1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,640 Speaker 1: Just a heads up. Today's episode contains discussion of suicide 2 00:00:03,640 --> 00:00:06,160 Speaker 1: and distressing themes. It might not be for you, so 3 00:00:06,160 --> 00:00:09,240 Speaker 1: feel free to skip ahead. Or if you or anyone 4 00:00:09,280 --> 00:00:12,280 Speaker 1: you know needs help, Lifeline is available for twenty four 5 00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:15,160 Speaker 1: to seven support on thirteen eleven fourteen. 6 00:00:15,920 --> 00:00:18,599 Speaker 2: Already, and this is the DAILYA. 7 00:00:18,800 --> 00:00:20,520 Speaker 1: This is the dalyi OS. 8 00:00:20,520 --> 00:00:22,200 Speaker 2: Oh, now it makes sense. 9 00:00:30,120 --> 00:00:33,040 Speaker 1: Good morning, and welcome to the Daily OS. It's Thursday, 10 00:00:33,080 --> 00:00:35,199 Speaker 1: the tenth of July. I'm Emma Gillespie. 11 00:00:35,280 --> 00:00:37,040 Speaker 2: I'm Sam Kazlowski, a former. 12 00:00:36,920 --> 00:00:40,640 Speaker 1: Radio host, is taking legal action against his ex employer 13 00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:45,400 Speaker 1: over a twenty twelve pranc call controversy that made global headlines. 14 00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:49,600 Speaker 1: Michael Christian is suing Southern Cross Ostereo, claiming he wasn't 15 00:00:49,640 --> 00:00:52,440 Speaker 1: supported through the fallout of an on air segment that 16 00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:56,800 Speaker 1: led to tragic consequences. Today, we're going to explain what 17 00:00:56,960 --> 00:01:00,120 Speaker 1: happened in twenty twelve, everything about this prank phone call 18 00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:03,160 Speaker 1: and the fallout, as well as the legal action that 19 00:01:03,280 --> 00:01:06,480 Speaker 1: is now underway, and what Christian is alleging about his 20 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:07,959 Speaker 1: treatment at sea. 21 00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:14,800 Speaker 2: Emma, it's hard to believe that this story goes back 22 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:18,480 Speaker 2: more than a decade, thirteen years before we get into 23 00:01:18,520 --> 00:01:21,360 Speaker 2: the specifics of what happened and why we're talking about 24 00:01:21,360 --> 00:01:24,880 Speaker 2: it this week. Give us a sense of the broader 25 00:01:24,880 --> 00:01:28,160 Speaker 2: commercial radio landscape back then in twenty twelve. Yeah, you 26 00:01:28,200 --> 00:01:29,160 Speaker 2: and I are in near twelve. 27 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:30,520 Speaker 1: We were in near twelve, ging. 28 00:01:30,360 --> 00:01:32,839 Speaker 2: A sense of what the radio sounded like and felt 29 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:33,480 Speaker 2: like at that time. 30 00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:36,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, this was really a time of shock jock culture. 31 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:39,720 Speaker 1: And if it feels like Australian commercial radio is still 32 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:42,360 Speaker 1: in that place, trust me when I say it is 33 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:45,959 Speaker 1: a vastly different world now and largely because of the 34 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:49,320 Speaker 1: case we're going to talk about today, but particularly on 35 00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:55,240 Speaker 1: breakfast radio and commercial drive, prank calls were a staple 36 