Lisa Wilkinson: Her Today timeline
LISA Wilkinson arrived in dramatic and controversial circumstances in 2007 and left the same way last Monday as either a victim of the Nine’s ruthless management style or as a triumphant defector to Ten.
Confidential
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LISA Wilkinson arrived in dramatic and controversial circumstances in 2007 and left the same way last Monday as either a victim of the Nine Network’s ruthless management style or as a triumphant defector to the Ten Network.
Or as history will likely remember, both.
May 2007 — On May 6, 2007, Channel 9 announce incumbent Today show host Jessica Rowe would not return to the program from her maternity leave after a year in the job.
Her departure capped a bruising 11 month period for Rowe after a news executive who was poached from 9 to Channel 7 revealed in an affidavit that Nine’s CEO, game show host Eddie McGuire, declared he wanted to “bone” (sack) Rowe due to her poor chemistry with co-host Karl Stefanovic.
On May 10, 2007, three days after Rowe’s departure, 9 announce it has hired the host of the Seven Network’s Weekend Sunrise program, Lisa Wilkinson, to the job. Wilkinson’s appointment announcement dramatically coincides with the on-air collapse of Rowe’s maternity leave fill-in, Kellie Connolly. One week later on May 17, CEO McGuire steps down (“not sacked” he later tells media).
September 2007
Former 9 CEO David Gyngell confirms he is returning to the job.
September 2008
Possibly frustrated that his female co-host is earning more money — she is said to have been hired on a $800,000 contract, four times the money offered Stefanovic on $200,000 — Stefanovic meets with rival Channel 7 boss David Leckie to consider opportunities across the dial. 7 later issues a statement after word gets leaks that Stefanovic dined with Leckie: “(Karl) expressed his desire to join us in a private meeting with David Leckie. Karl saw his future being at Seven. He signed an agreement on terms. Nine matched that offer. We have moved on. Quickly.”
A back-pedalling Stefanovic, who Leckie would say cried during their talks, later denied the meeting had taken place but confirmed negotiations: “Seven made a great offer but ultimately I am loyal to Nine and the Gyng. I’m more than happy here. It’s as simple as that.”
His loyalty is believed to have cost Nine around $500,000 bringing his contract up to around $700,0000.
► Lisa Wilkinson’s gutsy move part of new wave
► Lisa: I’ll shine with my new show
► Karl: We’re bigger than just Lisa
► Nine left shocked by Lisa’s bloodhound
December 2008
Wilkinson and Stefanovic start hosting Carols by Candlelight. They host together until 2012 when David Campbell replaces Stefanovic and continues in the role until 2016.
May 2009
Stefanovic appears drunk on air after the Logie Awards
2010
Wilkinson joins Stefanovic and Laurie Oakes as the hosts of Nine’s election coverage from Canberra.
2011
After strong campaigning from Channel Nine, Stefanovic wins two Logie Awards — Gold for Most Popular Personality and Silver for Most Popular Presenter. He is made a contributor to Nine’s prestigious 60 Minutes and also is appointed host of A Current Affair Sunday edition. The newspapers speculate he has had a contract hike to $850,000+.
April 2012
Wilkinson again joins Stefanovic and Laurie Oakes as the hosts of Nine’s election coverage.
October 2012
As Today’s ratings inch closer to Seven’s Sunrise ratings, a new executive producer, Neil Breen, is appointed to replace outgoing EP Tom Malone who moves to 60 Minutes.
December 2012
Wilkinson’s contract due for renewal.
2013
Rumours circulate Wilkinson is frustrated network bosses are favouring Stefanovic over her.
In their drive to boost his news credibility, possibly to help him make a future move to 60 Minutes, Stefanovic is given the lion’s share of political interviews. He repeatedly interviews PM Tony Abbott, Wilkinson is left to do the light lifting. She is capable of more and demonstrates it when she does finally score an interview.
September 2013 — Wilkinson walks off the set of Today for 45 minutes after Stefanovic has a dig at her. After Stefanovic plugs an upcoming appearance on The Footy Show, Wilkinson follows suit and promotes her own appearance reading a news bulletin on Nine.
Stefanovic takes a swipe: “You didn’t have to do that.” She retreats to her dressing room furious.
It is the first outward sign of tensions building behind the scenes under the stewardship of EP Breen.
Soon after Breen is moved out of Today and replaced by current EP Mark Calvert. The ratings reflect the instability.
Meanwhile rumours surface that no-nonsense newsreader Georgie Gardner is fatigued by Stefanovic’s increasingly blokey antics on the show.
