Channel 7 reporter Robert Ovadia stood down without a single complaint filed: Lawyer

Channel 7 stood down veteran reporter Robert Ovadia without receiving any complaints from colleagues, his lawyer John Laxon has told Annette Sharp.

Channel 7 stood down veteran reporter Robert Ovadia without receiving a complaint from colleagues, according to his lawyer John Laxon.

Responding to a list of questions put to Laxon concerning his client, the workplace and media specialist said: “No one has made a complaint about Robert Ovadia”.

The comment stands in stark contrast to a statement issued by Seven on Friday in which it said it was investigating “allegations of inappropriate behaviour” concerning the TV reporter.

Ovadia was last sighted in Seven’s newsroom six days ago when he turned up for his regular Sunday shift.

The veteran crime and court reporter was soon after told by news bosses to take immediate personal leave.

Sources say Ovadia was blindsided by the instruction.

The 50-something newsman has strenuously denied the ­allegations.

Channel 7 journalist Robert Ovadia has vehemently denied allegations of inappropriate behaviour in the workplace.

“Any suggestion I have been inappropriate at any time is false, malicious and will be defended,” he said on Friday.

Laxon told The Saturday Telegraph Ovadia was on leave while Seven conducted an in-house investigation into alleged workplace behaviour.

Last night a network spokesman was quick to deny Seven’s latest news director Anthony De Ceglie, who has been in the role five weeks, triggered the investigation after reacting nervously to industry reports claiming the ABC’s Four Corners program had started to investigate the culture at Seven.

A spokeswoman for the ABC yesterday refused to comment on whether Four Corners reporter Louise Milligan had Seven in her sights.

One Seven insider last night claimed Ovadia was a “sacrificial lamb” in Seven’s “newly woke” newsroom.

Director of news and current affairs Craig McPherson exited in April. Picture: Supplied

Spotlight executive producer Mark Llewellyn on December 30, 2020. Source: Instagram.

The investigation into Ovadia coincides with the departure on Thursday of Seven’s Sydney newsroom chief-of-staff Andrew Frampton, who has run Seven’s news desk for six years. There is no suggestion of wrongdoing by Frampton, who Seven said left amicably and on “good terms”.

The departure of Frampton and investigation into Ovadia have further rocked Seven’s already destabilised newsroom, which had been reeling since the shock departure of veteran news boss Craig McPherson in April.

The exits of McPherson, Spotlight boss Mark Llewellyn and Seven’s head of commercial Bruce McWilliam — all of whom were on corpulent six-figure incomes — has wiped millions from Seven’s costs and it’s claimed the pursuit of cost-cutting, rather than culture cleansing, has spurred the latest newsroom actions.

Last night former Seven staffers had begun offering their support to Ovadia.

“Rob Ovadia has been one of my biggest supporters throughout my journalism career,” said former Seven producer Kristy Coulcher

“His respectful, honest and kind nature made him not only a reliable mentor but also a good friend.

“Rob’s conduct was exemplary. He was a true gentleman to me and to the many young women we worked with.”

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