00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:59,120 Speaker 1: of programming, really really common. You would hear prank calls 37 00:01:59,120 --> 00:02:02,120 Speaker 1: on every major network all the time. They were designed 38 00:02:02,160 --> 00:02:05,720 Speaker 1: to kind of generate controversy and buzz, and the early 39 00:02:05,760 --> 00:02:09,320 Speaker 1: twenty tens twenty twelve included, really represented this kind of 40 00:02:09,600 --> 00:02:15,160 Speaker 1: peak period for controversial radio contents. So shock jock culture 41 00:02:15,280 --> 00:02:19,040 Speaker 1: hosts trying to push the boundaries, and networks like Southern 42 00:02:19,040 --> 00:02:23,079 Speaker 1: Cross Ostereo were kind of often focused or you could 43 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:26,239 Speaker 1: often hear them trying to carry out these high profile stunts. 44 00:02:26,919 --> 00:02:30,520 Speaker 1: So the regulatory environment as well, at the time was 45 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:33,320 Speaker 1: less stringent, and in fact, the prank call we're discussing 46 00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:37,480 Speaker 1: today never would have happened in other places where regulations 47 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:41,280 Speaker 1: were tighter, like the US, where actually anyone is required 48 00:02:41,360 --> 00:02:44,800 Speaker 1: to give their consent before their voice is broadcast. But 49 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:46,440 Speaker 1: that gives you a little bit of a sense of 50 00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:48,280 Speaker 1: what things were like here in Australia. 51 00:02:48,320 --> 00:02:50,800 Speaker 2: I think the other really interesting element about this time 52 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:56,000 Speaker 2: period was the rapid rise of Facebook and this growing 53 00:02:56,080 --> 00:03:00,680 Speaker 2: idea and this growing sense that these stuff could actually 54 00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:02,880 Speaker 2: have a life of their own on social media after 55 00:03:02,919 --> 00:03:04,399 Speaker 2: they were broadcast. 56 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:06,200 Speaker 1: Really nascent social media stages. 57 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:08,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, I can almost kind of picture the news 58 00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:12,240 Speaker 2: feed of when these stunts really went viral. So that 59 00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:14,919 Speaker 2: was the environment when the twenty twelve incident occurred. Take 60 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:16,799 Speaker 2: me through the incident itself now, yeap. 61 00:03:16,919 --> 00:03:21,160 Speaker 1: So where in December twenty twenty twelve, when Michael Christian 62 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:25,080 Speaker 1: and his co host mel Greg were working on todayfm's 63 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:28,760 Speaker 1: Summer thirty program. So it was a summer broadcast, it 64 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:32,360 Speaker 1: was going through the biggest hits of the day and 65 00:03:32,520 --> 00:03:35,600 Speaker 1: the radio station in question, TODAYFM, that we're talking about, 66 00:03:35,720 --> 00:03:39,520 Speaker 1: was specifically a Sydney broadcaster, but it's part of the 67 00:03:39,560 --> 00:03:41,960 Speaker 1: Southern Cross Austereo Network. 68 00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:44,640 Speaker 2: Which is a publicly listed company. It's a serious. 