A host and the executive producer of Seven’s Sunrise have both issued apologies to the ABC after it was accused of stealing footage from the public broadcaster’s 4 Corners program.
ABC reporter Mark Willacy yesterday called out Sunrise on Twitter for using footage from the Four Corners special on the recent Thailand cave rescue without attributing it properly.
Channel 7 has ripped off all of our @4corners interviews…no attribution…and no shame https://t.co/bI5wvQ1qFX
— Mark Willacy (@markwillacy) July 17, 2018
B&T understands Sunrise’s on-screen graphics erroneously covered the ABC watermark in an early cross yesterday, and was corrected for all subsequent crosses.
However, that didn’t stop ABC employees from putting their own two cents in about Sunrise’s error, forcing EP Michael Pell to go on the defensive.
It seems to be becoming accepted practice. They should be ashamed.
— Juanita Phillips (@Juanita_Phillip) July 17, 2018
It’s not acceptable. It was an error.
— Michael Pell (@MichaelPell) July 17, 2018
Theft is intentional. This was not. It was corrected this morning. We move on.
— Michael Pell (@MichaelPell) July 17, 2018
Even respected Fairfax investigative journo Kate McLymont had something to say about it.
“Daily Mail of TV” possibly worst insult ever. It was a genuine error. Supers covered ABC watermark. Corrected on air and I’ve apologised to all. Won’t be happening again. Our policy remains – full attribution.
— Michael Pell (@MichaelPell) July 17, 2018
Pell wasn’t the only one from the Sunrise team to apologise for the blunder, with news presenter Edwina Bartholomew (pictured above) also taking to Twitter.
Our use of @4corners#ThaiCave special without attribution was unacceptable. I raised concerns yesterday morning that there was no watermark on screen. This mistake was fixed but it is still not good enough. @markwillacy and @lucethoughts did extraordinary work. My apologies.
— Edwina Bartholomew (@edwina_b) July 17, 2018
A Seven spokesperson decline to comment further when contacted by B&T.
And while it was brought to B&T’s attention that the ABC used some footage from the BBC in the 4 Corners episode (roughly nine seconds), it was in accordance with the arrangement between the two networks, according to an ABC spokesperson.
