A ‘hair on fire’ moment.
That’s how radio industry expert Craig Bruce has described what he believes the behind-the-scenes atmosphere at Southern Cross Austero (SCA) would have been like in the immediate aftermath of Triple M host Marty Sheargold’s controversial on-air comments about the Matildas and women’s sport.
Sheargold and Triple M have since agreed to ‘mutually’ part ways, with the company’s chief content officer, Dave Cameron, saying: “It’s clear this is a moment for reflection and review” and that the company will “continue to take all necessary steps to support staff”.
In the statement, Cameron also revealed that “a new Drive show will be announced in due course” before ending his comments by acknowledging “Marty’s contribution over the past four years … we wish him well for the future.”
Marty Sheargold
The comments
Sheargold made the remarks during a news bulletin on The Marty Sheargold Show on Monday afternoon off the back of a story about the Matildas’ recent defeats in the SheBelieves Cup.
“There’s something wrong with the Matildas. They had that wonderful tournament out here where we all fell in love with them, even though they didn’t make the quarters,” he began.
“You know what they remind me of? Year 10 girls. All the infighting and all the friendship issues, ‘The coach hates me and I hate bloody training and Michelle’s being a bitch.’
“Now, I’m sorry to undermine the whole sport, but that’s what I think of it so you can stick it up your arse.”
Sheargold ended his rant by again referring to the SheBelieves Cup saying: “she believes in what? It better be men” before adding, “got any men’s sport?”
The comments quickly attracted outrage with Football Australia stepping in to release a statement saying the remarks “not only diminish the extraordinary achievements and contributions of our women’s national football team but also fail to recognise the profound impact they have had on Australian sport and society”.
Federal Sports Minister Annika Wells even got involved, calling Sheargold’s comments “boorish, boring, [and] wrong”.
The minister said: “Australia’s most-watched television event ever was the Matildas’ World Cup semi-final,” Wells said. “The Tillies’ quarter-final is the second most-watched event in Australian history, while Ash Barty’s Australian Open win and Cathy Freeman’s Sydney gold are in our top five, too.”
Triple M and Sheargold were quick to release an apology via social media. Hours later, with the collective outrage showing no signs of abating, a statement was issued confirming the network and comedian had “mutually agreed to part ways”.
On the front foot
Sheargold first made the comments on his Monday afternoon show. The ‘mutual’ decision to ‘part ways’ was made less than 48 hours later.
When asked how the network would have reacted to Sheargold’s comments in the immediate aftermath, Bruce responded “very seriously is the short answer”.
“Marty’s comments were unacceptable and hurtful to so many,” he said.
Despite the mea culpa, Bruce says that from his experience, managing possible client fallout would be one of the network’s main areas of concern: “That would be across multiple constituents – clients, listeners, staff, and the impact on the show’s presenting and production team.”
Damage control
Bruce further noted: “I’m sure the teams at SCA have really strong relationships with their clients and I’m guessing this will be a focus for them right now, to ensure that they feel comfortable having their brands attached to the show.”
He acknowledged that while edgy, live radio can sometimes tip over into controversy – “The show is edgy. On Monday it fell over that edge. These things can happen with live radio, and whilst it’s not a defence of the comments, it’s a reality that you just do your best to deal with the fallout.”
Bruce continued: “Sponsors and media partners are a key consideration – as soon as there’s revenue at risk, it becomes a much more highly charged scenario”.
For Bruce, Triple M made the right call in parting ways with Sheargold, although he adds the company would have had options, speculating that “Marty may have made the decision for them”
Moving forward
Looking ahead, Bruce anticipates tough internal conversations will take place about presenter expectations. “Once the dust settles, I’m sure there’ll be some conversations around expectations for all presenters,” he said. “Marty is a comedian – most comedians push boundaries, but he made an error of judgment that hurt a lot of people. There’s no exact science here; we’re fighting for consumer attention in a crowded market. We want our presenters to generate attention for the right reasons.”
Pictured: Marty Sheargold