1 00:00:06,840 --> 00:00:09,240 Speaker 1: You can listen to the Front on your smart speaker 2 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:13,480 Speaker 1: every morning to hear the latest episode. Just say play 3 00:00:13,520 --> 00:00:22,200 Speaker 1: the news from the Australian. From the Australian, here's what's 4 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:29,600 Speaker 1: on the Front. I'm Claire Harvey. It's Friday, September thirteenth. 5 00:00:30,120 --> 00:00:32,920 Speaker 1: The government has stripped combat medals from up to nine 6 00:00:33,080 --> 00:00:36,200 Speaker 1: current and former officers after they were accused of turning 7 00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:40,040 Speaker 1: a blind eye to war crimes by their subordinates. Fatal 8 00:00:40,040 --> 00:00:44,520 Speaker 1: Opposition Defense spokesman Andrew Hasty, a former SAS captain, says 9 00:00:44,640 --> 00:00:47,240 Speaker 1: senior commanders have been led off the hook for a 10 00:00:47,360 --> 00:00:50,239 Speaker 1: lack of moral courage that went all the way to 11 00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:53,840 Speaker 1: the top. That story is live now at the Australian 12 00:00:53,960 --> 00:01:02,279 Speaker 1: dot com. Doreue used to be the great powerhouse of 13 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:06,040 Speaker 1: TV in Australia. Now it's a bit of a soap opera. 14 00:01:06,319 --> 00:01:10,160 Speaker 1: We've yet another top executive out the door. So what's 15 00:01:10,240 --> 00:01:22,840 Speaker 1: going wrong at the entertainment giant? What was the moment 16 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:25,720 Speaker 1: when Nine Entertainments jumped the shark? 17 00:01:27,240 --> 00:01:28,880 Speaker 2: What have you got to say to the women who've 18 00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:30,240 Speaker 2: made allegations against you? 19 00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:34,680 Speaker 1: Was it when the Australians James Madden and Sopheels wereth 20 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:39,640 Speaker 1: revealed nine's TV news boss was facing unproven misconduct allegations. 21 00:01:40,680 --> 00:01:43,039 Speaker 3: Why weren't you upfront about why you left Nine? 22 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:47,320 Speaker 1: Was it when the company's chairman shoved our journalist Lamb 23 00:01:47,400 --> 00:01:54,760 Speaker 1: Mendez to the ground at Canberra Airport. You've just assaulted me, 24 00:01:57,680 --> 00:02:02,240 Speaker 1: You've just pushed me. It's all on camera, mister Castillo. 25 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:06,520 Speaker 1: Was it when he then tried to deny it. I 26 00:02:06,600 --> 00:02:09,959 Speaker 1: did not lay a finger or a fist or anything else. 27 00:02:12,600 --> 00:02:15,720 Speaker 1: Or was it when he then left his job good evening? 28 00:02:15,720 --> 00:02:19,760 Speaker 4: The former Federal Treasurer Peter Costello has resigned as chair 29 00:02:19,880 --> 00:02:21,080 Speaker 4: of nine Entertainment. 30 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:25,079 Speaker 1: Maybe it was when the chief executive stayed at a 31 00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:28,440 Speaker 1: luxury boutique hotel in Paris and ran with the Olympic 32 00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:32,360 Speaker 1: torch while his staff was striking for better pay. Why 33 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:33,760 Speaker 1: don't you to stop and have a chat to us now? 34 00:02:34,760 --> 00:02:37,040 Speaker 3: So I'm meeting my family and you're a. 35 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:39,079 Speaker 1: Boss of a media business here for work or are 36 00:02:39,080 --> 00:02:44,000 Speaker 1: you here on a holiday with your family? On Thursday, 37 00:02:44,240 --> 00:02:48,720 Speaker 1: Mike Sneezebe was out. Here's his statement read by an 38 00:02:48,800 --> 00:02:49,600 Speaker 1: AI Voice. 