May 2014
Gardner leaves the program after seven years saying she wants to spend more time with her children.
November 2014
Ben Fordham leaves to concentrate on radio 2GB commitments
August 2015
Following an approach from Arianna Huffington, co-founder of HuffPost Australia, an offshoot of The Huffington Post, Wilkinson is offered the role of Editor-At-Large of the local publishing outfit. Nine CEO Gyngell encourages her to take the job and gives permission to the association.
September 2015
Stefanovic starts shooting his own tonight show, The Verdict, airdate 2016. It survives one short season.
November 2015
Gyngell steps down as CEO Nine after negotiating Wilkinson’s latest and last contract at 9, worth a reported $1.1 million.
Nine’s outgoing CEO refuses to sign off on Stefanovic’s new contract before departing and leaves it to incoming CEO Hugh Marks. Complicating Stefanovic’s contract are talks he is once more having with 7. Stefanovic is offered $2 million to jump ship to 7. Chairman Kerry Stokes signs off on a deal said to have included, at Stefanovic’s request, a zero interest home loan.
December 2015
Stefanovic re-signs with Today for three more years at $2 million-a-year plus bonuses, a fee that is twice Wilkinson’s new $1.1 million-a-year income.
July 2016
Nine’s election coverage hosted by Wilkinson, Stefanovic and Laurie Oakes.
That same month CEO Marks appoints the former editor of The Australian Women’s Weekly Helen McCabe as the Head of Lifestyle for Nine Entertainment Co’s lifestyle verticals 9Honey, 9Coach and 9Kitchen. She answers to Nine Entertainment Co’s chief digital officer Alex Parsons.
During her six-year tenure at The Weekly, McCabe favoured Georgie Gardner and Samantha Armytage as covergirls and featured Wilkinson on the cover only once, in February 2010.
Throughout 2016 Today consistently out-rates its rival Sunrise in the big cities. Nine claims the year in October. Seven threatens legal action and claims Sunrise won the year.
September 2016
Stefanovic leaves his wife and Today ratings plummet. He takes two months off.
July 2017
Stefanovic launches his latest prime time show, This Time Next Year.
Approx May 2017
Nine bosses Hugh Marks and Darren Wicks begin new contract talks with Wilkinson.
July 2017
Wilkinson breaks arm in Italy while on holidays. Reports later surface that Marks is angry she gives the story to HuffPost.com over Nine.
August 2017
Wilkinson signs as ambassador to Nutra-Life
September 2017
Helen McCabe promoted to role of Digital Content Director reporting to Marks.
September 13, 2017
Wilkinson does a cross to Channel 10’s The Project as a guest commentator to discuss Rebel Wilson’s defamation suit against Bauer Media.
Nine’s Darren Wick gives permission for the interview.
October 7, 2017
Wilkinson and her husband Peter FitzSimons renew their wedding vows. She posts it to her social media account. It is said to have irritated Nine’s digital execs.
October 11, 2017
Wilkinson misses Nine’s Up Fronts 2018 season programming launch due to it coinciding with her second honeymoon. A 9 spokeswoman said there was no need for her to return from her holiday in Byron Bay for the event, confirming Wilkinson had offered.
October 16, 2017
5pm Monday, October 16 — Channel Nine boss Hugh Marks convenes a meeting with Wilkinson’s agent Nick Fordham to say they are not renewing Wilkinson’s contract. Time has expired. They refuse Wilkinson’s request to close the gender pay gap.
They will pay her contract to the end of the year. She will not be allowed to appear on the show and farewell viewers or colleagues.
7.56pm — Wilkinson Tweets: “I’m sad to say that today was my last day on Today show” and attaches a statement from 9 CEO Hugh Marks confirming: “We have been unable to meet the expectations of Lisa Wilkinson and her manager.” Marks the next day puts a dollar figure on those alleged expectations, $2.3 million.
9pm — A statement from the Ten Network announces “Lisa Wilkinson Joins Network Ten.” It states she will host The Sunday Project from January 2018 and join the panel on The Project part-time.
October 17, 2017
The following day Marks states Wilkinson’s HuffPost.com contract was in conflict with 9’s plans to access all “rights” to Wilkinson across its digital and social platforms including, he specifies, 9Honey.com, digital boss Helen McCabe’s baby.
He states also that Wilkinson’s commercial deal with HuffPost.com and others (not stated but understood be Nutra-Life, Audi and Canon) limit Nine’s access to Wilkinson who he states asked for $2.3 million in pay negotiations, not $2 million. The $2.3 million was disputed by a source close to Wilkinson yesterday.