With this week’s news that Network Ten had gone into voluntary administration it’s been revealed the mood at the troubled broadcaster is so bad that when the inevitable cost cutting comes there’ll be a “rush for the exits” for staffers wanting a redundancy.
Despite claims by Ten bosses it’s “business as usual”, a report on Fairfax Media today painted a rather bleak picture of staff fearful for their jobs under increasing cost cutting. Those staffers who did speak to Fairfax with the guarantee of anonymity didn’t even want the states they worked in revealed for fear of repercussions by management.
“This isn’t a normal redundancy round. Our company is in administration. We’re genuinely worried about our futures,” one staffer revealed.
Meanwhile, media and Ten personality, Amanda Keller, has lashed commentators who’ve rejoiced in the network’s woes during the week and cheered the bad news that the network’s talent may be on the chopping block.
Keller, who hosts Ten’s The Living Room, told her WSFM radio program this morning “that a new buyer will come and they’ll be an internal restructure, but it won’t affect any of the programs you see.”
However, Keller lashed those who’d rejoiced in the network’s woes: “These are jobs, these are people, these are people paying rent, paying mortgages, paying school fees, who have lives These are their jobs and their careers, but it is business as normal at Channel Ten, so on we go.”
In a further development, Sarah Harris, a presenter on Ten’s morning show Studio 10, took the unusual step of issuing a statement urging politicians to back the new media reforms and issued a rebuke of Labour and the Greens for opposing them and threatening local media jobs.
“The world is changing and these laws need to change to ensure our TV screens keep bringing local stories to life and keep thousands of Australians employed,” Harris said.
“Currently Labor, the Greens and One Nation oppose the laws. Today we call on Bill Shorten, Pauline Hanson and the Greens to reconsider their positions and support local jobs.
“Politicians have been warned of the dire consequences if media laws aren’t changed, and yesterday those predictions were proven correct. It’s now more important than ever that you make these changes before it’s too late. To all of our viewers who’ve been in contact, thank you for your lovely messages, but don’t worry, we’re not going anywhere.”
However, The Australian is today reporting that One Nation is shifting its position on the media reforms and could vote in favour of them if the two-out-of-three rule was watered down.
According to the report, One Nation senator Brian Burston has suggested a new “three-out-of-four rule” which would allow media operators to own a radio, TV and newspaper company but not, for example, a cable television network.
It looks unlikely that Labour nor the Greens will shift their opposition on the reforms – despite widespread approval from the media industry in general – and the government will need the support of the four One Nation senators to get the bill passed.