39 00:02:51,320 --> 00:02:54,360 Speaker 4: In recent months, I have reflected greatly on my plans 40 00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:57,640 Speaker 4: for the future and in consultation with my family and 41 00:02:57,680 --> 00:03:00,680 Speaker 4: those close to me, I made a personal decision to 42 00:03:00,760 --> 00:03:03,440 Speaker 4: consider new opportunities in twenty twenty five. 43 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:10,040 Speaker 1: James Madden is The Australian's media editor. James Mike Sneezbe 44 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:13,000 Speaker 1: is considering new opportunities for twenty twenty five. What might 45 00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:13,399 Speaker 1: they be? 46 00:03:13,720 --> 00:03:16,920 Speaker 2: He is, Well, he's certainly not committed to any new 47 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:19,680 Speaker 2: job at this early point. I think that's just a 48 00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:22,880 Speaker 2: comfortable phrase to say when perhaps you're leaving somewhere earlier 49 00:03:22,919 --> 00:03:25,959 Speaker 2: than initially planned. But look, he's been three and a 50 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:28,320 Speaker 2: half years in the top job at nine as CEO. 51 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:31,200 Speaker 2: The dogs have been barking though for Mike for the 52 00:03:31,240 --> 00:03:34,520 Speaker 2: past six months, and he made reference to that, I 53 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:37,520 Speaker 2: think in his statement this morning where he said it's 54 00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:40,000 Speaker 2: a year that's really tested the resilience of everyone at 55 00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:43,440 Speaker 2: nine and acknowledged that it had been a tough period. 56 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:47,560 Speaker 1: He came into this role after the previous CEO, Chu Marx, 57 00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:51,000 Speaker 1: put his role early after he was accused of impropriety 58 00:03:51,160 --> 00:03:55,360 Speaker 1: over his relationship with another executive. There was no complaint 59 00:03:55,360 --> 00:03:58,040 Speaker 1: of misconduct or anything there, But what does that tell 60 00:03:58,120 --> 00:04:00,840 Speaker 1: us about stability and the culture at nine that this 61 00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:03,280 Speaker 1: is the second CEO in three years who's had to 62 00:04:03,320 --> 00:04:04,800 Speaker 1: leave early. Look. 63 00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:07,920 Speaker 2: I think what it tells this Claire is that whilst 64 00:04:08,160 --> 00:04:11,840 Speaker 2: the reetric around Hu Marxist departure might have been certainly 65 00:04:11,880 --> 00:04:14,880 Speaker 2: it's time to clean things up and to improve the 66 00:04:14,920 --> 00:04:17,840 Speaker 2: culture at Nine, it never really happened. I think it's 67 00:04:17,839 --> 00:04:20,360 Speaker 2: fair to say that Nine has taken their eye for ball, 68 00:04:20,480 --> 00:04:23,720 Speaker 2: particularly with regards to the relationship between senior figures and 69 00:04:23,880 --> 00:04:26,960 Speaker 2: younger staff. And we saw that play out with the 70 00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:30,479 Speaker 2: Darren Wick saga and the Darren Wick resignation earlier this year, 71 00:04:30,640 --> 00:04:33,760 Speaker 2: which in many ways precipitated Sneezbe's departure. 72 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:36,839 Speaker 1: Now Nine is today a very complex business that involves 73 00:04:36,839 --> 00:04:40,799 Speaker 1: streaming platforms and newspapers, but the core of nine Entertainment 74 00:04:40,920 --> 00:04:45,360 Speaker 1: is the Nine Television network, which for generations was one 75 00:04:45,400 --> 00:04:48,080 Speaker 1: of the most stable companies in Australia under the Iron 76 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:51,800 Speaker 1: Group of the Packer family. It's quite a remarkable change, 77 00:04:51,839 --> 00:04:54,880 Speaker 1: isn't it, from this almost institution to something that's now 78 00:04:54,920 --> 00:04:55,679 Speaker 1: more of a soap opera. 