69 00:03:44,240 --> 00:03:46,920 Speaker 1: Player, massive company, and we'll refer to it as SEA 70 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:49,640 Speaker 1: throughout the rest of the episode. But on the fourth 71 00:03:49,680 --> 00:03:53,440 Speaker 1: of December, this radio duo made a prank call to 72 00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:57,320 Speaker 1: a London hospital. Now important context for the time is 73 00:03:57,360 --> 00:04:00,760 Speaker 1: that Princess Catherine Kate Middleton you might know her as, 74 00:04:01,480 --> 00:04:04,920 Speaker 1: was receiving treatment for her first pregnancy. So there was 75 00:04:05,040 --> 00:04:07,640 Speaker 1: all this kind of global media interest in what was 76 00:04:07,680 --> 00:04:11,440 Speaker 1: happening with her pregnancy. The child that she would have 77 00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:15,480 Speaker 1: eventually was George, but she had been hospitalized and was unwell. 78 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:19,960 Speaker 1: This radio duo, Michael Christian and mel greg impersonated Prince 79 00:04:20,080 --> 00:04:23,680 Speaker 1: Charles and Queen Elizabeth on a phone call to the hospital. 80 00:04:24,040 --> 00:04:28,240 Speaker 2: So these two hosts put on these broad British accents 81 00:04:28,360 --> 00:04:31,200 Speaker 2: call up the hospital, and the hospital staff actually believed 82 00:04:31,240 --> 00:04:34,240 Speaker 2: they were speaking two members of the royal family, right, yes. 83 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:36,520 Speaker 1: So what we know from the hosts leading up to 84 00:04:36,680 --> 00:04:40,000 Speaker 1: and after this is that they never expected that they 85 00:04:40,040 --> 00:04:44,200 Speaker 1: would get past the switchboard of the hospital, that their accents, 86 00:04:44,440 --> 00:04:48,240 Speaker 1: in their opinions, were not convincing, and that it was 87 00:04:48,279 --> 00:04:51,080 Speaker 1: all just a bit of silliness, but it went wrong 88 00:04:51,360 --> 00:04:54,880 Speaker 1: very very quickly, so two hospital members ended up being 89 00:04:54,960 --> 00:04:58,040 Speaker 1: deceived by the call. So the person who answered it 90 00:04:58,400 --> 00:05:00,920 Speaker 1: and then transferred to a nurse, and and that nurse, 91 00:05:01,120 --> 00:05:06,240 Speaker 1: the second nurse, revealed private details about Princess Catherine's condition. 92 00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:11,039 Speaker 1: The call, importantly was not broadcast live, but it was 93 00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:14,240 Speaker 1: later aired by sea, so the network did decide to 94 00:05:14,279 --> 00:05:18,599 Speaker 1: go ahead with running it. Very tragically, just three days later, 95 00:05:18,960 --> 00:05:22,919 Speaker 1: one of those nurses, her name is Jacintha Saldana, she 96 00:05:23,120 --> 00:05:26,520 Speaker 1: died by suicide. Now Saldana is not the nurse who 97 00:05:26,560 --> 00:05:29,960 Speaker 1: disclosed the patient information to the hosts, but she is 98 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:33,279 Speaker 1: the nurse that transferred the call to an on duty 99 00:05:33,360 --> 00:05:36,160 Speaker 1: nurse on the Duchess's hospital ward and. 100 00:05:36,120 --> 00:05:40,560 Speaker 2: So very quickly this event had a global audience and 101 00:05:40,800 --> 00:05:43,479 Speaker 2: was making news all over the world. Let's go to 102 00:05:43,760 --> 00:05:47,240 Speaker 2: the reaction from the Royal family and the UK media. 