valued members of the New Idea team and are part of New Idea's plans going forward," she said yesterday.

In other staff changes, the magazine's beauty writer Chelsea Clark has been promoted to associate editor.

Naturally I assume Clark actually knows how to be an associate editor and that isn't just a classic case of women's magazine "editor's BFF" musical chairs.

It's worth noting, too, that Smethurst is considering legal action as her sacking occurred two weeks before the end of her maternity leave, as is Worthington, both fighting the bonings on unfair dismissal grounds.

Awesome, top work New Idea! Walkleys all 'round!

You just can't stop the avalanche of boning at Channel Nine, it seems, with the news (ho ho) that another member of the Nine News team has been given the boot.

And as if the rest of the bonings hadn't seemed arbitrary enough for you, this time it was veteran reporter Brad Schmitt who was unceremoniously shown the door - after twenty-five years with the network.

Way to golden handshake your faithful, Nine! Right on!

"They told him they were going for a fresh look and he wasn't going to be part of it," a Nine insider told Confidential.

"After 25 years, he's absolutely devastated. To say it's come out of left field is an understatement and a half."

Nine wasted no time, allegedly cutting Schmitt's remote access to its computer system by Monday afternoon.

Schmitt was highly regarded as Nine's most senior Sydney reporter and was to have celebrated his quarter century with the network on August 1.

Rather than being a contracted star, Schmitt was on staff and is believed to require three warnings of poor performance before he can be legally sacked.

Experts said his case for unfair dismissal was "on solid ground".

Said "experts" said his case was "on solid ground" while rubbing their hands together while an imaginary sack filled with gold coins above their heads.

So, let's just add this to the list of things Channel Nine doesn't like, shall we? Women, locally-produced content, expectant mothers and now, oldies.

Have we missed anything?