| Basil Anthony Zempilas | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Seven News newsreader |
Basil Zempilas (30 July 1971) is a sports presenter and commentator on radio and television in Perth, Western Australia. He currently appears on Seven News, and radio stations 1116 SEN and 92.9. Zempilas has commentated on the Olympics and several other major sporting events.
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As a child Zempilas attended Floreat Park Primary School and Hale School. He graduated from Murdoch University in 1992 with a degree in Media Studies and Mass Communications,[1] and took up a cadetship as a sports reporter with Seven News. This also saw the end of his Australian rules football career, retiring from the West Perth Football Club after five seasons.
In his first year at the Seven Network, Zempilas was awarded "Best News Story" at the annual Western Australia Football Commission media awards for his coverage of the Melbourne Football Club being thrown out of a West Coast Eagles closed training session. In 1996, he was named the "Best Television Personality" at the same awards.
In 1996 Zempilas was promoted to weekend sports anchor on Seven News, a position he held until the end of 2001, when Seven lost the rights to broadcast AFL. In 1997 he commenced hosting a locally-produced football show, Basil's Footy Show. He hosted the 1998 World Aquatics Championships in Perth and co-hosted the local television program Perth at Five with Yvette Mooney.
He has been involved with the Seven Network's coverage of the Olympic Games since the 2000 Sydney Olympics, where he co-hosted Tonight at the Games with Bruce Abernethy for the Western Australia and South Australia markets. At the 2002 Winter Olympics, Zempilas called Steven Bradbury's win in the 1000m speed skating; Australia's first Winter Olympic Gold medal.[2] Zempilas provided commentary at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games and represented Seven News at the 2005 World Aquatics Championships. In 2006 he began presenting the AFL segment on the Seven Network program Sportsworld with David Schwarz. He called the speed skating event at the 2006 Winter Olympics with Bradbury and also commentated at the 2008 Summer Olympics.[2]
Zempilas is currently the weeknight sports presenter on Seven News, provides AFL commentary on SEN into Melbourne and is now a host of the "Lisa, Baz & Sam" show on Perth's 92.9.[3]
From 2012, Zempilas will be part of the Seven Network's expanded AFL broadcast team.
In March 2004, a portrait of Zempilas by Perth artist Melinda Mackay was entered in the Archibald Prize,[4] and in the same year he featured in Cleo's 50 Most Eligible Bachelors. In 2007, Zempilas received a fine and a three month suspension of his driver's licence after pleading guilty to drink driving.[5]
On the 6th September 2009 Zempilas married his longtime girlfriend Amy Graham in Greece.
On the 23rd August 2010 Zempilas and his wife Amy accounced that they are expecting their first child due March 2011. In March 2011, Amy gave birth to a baby girl, Ava Jessica Zempilas.
| Preceded by Dennis Cometti |
Seven News Perth Sport Presenter 2000 – |
Succeeded by incumbent |
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