News Brands
Nine to investigate television newsroom culture after Wick exit
Nine Entertainment will launch a review of its television newsroom culture, with the media group’s chief executive, Mike Sneesby, returning early from a holiday to confront a growing crisis over the exit of former news and current affairs boss Darren Wick, reports Nine Publishing’s Sam Buckingham-Jones.
In an email to staff, Sneesby said Wick had been investigated as soon as a complaint of inappropriate behaviour had been received.
“Our actions as a result of that investigation were based on the information we had available to us at the time, which was limited,” he wrote, adding that he had not signed non-disclosure agreements “for any employee relating to a complaint or behavioral issue”.
Nine chief executive Mike Sneesby signed off on a payout to Darren Wick, network claims
Nine’s chief executive Mike Sneesby was responsible for giving a former news boss an almost $1m golden handshake after an avalanche of sexual-harassment allegations against the veteran journalist, as the network claims chairman Peter Costello played no role in the payout, report The Australian’s Sophie Elsworth and James Madden.
Sneesby announced an external review into claims veteran news director Darren Wick had sexually harassed up to a dozen women at Nine, just hours before he was outed as the executive responsible for Wick’s controversial payout by a network spokeswoman late on Monday night.
The spokeswoman said Costello and the Nine board “did not sign off on the settlement with Darren Wick; it was handled within our governance processes”. When asked who was responsible for the payment, the spokeswoman said: “Mike Sneesby signed off on it.”
‘Do better’: Rowland’s message to media outlets following Darren Wick allegation
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland has encouraged all media outlets to “do better” in their management of internal complaints, after allegations surfaced that former Nine Network news boss Darren Wick had acted inappropriately towards a female staff member, reports News Corp’s Jack Quail.
Responding to the allegations on Sunday, Rowland said all media companies needed to adhere to internal policies when handling allegations of poor workplace behaviour.
“The media sector has been highlighted in recent years as an area that needs improvement, I say that as someone where I work in a profession where standards need to be lifted as well,” Rowland told Sky News.
ABC board holds emergency talks over Laura Tingle outburst
ABC board members have had emergency discussions over their board colleague and high-profile political reporter Laura Tingle’s claims that Australia is racist and Peter Dutton is encouraging the abuse of migrants, as the public broadcaster faces a parliamentary barrage on both Tingle and on its coverage of Israel in the Gaza war, report The Australian’s Sophie Elsworth and Alex Demetriadi.
The Coalition on Monday demanded the ABC explain Tingle’s weekend claims at the Sydney Writers’ Festival against the Opposition Leader, and how the 7.30 chief political correspondent can stay impartial in the lead-up to the election due next year.
The Australian understands Tingle, who is also a staff-elected board member at the ABC, has displeased some board colleagues and they have been discussing the controversy in the past 48 hours.
Business of Media
Netflix shifts 92pc of $1.1b Australian revenue offshore
Netflix pocketed more than $1.1 billion from Australian customers last year and shifted more than $1 billion – 92 per cent – of that to its US parent company, documents filed with the corporate regulator reveal, reports Nine Publishing’s Sam Buckingham-Jones.
Accounts lodged with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission for the year to December 31 reveal the extraordinary amount the streaming giant behind Stranger Things, Bridgerton and Baby Reindeer makes in Australia.
Bruce Lehrmann case: Lisa Wilkinson seeking $1.8m from Network Ten
Lisa Wilkinson is seeking more than $1.8 million from Network 10 in the fallout of their defamation case against former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann, a court has heard, as the broadcaster shows an “ongoing reluctance” to pay the high profile presenter’s legal costs, reports The Australian’s Ellie Dudley.
Lawyers for Wilkinson and Ten returned to court on Monday morning to determine how costs of the defence should be divided between the two respondents, after Wilkinson hired a separate legal team to defend her in the mammoth defamation matter brought by Lehrmann.
Radio
Kyle and Jackie O reignite Steve Price feud on-air
Kyle Sandilands and co-host Jackie O have fanned the flames of their ongoing public dispute with fellow radio veteran Steve Price, with Sandilands leaving Price an abusive voicemail live on-air, reports News Corp’s Nick Bond.
The two parties have been locked in a war of words in recent weeks, with Price publicly expressing his distaste at the Sydney duo’s racy on-air antics as they move into the Melbourne market.