79 00:04:55,920 --> 00:04:59,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, it is, and in many ways. The front page 80 00:04:59,400 --> 00:05:03,400 Speaker 2: picture this week taken by Liam Mendez of ex newsboss 81 00:05:03,800 --> 00:05:07,000 Speaker 2: Darren Wick, who's obviously at the center of many serious 82 00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:09,880 Speaker 2: allegations doing a walk of shame, if you want to 83 00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:13,159 Speaker 2: call it, out of a supermarket car park. The imagery 84 00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:15,599 Speaker 2: of that was quite striking, given that for so long 85 00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:19,919 Speaker 2: nine has been so successful in catching people out, calling 86 00:05:19,960 --> 00:05:23,200 Speaker 2: people to account, and now the spotlight's back on them. 87 00:05:23,520 --> 00:05:27,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, famous for elbows out journalism. The current affair really 88 00:05:27,480 --> 00:05:30,240 Speaker 1: the instigator of the kind of foot in the door 89 00:05:30,320 --> 00:05:34,320 Speaker 1: journalism that both of these people were victim to. For you, 90 00:05:34,400 --> 00:05:37,080 Speaker 1: what was the moment that it all really went wrong 91 00:05:37,160 --> 00:05:40,120 Speaker 1: for nine and became inevitable that these people would lose 92 00:05:40,120 --> 00:05:43,839 Speaker 1: their jobs? Was it Peter Castello pushing Liam Mendez to 93 00:05:43,880 --> 00:05:46,560 Speaker 1: the ground. Was it the allegations against Darren Wick, which 94 00:05:46,640 --> 00:05:47,840 Speaker 1: of course again are unproven. 95 00:05:48,960 --> 00:05:54,839 Speaker 2: I think the allegations against Darren Wick emboldened many staffers 96 00:05:54,880 --> 00:05:58,440 Speaker 2: to come forward to our newspaper anonymously and to other 97 00:05:58,480 --> 00:06:02,280 Speaker 2: media outlets as well. There's a real sense of enough 98 00:06:02,360 --> 00:06:05,080 Speaker 2: is enough. This is the moment where we're not going 99 00:06:05,120 --> 00:06:08,440 Speaker 2: to take it anymore. Because Wick and others had been 100 00:06:09,040 --> 00:06:13,160 Speaker 2: so all powerful in that organization for so long, and 101 00:06:13,360 --> 00:06:16,599 Speaker 2: many women had left in desperately sad circumstances. 102 00:06:16,720 --> 00:06:18,720 Speaker 3: Is the truth that felt that they. 103 00:06:19,080 --> 00:06:23,400 Speaker 2: Because they didn't comply with the directions and the wishes 104 00:06:23,400 --> 00:06:27,000 Speaker 2: of certain male bosses, they felt that their careers. 105 00:06:26,760 --> 00:06:27,679 Speaker 3: Weren't able to progress. 106 00:06:27,720 --> 00:06:30,400 Speaker 2: So I think in a sense the dam burst even 107 00:06:30,520 --> 00:06:34,440 Speaker 2: when women were talking about their experiences anonymously. The pressure 108 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:37,320 Speaker 2: that was brought to bear inside Nine on the culture, 109 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:40,880 Speaker 2: particularly the TV and Current Affairs division, was so great 110 00:06:41,080 --> 00:06:45,960 Speaker 2: that subsequently Peter Corcello couldn't even answer fairly mild questions 111 00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:49,279 Speaker 2: from Lem Mendez that day at Canberra Airport that once 112 00:06:49,320 --> 00:06:53,599 Speaker 2: he lashed out, it was almost emblematic of the old 113 00:06:53,600 --> 00:06:57,320 Speaker 2: guard of the company, metaphorically lashing out at what they 114 00:06:57,360 --> 00:07:00,840 Speaker 2: perceived to be unfair scrutiny on their cherish culture. 