Page 13: Nine’s Melbourne newsroom ‘bloody pissed off’ at Peter Costello shove

In between the Darren Wick and Peter Costello scandals, it’s been a tough few weeks at Nine Entertainment — and staff in the Melbourne newsroom aren’t happy.

The past few weeks at Nine Entertainment went from bad to worse.

But Nine chairman Peter Costello’s shoulder barge on a journalist on Thursday night was seen by many as simply stupid.

Suffice to say the talent and crew in Nine’s Melbourne newsroom are not happy.

“Bloody pissed off” was how one insider at the beleaguered news stable put it.

“An unnecessary distraction” was perhaps more eloquent from another.

It’s understood Nine’s Melbourne news director Hugh Nailon spoke to the news team informally on Friday morning about the “tough few weeks” the network has faced and fielding questions about Costello’s apparent and “extraordinary” shove.

Peter Costello pushed The Australian reporter Liam Mendes to the ground at Canberra Airport with an ‘extraordinary’ shove. Picture: The Australian

Page 13 is hearing many within Nine’s local newsroom feel they are being unfairly tarnished with the “toxic culture” brush saying it’s not how things are done in Melbourne.

The embattled news network has been in the headlines day after day over its handling of sexual harassment complaints against former Nine news director Darren Wick.

Many of Nine’s heavy hitters, including Nailon, were in Canberra on Thursday night for the opening of its shiny new bureau.

Recently appointed Managing Director for Publishing Tory Maguire and Wick’s replacement, new Director of News and Current Affairs Fiona Dear, spoke to the crowd with the conversation clearly about moving the dial forward.

But all that goodwill and any thoughts of kumbaya quickly evaporated after Costello was grilled at the Canberra airport, with the former Coalition treasurer accused of assaulting a journalist from The Australian he shoved out of the way.

“We are proud of the culture we have in Melbourne,” said one insider.