103 00:05:47,320 --> 00:05:51,279 Speaker 1: Yes, so two very very different responses here. Will start 104 00:05:51,279 --> 00:05:55,240 Speaker 1: with the Royal family. It was notably very restrained in 105 00:05:55,320 --> 00:05:59,440 Speaker 1: its response. Its response was centered around compassion. A statement 106 00:05:59,480 --> 00:06:02,000 Speaker 1: from the Royal family at the time said their Royal 107 00:06:02,080 --> 00:06:05,720 Speaker 1: Highnesses were looked after so wonderfully well at all times 108 00:06:05,760 --> 00:06:09,279 Speaker 1: by everyone at the King Edward the Seventh Hospital, the 109 00:06:09,279 --> 00:06:12,119 Speaker 1: hospital where Kate was being treated. Their thoughts and prayers 110 00:06:12,120 --> 00:06:16,400 Speaker 1: are with Jacyntha's family, friends and colleagues at this very 111 00:06:16,440 --> 00:06:19,200 Speaker 1: sad time. So that response was really focused on the 112 00:06:19,240 --> 00:06:22,960 Speaker 1: care that the duchess received. The UK media reaction, though, 113 00:06:23,200 --> 00:06:26,920 Speaker 1: was markedly different. I'm sure our listeners are very familiar 114 00:06:26,960 --> 00:06:31,480 Speaker 1: with the tabloid culture over there. It is cutthroat, completely 115 00:06:31,520 --> 00:06:35,240 Speaker 1: different worlds to here. In Australia. The Telegraph one of 116 00:06:35,240 --> 00:06:39,039 Speaker 1: the tabloids. They're essentially accused the Aussie radio hosts of 117 00:06:39,160 --> 00:06:43,640 Speaker 1: scamming the hospital. The Mail Online wrote of this palace 118 00:06:43,880 --> 00:06:47,680 Speaker 1: fury at the Australian radio pranksters. It described them as 119 00:06:48,080 --> 00:06:51,320 Speaker 1: and The Sun suggested that the hosts had quote flirted 120 00:06:51,360 --> 00:06:54,719 Speaker 1: with a charge of high treason by posing as the Queen. 121 00:06:55,320 --> 00:06:58,719 Speaker 2: So you have this situation where a prank call goes 122 00:06:58,880 --> 00:07:03,560 Speaker 2: horribly wrong yep, and then a massive fallout both for 123 00:07:03,800 --> 00:07:07,159 Speaker 2: staff at the hospital and then the broader media landscape 124 00:07:07,240 --> 00:07:10,440 Speaker 2: all around the world. What was the response like as 125 00:07:10,480 --> 00:07:14,560 Speaker 2: that was unfolding from the two hosts and their employer. 126 00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:18,240 Speaker 1: In a word, shattered, Christian and Greg did a series 127 00:07:18,280 --> 00:07:21,000 Speaker 1: of interviews at the time after the death of the nurse, 128 00:07:21,160 --> 00:07:23,720 Speaker 1: and you can see it on their faces. They were 129 00:07:23,880 --> 00:07:28,920 Speaker 1: incredibly distressed by what came to happen from what was 130 00:07:28,960 --> 00:07:33,720 Speaker 1: meant to be a silly prank. They said, they were shattered, gutted, heartbroken. 131 00:07:34,440 --> 00:07:38,200 Speaker 1: The duo apologized, but they did maintain and they have 132 00:07:38,320 --> 00:07:41,440 Speaker 1: continued to maintain over the years since, that the decision 133 00:07:41,480 --> 00:07:44,000 Speaker 1: to air the call was not up to them, that 134 00:07:44,240 --> 00:07:47,400 Speaker 1: senior decision makers at SEA were the ones that pushed 135 00:07:47,440 --> 00:07:50,440 Speaker 1: for the segment two go to air. The incident, as 136 00:07:50,440 --> 00:07:54,440 Speaker 1: you said, made global headlines. There was significant backlash and 137 00:07:54,680 --> 00:07:57,120 Speaker 1: most of that, it should be said, was directed at 138 00:07:57,160 --> 00:07:57,679 Speaker 1: the hosts. 139 00:07:57,760 --> 00:08:00,400 Speaker 2: And it's pretty fair to say that neither host has 140 00:08:00,680 --> 00:08:02,960 Speaker 2: worked in professional radio since. Right. 