Go the whole Nine yards
The departure of a Brisbane staffer shows that Nine Entertainment needs to lifts its game in implementing its cultural review. Plus: 50-cent fares are here to stay.
A week ago, I wrote this cryptic social media post: The radio/TV rumour mill in Brisbane and down south is in overdrive tonight. A big story is apparently imminent — not about who’s hosting which show. Much bigger and more serious.
It was, I can now reveal, a reference to swirling chatter about potential further action to be taken regarding the damning “cultural review” at Nine Entertainment.
Nine’s employees in Brisbane, and around Australia, are feeling a mix of emotions now. Some fear exposure, some fear that other perpetrators will go unpunished and some fear that the spotlight will, unfairly, fall on them. Many are on edge — and their employer’s recent action don’t inspire confidence that it will do the right thing by them.
While Nine absolutely did the right thing in calling the review, it has handled its response to that review poorly.
I hesitate to say “I told you so”, but …
On November 12, I wrote: “Now, I can understand why the Nine board doesn’t want to name the people who are sent packing as a result of the review — particularly if they get it wrong. But if they don’t name the offenders, people who are innocent of any wrongdoing may end up being besmirched, with consequences for their careers and reputations … for now, and the next little while, when somebody leaves Nine suddenly, others might assume that they have been forced out because of allegations made against them.”
As we’ve heard in recent days, it’s not just her sacking but the optics of her departure from Nine that has former Brisbane news director Amanda Paterson taking legal action against the company.
According to her lawyers, Paterson was sacked over a failure to complete training modules, a “botched” contract extension of a staff member and claims she made a reference to the removal of “dickheads” from Nine in front of staff in the newsroom.
As The Age and other Nine Newspapers report in a story that also covers a separate case, where Nine reporter Airlie Walsh has filed a sexual discrimination case against the network:
Her [Paterson’s] lawyer, John Laxon, said the timing and circumstances of the sacking had given the impression his client had been fired as a result of the review, but Nine’s reasons were unrelated to this.
“They time the terminations to coincide with the release of a report so as to leave the smear and the inference somehow the termination has something to do with the report when it does not in any way.”
The law will take its course and it’s not for me to comment on potential outcomes.
However, I confidently predict that there is more to come from Nine. And so there should be.
Sorting the reality from the rumours is difficult.
It may not be helpful (or legally wise) to report the substance of the rumours, but the fact that they exist — and are persistent — indicates that there is still a problem.
The concern among staff, and former staff, is not just that some people are getting unfairly tarnished, it’s that others who have done the wrong thing will never be brought to account.
There are also those who knew what was going on but chose to ignore it, and those who set the example that allowed bad things to happen on their watch. In my discussions with media sources, the word “Teflon” was raised in relation to one senior Nine manager.
If those people are allowed to remain in the business, or they are quietly ushered out the back door without explanation, Nine’s implementation of its cultural review will not be complete.
And that’s a shame for the vast majority of people who just want to do their job in what already is a very challenging industry that’s at an existential crossroad.
Meanwhile, in the UK, the BBC has cancelled the Christmas specials of its version of Masterchef after allegations that one of its major stars, Gregg Wallace, has been behaving inappropriately for 17 years!
Fare’s fair
As I predicted, Premier David Crisafulli was pretty much wedged into a corner on 50-cent public transport fares. Who’d want to be the Premier who took that pocket-friendly measure away?
Now comes the official word that they will be extended indefinitely. And I reckon that’s a good thing.
I can’t speak for other routes, but the bus that runs out my way is very well patronised by people who appreciate paying a lot less for their commute.
The aim, of course, is not just to take away some of the cost-of-living pressures on commuters, it’s to get cars off the road and make traffic move more freely without too much more capital expenditure. Let’s see how that goes.
P.S.
If you are fan of live music, photography and photographs of musicians performing live, this may be of interest. Until December 15, the Tivoli is accepting votes in its Photo of the Year competition, with a $500 voucher valid at a camera store of your choice on offer.
Disclaimer: Brett Debritz once worked for Nine Radio.