115 00:07:02,200 --> 00:07:04,560 Speaker 1: Mike Sneezby then went to Paris and ran with the 116 00:07:04,600 --> 00:07:08,400 Speaker 1: Olympic torch while the print division's journalists were on strike 117 00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:11,800 Speaker 1: here in Australia. What didn't that moment tell us about 118 00:07:11,880 --> 00:07:15,160 Speaker 1: Sneezbe's judgment and about his level of focus on print. 119 00:07:15,640 --> 00:07:17,440 Speaker 3: I'm sure if he had his time over again, he 120 00:07:17,440 --> 00:07:18,120 Speaker 3: wouldn't do it. 121 00:07:18,800 --> 00:07:22,320 Speaker 2: He did seek to defend the carrying of the torch 122 00:07:22,400 --> 00:07:25,920 Speaker 2: by saying well, Nine was the host broadcast of the 123 00:07:26,160 --> 00:07:29,760 Speaker 2: Olympics for Australia. He committed to this a long time ago, 124 00:07:30,240 --> 00:07:33,440 Speaker 2: and he was representing nine as a whole. That may 125 00:07:33,480 --> 00:07:37,920 Speaker 2: be true, but optics are everything. And the image of 126 00:07:38,120 --> 00:07:41,600 Speaker 2: Mike Sneeze be running through the streets suburban streets of 127 00:07:41,640 --> 00:07:44,240 Speaker 2: Paris in the days leading up to Paris Games while 128 00:07:44,280 --> 00:07:47,240 Speaker 2: the company was in turmoil at home, particularly at that 129 00:07:47,320 --> 00:07:50,040 Speaker 2: point the publishing division, who were in the midst of 130 00:07:50,080 --> 00:07:51,800 Speaker 2: some delicate pay negotiations. 131 00:07:52,280 --> 00:07:53,600 Speaker 3: It just sent the wrong message. 132 00:07:53,720 --> 00:07:56,640 Speaker 2: The message was really that my priority is not staff, 133 00:07:56,840 --> 00:07:59,640 Speaker 2: it's over here in Paris having a good time. 134 00:08:03,080 --> 00:08:06,760 Speaker 1: Coming up? Should we be sad that this Titanic TV 135 00:08:06,880 --> 00:08:26,040 Speaker 1: network has fallen so far? Culture is one thing, but 136 00:08:26,160 --> 00:08:28,240 Speaker 1: nine share price has fallen over the past three years 137 00:08:28,240 --> 00:08:31,679 Speaker 1: from three dollars to roughly a dollar twenty today. That's 138 00:08:31,960 --> 00:08:34,600 Speaker 1: very hard to come back from, isn't it, James? And 139 00:08:34,679 --> 00:08:36,200 Speaker 1: what are the decisions that have been made that have 140 00:08:36,280 --> 00:08:37,239 Speaker 1: caused that problem? 141 00:08:37,800 --> 00:08:40,440 Speaker 2: I think, and this isn't specific to nine necessarily, but 142 00:08:40,520 --> 00:08:45,199 Speaker 2: a lot of media companies, particularly broadcast companies, were hoping 143 00:08:45,280 --> 00:08:49,160 Speaker 2: and expecting that the soft advertising market would bounce back 144 00:08:49,320 --> 00:08:51,640 Speaker 2: sooner than it has now. As we sit here today 145 00:08:51,640 --> 00:08:55,000 Speaker 2: in September twenty twenty four. It hasn't bounced back, and 146 00:08:55,040 --> 00:08:57,200 Speaker 2: it's been flat since the end of twenty two, So 147 00:08:57,240 --> 00:08:59,200 Speaker 2: we're coming up to almost two years of a really 148 00:08:59,280 --> 00:09:02,520 Speaker 2: flat advertise rising period and there's no turnaround in sight. 149 00:09:03,160 --> 00:09:07,439 Speaker 2: I suspect that a lot of companies, including Nine, may 150 00:09:07,480 --> 00:09:10,280 Speaker 2: be better against the fact that the ad slump was 151 00:09:10,320 --> 00:09:13,280 Speaker 2: going to continue. So you've seen a significant outlay, particularly 152 00:09:13,320 --> 00:09:16,440 Speaker 2: on sports rights from Nine in the last two years, 153 00:09:16,840 --> 00:09:20,679 Speaker 2: namely tennis in the Olympics of the Big two, and 154 00:09:21,559 --> 00:09:23,560 Speaker 2: with the Olympics, that was an enormous summer money. They 155 00:09:23,559 --> 00:09:27,120 Speaker 2: paid three hundred and five million for five Olympic games. 