141 00:08:03,040 --> 00:08:05,360 Speaker 1: Well, it might surprise you actually to know that one 142 00:08:05,400 --> 00:08:09,040 Speaker 1: of them continued to work for SCA right up until 143 00:08:09,200 --> 00:08:09,920 Speaker 1: this year. 144 00:08:10,240 --> 00:08:12,080 Speaker 2: Okay, well, I want to talk about that in a 145 00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:15,160 Speaker 2: sec Why don't we go to the regulators now. So 146 00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:17,400 Speaker 2: you did say at the top that it was a 147 00:08:17,400 --> 00:08:20,920 Speaker 2: different regulatory landscape than it is on commercial radio today, 148 00:08:21,400 --> 00:08:24,680 Speaker 2: but there was still some investigation and reporting based on 149 00:08:24,760 --> 00:08:25,320 Speaker 2: what happened. 150 00:08:25,480 --> 00:08:29,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, there were a series of investigations from the regulatory 151 00:08:29,240 --> 00:08:32,199 Speaker 1: perspective and to see if there was any criminal wrongdoing. 152 00:08:32,559 --> 00:08:35,960 Speaker 1: So the media watchdog, that's the Australian Communications and Media 153 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:39,959 Speaker 1: Authority or AKMA, it found that the station Today FM 154 00:08:40,200 --> 00:08:44,720 Speaker 1: breached its broadcasting license by airing the call. Now these 155 00:08:44,760 --> 00:08:48,320 Speaker 1: findings might sound quite firm or serious, but they didn't 156 00:08:48,360 --> 00:08:54,760 Speaker 1: actually lead to any kind of tangible penalties. For SCA, 157 00:08:54,840 --> 00:08:59,040 Speaker 1: it was confronting the threat of losing its broadcast license, 158 00:08:59,160 --> 00:09:02,360 Speaker 1: so that can zone did loom large over these inquiries, 159 00:09:02,360 --> 00:09:05,800 Speaker 1: but ultimately AKMAR ruled that it would not take away 160 00:09:05,840 --> 00:09:09,720 Speaker 1: its broadcast license. But the aftermath of this that is 161 00:09:09,800 --> 00:09:12,360 Speaker 1: not written in a black and white regulation is that 162 00:09:12,480 --> 00:09:18,520 Speaker 1: broadcasters changed their approach because they were so rattled, jarred, 163 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:22,000 Speaker 1: scarred by what had happened from this call. So immediately 164 00:09:22,080 --> 00:09:26,400 Speaker 1: kind of prank calls became a massive taboo in commercial radio. 165 00:09:26,800 --> 00:09:30,440 Speaker 1: There was a coronial inquest in the UK into Saldana's 166 00:09:30,480 --> 00:09:33,440 Speaker 1: death right. It heard that she was left very upset 167 00:09:33,480 --> 00:09:37,280 Speaker 1: by the call, that she blamed herself in those days afterwards, 168 00:09:37,679 --> 00:09:40,240 Speaker 1: and her husband told the UK in quest that the 169 00:09:40,240 --> 00:09:42,320 Speaker 1: forty six year old mother of two did not have 170 00:09:42,400 --> 00:09:44,800 Speaker 1: a history of mental ill health before her death. 171 00:09:45,200 --> 00:09:46,760 Speaker 2: So that's quite a serious ton of events. 172 00:09:46,840 --> 00:09:47,040 Speaker 1: Yep. 173 00:09:47,720 --> 00:09:49,600 Speaker 2: Why are we talking about it this week? 174 00:09:50,160 --> 00:09:53,440 Speaker 1: So there is current legal action the cases back in 175 00:09:53,480 --> 00:09:58,040 Speaker 1: the headlines because Michael Christian, one of the radio duo 176 00:09:58,080 --> 00:10:02,400 Speaker 1: involved in the prank call, filed action in the federal court. Now, 177 00:10:02,559 --> 00:10:05,520 Speaker 1: as I mentioned earlier, that one of the hosts continued 178 00:10:05,520 --> 00:10:08,400 Speaker 1: working for SEA, So that's him. That was him. He 179 00:10:08,440 --> 00:10:11,680 