Network Ten has lashed out at Fairfax over a story which says “staff are facing the axe”, labelling it “misleading, completely false and a total beat-up”.

Ten has this morning sent a comment from its director of public and corporate affairs, Neil Shoebridge, to the media in response to Fairfax’s ‘Channel Ten staff facing the axe’ report.

The report, which includes comments from Ten chief executive Hamish McLennan, quotes sources who said they have been instructed to cut costs by 10% under a “Cost Out Program”.

According to the report, McLennan would not comment on possible redundancies but confirmed the network wants to run “as leanly as possible”.

To read the full Fairfax story click here.

Shoebridge’s full statement:

“The article is misleading, completely false and a total beat-up. There is no widespread “cost out program”. There is no cost reduction target. There are no plans to make staff redundant.

Hamish McLennan talked to the Fairfax reporter, who chose to ignore the vast majority of what he said. Instead, the reporter went with a string of comments from un-named sources.

As discussed during the release of Ten Network’s full-year financial results on October 17, we are always looking for ways to improve efficiencies and remove un-necessary costs – as are most companies across many industries. The strict cost control program that started in 2011 is continuing.

But that does not mean there is a new cost-cutting program. It does not mean we are planning to reduce staff numbers. That was explained to the Fairfax reporter, who ignored those facts is favour of a cheap, sensationalised headline and story.