Adelaide's Mel Greig parts ways with Austereo a year after royal prank call
EMBATTLED radio host Mel Greig has quit, parting ways with Southern Cross Austereo almost a year after the infamous royal radio prank call which forced her off air.
EMBATTLED radio host Mel Greig has quit, parting ways with Southern Cross Austereo almost a year after the infamous royal radio prank call which forced her off air.
A joint statement says said both parties have "amicably resolved all aspects of their dispute arising from the royal hoax call".
On December 5 last year, Greig and on-air co-host Michael Christian made a prank call to the London hospital where the then-pregnant Duchess of Cambridge was being treated for morning sickness.
The nurse who put through the call, Jacintha Saldanha, later took her own life, the incident resulting in an inquest which has been delayed several times and is yet to take place.
The radio pair, who in the infamous call impersonated the Queen and Prince Charles, went off air immediately after the incident.
While Christian returned to the airwaves in early February to broadcast from Melbourne, Adelaide-born Greig in July lodged a general protections claim with the Fair Work Commission against her employer for "failing to maintain a safe workplace''.
Greig has been employed by Austereo since the prank-call incident, but but has not returned to broadcasting.
Greig and Austereo will part company officially on December 31, the statement says.
The statement also addressed the process which resulted in the prank call being put to air last year.
"Southern Cross Austereo has at all times taken complete responsibility for the hoax call and the company maintains its view that the recording and broadcast of the call was not unlawful," it reads.
Greig's role in the prank going to air is also a focus of the statement.
"Mel Greig wishes to make it clear that as an announcer she was not responsible for the decision to broadcast the hoax call," it reads.
"Prior to the call being broadcast she made suggestions for changes to be made to the recording of the call. 2Day FM (Austereo's Sydney station) decided that the call should be broadcast without alteration.''
The Advertiser also understands that Greig and boyfriend and former SANFL footballer Steven Pollock have moved back to Adelaide.
While Greig has maintained her silence over the past 12 months, sources close to the 31 year old have said she was left devastated by the fallout from the prank call, prompting her to apply to appear at the inquest into Ms Saldanha's death.
In the statement, both the broadcaster and Greig offer their condolences to the Saldanha family. "Southern Cross Austereo greatly regrets the unforeseeable tragic aftermath of the call and the company and all of its people remain deeply saddened by the death of Jacintha Saldanha," the statement reads.
"Southern Cross Austereo has contributed a substantial amount to a trust which was recently established to assist Ms Saldanha's family."Mel Greig also wishes to pass on her personal condolences and regrets to the Saldanha family.
The Adelaide DJ still intends to contribute to the UK inquest.
"Mel Greig intends to provide a statement to the UK Coroner's inquest and Southern Cross Austereo will continue to fully co-operate with the inquest," the statement adds.
Neither Austereo nor Greig are commenting further on the matter.
Austereo remains embroiled in legal action with the Australian Communications and Media Authority regarding the prank call. Last month the Federal Court ruled in favour of ACMA who want to investigate whether the radio station breached a condition of its licence by recording and broadcasting the infamous call to London's King Edward VII Hospital.
However, on November 19 the broadcaster lodged an appeal to the full Federal Court with a hearing date for that matter yet to be set.
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