Speaker 1: worked there until February this year. Mel greg actually left 180 00:10:11,720 --> 00:10:15,880 Speaker 1: the network shortly after the twenty twelve incident. Christian, though, 181 00:10:16,040 --> 00:10:18,640 Speaker 1: has now launched this legal action, alleging that he was 182 00:10:18,800 --> 00:10:22,760 Speaker 1: pressured into the prank call by the network. He claims 183 00:10:22,800 --> 00:10:26,000 Speaker 1: he became a scapegoat for the incident and that SCA 184 00:10:26,240 --> 00:10:30,040 Speaker 1: failed to support him during the intense period of backlash 185 00:10:30,120 --> 00:10:33,120 Speaker 1: that followed after Saldana's death and in the years of 186 00:10:33,160 --> 00:10:37,000 Speaker 1: inquiries and investigations that were subsequent. He also says that 187 00:10:37,040 --> 00:10:41,160 Speaker 1: this led to severe mental health issues and damaged his career. 188 00:10:41,600 --> 00:10:44,000 Speaker 2: So is this happening in the context of like an 189 00:10:44,160 --> 00:10:45,319 Speaker 2: unfair dismissal case? 190 00:10:45,640 --> 00:10:48,640 Speaker 1: Essentially, yes, So it's an action in the federal court 191 00:10:48,960 --> 00:10:53,400 Speaker 1: under a fair work claim. So Christian was made redundant 192 00:10:53,440 --> 00:10:56,719 Speaker 1: in February of this year, but he argues that the 193 00:10:56,800 --> 00:11:00,840 Speaker 1: termination was not genuine. He says that Southern crossholl Stereo 194 00:11:00,960 --> 00:11:05,720 Speaker 1: still requires someone to perform his role, that it's being backfilled, 195 00:11:06,000 --> 00:11:09,400 Speaker 1: and so his lawyers claim that that dismissal is in 196 00:11:09,480 --> 00:11:13,360 Speaker 1: breach of the Fair Work Act because redundancies are meant 197 00:11:13,360 --> 00:11:16,520 Speaker 1: to be in place if the role someone's performing is 198 00:11:16,559 --> 00:11:20,160 Speaker 1: no longer required. That Christian says is not the case 199 00:11:20,240 --> 00:11:21,480 Speaker 1: with his dismissal, And. 200 00:11:21,440 --> 00:11:25,080 Speaker 2: There's a lot of complicated law around how long the 201 00:11:25,120 --> 00:11:28,079 Speaker 2: position has to be empty for before a similar position 202 00:11:28,200 --> 00:11:31,160 Speaker 2: can be filled by the employer. Redundancy law takes up 203 00:11:31,200 --> 00:11:34,400 Speaker 2: a lot of the time of the Fair Work kind 204 00:11:34,440 --> 00:11:39,719 Speaker 2: of legal experts what specifically those Christian arguing about the 205 00:11:39,760 --> 00:11:43,240 Speaker 2: network's handling of the situation. Back in twenty twelve. 206 00:11:43,160 --> 00:11:47,560 Speaker 1: So, according to court documents seen by the Australian Associated Press, 207 00:11:47,760 --> 00:11:51,880 Speaker 1: Southern crosshold Stereo promised that it would support its hosts 208 00:11:51,960 --> 00:11:55,160 Speaker 1: through any controversies related to on air content. And I 209 00:11:55,200 --> 00:11:57,640 Speaker 1: suppose this speaks to the culture of twenty twelve radio 210 00:11:57,760 --> 00:12:00,320 Speaker 1: that a lot of stations were going for the kind 211 00:12:00,360 --> 00:12:03,320 Speaker 1: of shock value in their segments in the face of 212 00:12:03,400 --> 00:12:06,600 Speaker 1: kind of this uprising social media threat and people young 213 00:12:06,600 --> 00:12:10,600 Speaker 1: listeners especially kind of becoming disengaged. So hosts were made 214 00:12:10,600 --> 00:12:13,160 Speaker 1: to believe that they had the support of the network, 215 00:12:13,200 --> 00:12:16,640 Speaker 1: but Christian said, even though he really did believe SAA 216 00:12:16,679 --> 00:12:20,880 Speaker 1: would protect him, it instead let its presenters take the blame. 