156 00:09:27,360 --> 00:09:29,560 Speaker 2: We won't really know whether or not that was a 157 00:09:29,559 --> 00:09:34,120 Speaker 2: wise investment until Brisbane twenty thirty two. But in many 158 00:09:34,120 --> 00:09:37,720 Speaker 2: ways it's a back ended gamble because you'd expect they 159 00:09:37,760 --> 00:09:42,120 Speaker 2: are going to lose money on the four games leading 160 00:09:42,200 --> 00:09:44,440 Speaker 2: up to Brisbane and are hoping to crawl back an 161 00:09:44,559 --> 00:09:48,079 Speaker 2: enormous sum in twenty thirty two. And of course it's 162 00:09:48,120 --> 00:09:50,160 Speaker 2: difficult to sit here in twenty four and know what 163 00:09:50,200 --> 00:09:52,920 Speaker 2: the media landscape's going to look like in twenty thirty two. 164 00:09:53,400 --> 00:09:55,480 Speaker 2: That's certainly something that's going to be hanging over the 165 00:09:55,520 --> 00:09:57,080 Speaker 2: company's head for another eight years. 166 00:09:57,440 --> 00:10:00,160 Speaker 1: Nine has put in an interim CEO, Matt Standar, and 167 00:10:00,200 --> 00:10:03,400 Speaker 1: he's the CFO at Network seven. Their great rival, the 168 00:10:03,480 --> 00:10:06,079 Speaker 1: bean Counters, are also in charge after several of their 169 00:10:06,120 --> 00:10:09,520 Speaker 1: executives left for exciting new opportunities as well. What does 170 00:10:09,559 --> 00:10:11,520 Speaker 1: that tell us about the fate of media companies in 171 00:10:11,559 --> 00:10:12,560 Speaker 1: twenty twenty four. 172 00:10:12,840 --> 00:10:15,920 Speaker 2: Possibly that they wanted to take a more sober approach 173 00:10:16,120 --> 00:10:20,600 Speaker 2: to future investments. I suspect seven is also in dire 174 00:10:21,200 --> 00:10:24,679 Speaker 2: straits in terms of its financials. Both seven and nine 175 00:10:24,800 --> 00:10:28,000 Speaker 2: reported very disappointing results in the past few months, and 176 00:10:28,360 --> 00:10:31,600 Speaker 2: seven share price has been woefully low for many many 177 00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:35,240 Speaker 2: months now. It's interesting that Matt Stanton's obviously as CFO, 178 00:10:35,880 --> 00:10:38,839 Speaker 2: been appointed acting CEO. That's not necessarily any indication that 179 00:10:38,880 --> 00:10:42,400 Speaker 2: he will ultimately be appointed, but I think in coming 180 00:10:42,480 --> 00:10:46,319 Speaker 2: years the expectation will be that costs will be tight, 181 00:10:46,880 --> 00:10:52,440 Speaker 2: spending will be tight, and certainly any frills are likely 182 00:10:52,480 --> 00:10:53,600 Speaker 2: to be paired back. 183 00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:56,959 Speaker 1: Is this something sad about that? As a journo, James 184 00:10:57,200 --> 00:11:00,800 Speaker 1: nine was famous for its largest were high wages for 185 00:11:00,840 --> 00:11:04,079 Speaker 1: some of its stars, a culture of long lunches and 186 00:11:04,400 --> 00:11:07,559 Speaker 1: boardroom drinks nights. What's it feeling about the sort of 187 00:11:07,600 --> 00:11:08,679 Speaker 1: the big shift that we're seeing. 188 00:11:09,160 --> 00:11:12,400 Speaker 2: It's sad for those that benefited from such largest certainly. 189 00:11:12,760 --> 00:11:15,240 Speaker 2: I don't think it's a surprise in many ways. I 190 00:11:15,280 --> 00:11:20,680 Speaker 2: think maybe that culture of certain media outlets is simply 191 00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:25,360 Speaker 2: brought into the modern era where any kind of excess 192 00:11:25,520 --> 00:11:32,240 Speaker 2: is viewed poorly by shareholders, and I don't think the 193 00:11:32,280 --> 00:11:34,320 Speaker 2: younger generation who work in the media are. 194 00:11:34,200 --> 00:11:37,760 Speaker 3: Expecting that anyway. It feels like it's a period of change. 195 00:11:37,840 --> 00:11:39,520 Speaker 1: It's sandwiches at the desk from now. 196 00:11:39,400 --> 00:11:41,240 Speaker 3: On, that's right, and water from the tap. 197 00:11:47,760 --> 00:11:52,000 Speaker 1: James Madden is The Australian's Media editor. Thanks for joining 198 00:11:52,040 --> 00:11:54,920 Speaker 1: us on the front. Our team is Kristin Amiet, Jasper 199 00:11:55,000 --> 00:11:59,160 Speaker 1: leek leat Semaglue, Joshua Burton, Tiffany Dimack and me Claire Harvey. 200 00:12:00,120 --> 00:12:03,000 Speaker 1: Get all the best journalism is in The Australian twenty 201 00:12:03,040 --> 00:12:03,559 Speaker 1: four to seven.