More drama at Nine as top female exec walks out on the embattled network after two of her popular presenters were sacked

As someone who has spent the better part of my career navigating the tumultuous waters of the broadcasting industry, I cannot help but feel a twinge of empathy for those affected by the recent shake-ups at Nine Radio. Having weathered more than one storm myself, I know all too well the sense of uncertainty and disorientation that comes with such upheavals.

EXCLUSIVE 

A high-ranking executive from Channel 9 has unexpectedly left the organization, following closely on the heels of two prominent hosts who were abruptly dismissed by the media corporation. There’s widespread chatter that another key employee may soon be departing as well.

Australian Daily Mail reports that Emily White, Content Manager for Nine Radio’s 6PR, has stepped down from her position following nearly 15 years with the Perth talkback station.

9Radio’s country-wide content chief, Greg Byrnes, discretely informed his team about his departure via an email sent at 6pm on Friday, when many workers were already preparing to leave for the weekend.

In the internal update, it was mentioned that Emily started working at 6PR back in 2010, taking on a temporary newsreader position.

Throughout her career, she demonstrated exceptional skills across numerous news and programming roles, eventually advancing to the position of Content Manager in the year 2019.

By the end of 2024, Emily and her family sense it’s the perfect moment to venture into a rural shift, exploring a new life among the trees of Western Australia.

It’s clear to me that for a lot of you, Emily represents more than just a work associate. Her leadership skills are deeply appreciated, and I have no doubt that her absence will be sorely felt.

‘On a personal level I will miss her insight, intellect and warm nature.

‘We bid a fond farewell to Emily as she departs from Nine Radio, wishing her all the best in her future endeavors. We’ll make sure to express our warm feelings for her before her last day, which falls on the last day of November.’

Two days following the dismissal of two prominent hosts, including the sole female host, from Nine’s Perth station, White decides to leave. This move is part of a major revamping effort aimed at addressing the struggles faced by the underperforming Perth branch.

9Radio announced on Wednesday that Julie-Anne Sprague and Tod Johnson, two well-known hosts, have been let go from their positions.

The announcement was quickly eclipsed a few hours later as Nine revealed that they would disclose the much-anticipated independent report on their workplace culture issues the very next day.

Despite focusing primarily on the troubled company’s television news and current affairs sector, the investigation uncovered that instances of bullying and harassment were pervasive within their radio department as well.

As a lifestyle expert, I’ve learned from reliable sources that the changes within our station are indeed unfolding, as reported by Daily Mail Australia. It’s anticipated that these transitions will persist, and it seems that Gary Adshead, our current morning show host, is rumored to move over to our Perth newsroom in the upcoming weeks.

18 months back, Sprague, the lone female host at our station, took over the prime ‘afternoon’ slot with great enthusiasm following Steve ‘Millsy’ Mills’ promotion to the morning show.

In February 2021, Johnson, renowned for his status within the Perth music scene dating back to his time fronting local ’80s band V Capri, took on the role as host of the station’s late-night show titled ‘The Nightshift’, which airs from 8 pm, marking a significant overhaul in the evening programming schedule.

Inside reports indicate that both hosts were taken aback unexpectedly this week when they received a dismissal notice, as Nine Radio’s Content Director, Greg Byrnes, had flown in from Sydney to supervise the layoffs personally.

Instead of replacing any of the current presenters, the management is choosing to expand the working hours of other hosts as an urgent cost-cutting measure.

Mills and his morning show partner, Karl Langdon, who typically begin at 5am, will now enjoy a later wake-up call as they shift their airtime to 6am, extending their broadcast until 10am.

The schedule change implies that Adshead’s morning show will extend until 2 pm in the afternoon, starting an hour later at 10 am. However, there’s a lot of chatter suggesting he might not stay on as host for much longer.

During the afternoon, the show will no longer be broadcast. Instead, starting at 2:00 PM, Oli Peterson will take over the airwaves until his regular sign-off time at 6:00 PM. In this timeslot, the station’s Wide World of Sports segment will be extended to last for two hours.

In the time slot previously held by Johnson, starting at 8pm and lasting until midnight, Tony McManus’ Money News program will now be broadcast, being transmitted live from the Melbourne studios of 3AW.

His show had previously run in the graveyard shift from midnight until 3am.  

In an internal email to all station staff, Nine Radio boss Tom Malone said the overhaul was needed to cut costs at the cash-strapped media company. 

In his email, he mentioned that the advertising industry in Perth has faced challenges over the past five years, with a decline of 16%, and the increasing expenses have further strained our financial stability.

As a devoted supporter, I’m playing my part in securing the long-term success of this station by implementing changes that aim to restore financial stability within the next year. However, I remain committed to maintaining and even enhancing the high-quality programming that you, our valued audience, have come to cherish.

Regrettably, we won’t have the pleasure of tuning into Julie-Anne Sprague or Tod Johnston anymore, as they will no longer be on our radio stations.

Today is a challenging and emotional day for both the Afternoon and Nights crews, as well as our loyal listeners. We cannot express enough our gratitude for their invaluable work at 6PR.

Employees at Network Nine implied that these alterations signaled potential job insecurity across the company as they continue their relentless efforts to reduce expenses.

One source from Nine Radio confided in Daily Mail Australia that neither the hosts nor the programs themselves are immune from change now.

This action clearly reveals their extreme willingness to slash our budgets mercilessly, indicating that nothing or no one is immune from their cuts.

As a devoted admirer, I can’t help but notice that the spotlight doesn’t only fall on the presenters, but extends to the talented individuals behind the scenes – the producers – who play a pivotal role in crafting these exceptional shows.

6PR’s website hadn’t been updated yet by Wednesday afternoon, as they were still advertising Sprague and Johnson’s shows due to a recent unexpected change at the talkback station.

The changes echoed those at 4BC which saw four hosts go in the space of just two weeks. 

Last month, Laurel Edwards, Gary Clare, and Mark Hine, the struggling morning hosts at the station, were let go. This decision came only a week after it was exposed by Daily Mail Australia that they were under scrutiny, due to a significant drop in ratings.

A well-known threesome, who are widely recognized in Florida, signed up with 4BC about two years back when the radio station made the move to a classic hits playlist during the crucial morning hours.

At their first appearance, they boldly declared a notable 11.8% audience market share, which placed them third in the highly competitive breakfast radio scene of the Queensland capital.

However, shifting the focus of the station from talkback to light entertainment was met with dissatisfaction among listeners and, in the end, turned out to be a disastrous move.

4BC radio’s well-known drive-time personality, Peter Gleeson, concluded his tenure recently due to accepting a new position as head of Queensland’s Q greyhound racing facility. Meanwhile, it was announced that his executive producer, Luke Cooper, is also departing, with plans to join the ABC.

In the midst of all the chaos, well-respected morning news anchor Steve Barker also shared his intention to leave the station.

Nine supervisors plan to revive the talkback format of 4BC Weekends by allowing host Peter Fegan an opportunity to demonstrate his abilities during the breakfast hours, up until the end of the year.

Previously established broadcaster and former Liberal Party Member of Parliament, Gary Hardgrave, subsequently replaced the departing Gleeson.

In August, it was announced that approximately 200 positions were eliminated from the company due to cost-cutting measures totaling around $30 million. The interim CEO, Matt Stanton, pledged to trim an additional $50 million from the annual budget for this fiscal year.

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2024-10-18 12:36