217 00:12:21,160 --> 00:12:23,440 Speaker 2: So that's really interesting because it's this sense of like 218 00:12:24,720 --> 00:12:27,679 Speaker 2: the executives, according to Christians, kind of saying to the hosts, 219 00:12:27,880 --> 00:12:29,440 Speaker 2: we know you're going to try some stuff on air 220 00:12:29,480 --> 00:12:32,160 Speaker 2: that's a bit red hot. Yeah, but we've got your back. 221 00:12:32,360 --> 00:12:36,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, but go for it. And Christian says basically he 222 00:12:36,480 --> 00:12:39,000 Speaker 1: had no choice about the call going to air, that 223 00:12:39,080 --> 00:12:41,839 Speaker 1: it was not his decision to do the segment or 224 00:12:41,920 --> 00:12:44,720 Speaker 1: run the segment, but that the broadcaster wanted to do that, 225 00:12:44,840 --> 00:12:47,080 Speaker 1: and he thought that that meant that they would stand 226 00:12:47,120 --> 00:12:51,319 Speaker 1: by him. According to the AAP reporting on the court documents, 227 00:12:51,400 --> 00:12:54,480 Speaker 1: Christians lawyers have told the court that Southern Cross OS 228 00:12:54,520 --> 00:12:58,960 Speaker 1: Stereo Quote did not immediately take public accountability for the incident, 229 00:12:59,200 --> 00:13:01,800 Speaker 1: but rather allowed mister Christian and miss greg to be 230 00:13:01,880 --> 00:13:07,160 Speaker 1: left exposed to relentless public vitriol, harassment, and abuse, including 231 00:13:07,320 --> 00:13:07,959 Speaker 1: death threats. 232 00:13:08,640 --> 00:13:12,200 Speaker 2: It's worth noting at the moment, those are all allegations 233 00:13:12,400 --> 00:13:15,080 Speaker 2: being leveled at the network. Have we heard from the 234 00:13:15,120 --> 00:13:17,760 Speaker 2: network in response to these? And also, I wonder if 235 00:13:17,800 --> 00:13:19,559 Speaker 2: we've heard from Mel Greg. 236 00:13:19,800 --> 00:13:23,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, well I can answer both of those questions for you, Sam, 237 00:13:23,480 --> 00:13:26,400 Speaker 1: We have actually heard from SCA. I reached out and 238 00:13:26,440 --> 00:13:28,840 Speaker 1: a spokesperson got back to me and said, as the 239 00:13:28,880 --> 00:13:31,160 Speaker 1: matter is currently before the courts, and out of respect 240 00:13:31,200 --> 00:13:33,760 Speaker 1: for the legal process and the privacy of those involved, 241 00:13:34,080 --> 00:13:36,960 Speaker 1: it would be inappropriate for us to comment at this time, 242 00:13:37,080 --> 00:13:39,840 Speaker 1: so kind of what we expect from a corporation during 243 00:13:39,920 --> 00:13:42,720 Speaker 1: ongoing legal proceedings. The matters are before the courts, so 244 00:13:42,760 --> 00:13:45,680 Speaker 1: there's not too much they can say right now. But 245 00:13:45,920 --> 00:13:48,760 Speaker 1: as for Mel Greg, we have also heard from her. 246 00:13:48,880 --> 00:13:52,319 Speaker 1: So she posted to her Instagram stories with a statement 247 00:13:52,400 --> 00:13:55,720 Speaker 1: saying she understands why her former colleague has chosen to 248 00:13:55,760 --> 00:13:58,520 Speaker 1: go down this path, and she said that she hopes 249 00:13:58,559 --> 00:14:01,920 Speaker 1: the continued attention on this tragic incident will lead to 250 00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:06,040 Speaker 1: quote substantial reforms in the way media produce content and 251 00:14:06,200 --> 00:14:09,400 Speaker 1: support their staff. She's been really candid over the last 252 00:14:09,400 --> 00:14:12,320 Speaker 1: decade about the impact this incident had on her mental health. 