Nine staff open up on newsroom ‘cockroach’: ‘rattled and disappointed’ over victory laps for Wickie

In the wake of claims against Channel 9’s former news boss ­Darren Wick, the network’s CEO has told staff that inappropriate behaviour would not be tolerated and should be reported internally.

An all-staff email from Nine boss Mike Sneesby was distributed on Wednesday afternoon urging employees to speak to their business leader, human resources or any of the leadership team with any concerns.

“It is important for everyone at Nine to know that we don’t tolerate inappropriate behaviour in the workplace and want to know if there is inappropriate behaviour occurring, so that it can be addressed promptly,” the email from Sneesby read.

“Making a complaint about inappropriate conduct will not be damaging to your career — if you feel that you have been victimised because you have made a complaint about an issue, you should raise that with the senior leaders of our business or with People and Culture.

“Our guidelines on conduct in the workplace and how we manage complaints about workplace issues are on our intranet.

Former Channel 9 news director Darren Wick at the station’s former Willougby headquarters.

“I encourage you to raise any concerns you may have about behaviour in the workplace, to ensure Nine is a safe and supportive place for all of us to work in.

“We have all been involved in developing our purpose and values which need to guide the way we turn up each day.”

Sneesby did not mention Wick by name, referencing simply the media attention to Nine’s “internal processes and policies regarding complaints about conduct in the workplace”.

It is understood employees attached to the News and Current Affairs division have held discussions on Wednesday regarding the allegations levelled at their former long-time boss.

It comes after The Daily Telegraph on Wednesday morning revealed that senior current and former Channel 9 employees have spoken out against a culture they claim allowed the network’s former news boss ­Darren Wick to behave inappropriately and get away with it for many years.

Nine staff open up on newsroom ‘cockroach’

On Tuesday, speaking on the basis of anonymity, household names from TV and those working ­behind the scenes detailed extraordinary allegations to The Daily Telegraph about what went on in one of Australia’s biggest newsrooms.

“Everybody, women in particular, has experienced it. Not anything as serious as a physical assault, but a culture that makes it difficult for you to do your work,” one woman said.

“The women have actually been very united and supportive of each other.

“He (Wick) has been very divisive … it has been difficult for women to work with and under him, they have not been happy. At one stage we were calling him a cockroach and saying he is impossible to (metaphorically) kill.

“He was just someone we had to work around in our professional lives.”

Nine has this week been accused of covering up allegations its former director of news and current affairs behaved inappropriately towards women.

The allegations come at a time of great upheaval in Australian TV news after a Channel 7 executive producer resigned following allegations about the tactics used to secure an interview with Bruce Lehrmann.

Then Channel 9 news chief Darren Wick (centre) with his lawyer (left) leaving Hornsby local court, where Wick was charged over high-range drink driving. Picture: Damian Shaw

That same saga saw Channel 10 and Lisa Wilkinson come under criticism.

Wick resigned from his post on March 15 this year after 29 years at Nine, citing at the time his reason as being “tired”. The explanation around Wick’s departure is said to have infuriated staff and, even since his exit, he has been sighted at Nine’s North Sydney headquarters.

“A lot of us are very rattled and disappointed,” one said. “He left after a long stint of unexplained leave because he was tired and wanted a break. As recently as two weeks ago, he was in the newsroom basically doing a victory lap and out to dinner with all of the news directors. It is quite upsetting. You could say 1 Denison Street (Nine’s Sydney offices) is in meltdown today.”

Wick infamously made headlines in October 2020, when a long lunch and work drinks for 60 Minutes led to him being arrested for driving four times over the legal alcohol limit.

On Monday, The Australian confirmed Wick’s departure followed allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards a female staff member, and that an external legal firm was brought in to investigate the complaint. It is understood while the complaint was new, it related to an incident that ­occurred some years ago.

The Daily Telegraph spoke to more than a dozen current and former Nine employees on Tuesday, all of whom would not be quoted by name for fear of retribution.

“I’ve witnessed him at Logies and Christmas parties full of too much alcohol, which he freely admits, and being a bit friendlier with women than he should have been,” another woman said.

Darren Wick.

Outside court.

“He had been at Nine for such a long time under the old-school regime of dealing with people, which just doesn’t cut it in the modern era.

“Where you would be in contract negotiations with him, looking at your future or career progression or where you might be going within the ­organisation and were just treated in a very bizarre way – like hot and cold.

“You were in favour and then you weren’t, which was not a reflection of your performance or your abilities. It was just the whim of that person (Wick) and how he wanted to treat you at that time.”

Another former staffer spoke of a Nine News Christmas Party at the Woolly Bay Hotel, where Wick allegedly attempted to kiss a female staff member.

“The next day it was all a joke, like who did Wickie try to kiss last night? Looking back at it objectively, it was just unhealthy and toxic that environment.”

Making a formal complaint was not an option, one Nine source said.

“I wouldn’t for a second have thought to complain, you’d lose your job,” they said.

“Which gives someone like Wickie a s...load of power.”

The Daily Telegraph has attempted to contact Wicks for a comment.
A Channel 9 spokesperson said they had no comment on the matter.

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