253 00:14:12,800 --> 00:14:15,640 Speaker 1: She has not really worked in radio or in the 254 00:14:15,679 --> 00:14:18,880 Speaker 1: media industry in the same way since and really this 255 00:14:19,160 --> 00:14:20,720 Speaker 1: changed the course of her life. 256 00:14:21,600 --> 00:14:25,280 Speaker 2: Listeners to this podcast are very familiar with the fact 257 00:14:25,320 --> 00:14:28,840 Speaker 2: that these court cases can take some time. What happens 258 00:14:28,880 --> 00:14:29,600 Speaker 2: next here. 259 00:14:29,560 --> 00:14:32,280 Speaker 1: Well, the matter is yet to appear before the court. 260 00:14:32,440 --> 00:14:36,040 Speaker 1: We're in our very early stages of proceedings. Basically, all 261 00:14:36,080 --> 00:14:38,120 Speaker 1: we know is that Michael Christian and his team have 262 00:14:38,280 --> 00:14:41,960 Speaker 1: lodged a submission to sue SCA to the federal court. 263 00:14:42,440 --> 00:14:47,280 Speaker 1: He is expected to seek compensation for economic loss and damages. 264 00:14:47,320 --> 00:14:49,680 Speaker 1: Now that will be relating to the twenty twelve prank 265 00:14:49,720 --> 00:14:53,400 Speaker 1: call incident. That will be also relating to Sea's handling 266 00:14:53,400 --> 00:14:56,960 Speaker 1: of the fallout, and now this fair work claim of 267 00:14:57,320 --> 00:15:01,480 Speaker 1: unfair dismissal. It is worth noting that Melgreg filed similar 268 00:15:01,520 --> 00:15:06,000 Speaker 1: proceedings against the network in twenty thirteen, but she agreed 269 00:15:06,040 --> 00:15:09,600 Speaker 1: to a private settlement following mediation talks led by the 270 00:15:09,600 --> 00:15:12,400 Speaker 1: Fair Work Commission. So there is some precedent of fair 271 00:15:12,440 --> 00:15:16,240 Speaker 1: work negotiations between these two parties, the host and the network. 272 00:15:16,360 --> 00:15:19,520 Speaker 1: We will never really know what happened in that settlement, 273 00:15:19,800 --> 00:15:23,640 Speaker 1: and even Melgreg, in her statement earlier this week, said 274 00:15:23,760 --> 00:15:27,160 Speaker 1: that she'll never really be able to talk about what happened, 275 00:15:27,320 --> 00:15:29,480 Speaker 1: but she does hope that some good comes from this 276 00:15:29,600 --> 00:15:30,640 Speaker 1: continued attention. 277 00:15:31,120 --> 00:15:35,160 Speaker 2: A really tragic case that's had lasting impacts, and despite 278 00:15:35,160 --> 00:15:37,120 Speaker 2: wins or losses in the court, I don't think there 279 00:15:37,120 --> 00:15:40,000 Speaker 2: really are any winners from this situation. I just want 280 00:15:40,040 --> 00:15:43,040 Speaker 2: to reiterate that helpline number one more time. If you 281 00:15:43,200 --> 00:15:45,840 Speaker 2: or anyone you know needs some help, you can contact 282 00:15:45,880 --> 00:15:51,400 Speaker 2: Lifeline anytime on thirteen eleven fourteen at thirteen eleven fourteen. 283 00:15:51,880 --> 00:15:53,960 Speaker 2: That's all we've got for you for today's deep dive. 284 00:15:54,080 --> 00:15:55,520 Speaker 2: Thank you so much for joining us. We're going to 285 00:15:55,600 --> 00:15:57,960 Speaker 2: be back in the afternoon with your headlines. Until then, 286 00:15:58,160 --> 00:16:04,600 Speaker 2: have a great day. My name is Lily Maddon and 287 00:16:04,640 --> 00:16:08,920 Speaker 2: I'm a proud Arunda Bunjelung Kalkadoon woman from Gadighl Country. 288 00:16:09,240 --> 00:16:12,360 Speaker 2: The Daily oz acknowledges that this podcast is recorded on 289 00:16:12,400 --> 00:16:14,880 Speaker 2: the lands of the Gadighl people and pays respect to 290 00:16:14,960 --> 00:16:18,280 Speaker 2: all Aboriginal and torrest Rate island and nations. We pay 291 00:16:18,320 --> 00:16:21,240 Speaker 2: our respects to the first peoples of these countries, both 292 00:16:21,320 --> 00:16:22,200 Speaker 2: past and present.