Chris Janz the latest Fairfax chief out Nine’s door

Chris Janz, the chief digital and publishing officer at Nine, has tendered his resignation, and will leave within a couple of months.

Chris Janz was understood to be deeply disappointed at missing out on the top job at Nine. Picture: Kym Smith

Influential figures from Fairfax Media have now all but disappeared from the ranks of senior management within Nine Entertainment Co, with one of the last executives to have ties with the former publishing company quitting just three years after the merger between the two media giants.

Chris Janz, the chief digital and publishing officer at Nine, has tendered his resignation, and will leave the media company within a couple of months, The Australian understands.

The departure of the well-regarded 41-year-old comes just four months after he was overlooked for the job as Nine’s chief executive officer, following the resignation late last year of Hugh Marks, who was at the helm of Nine for five years.

Instead, the board opted for ex-Stan CEO Mike Sneesby as the company’s new boss.

Mr Janz was understood to be deeply disappointed at missing out on the top job at Nine, and many staff — particularly those who work in the company’s publishing division — were of the view that he was one of the few senior executives at the media group who had industry experience that extended beyond the TV landscape.

Mike Sneesby. Picture: Britta Campion

One Nine insider told The Australian on Sunday: “Janz quitting is a huge loss for the newspapers, as Chris actually understands real journalism.”

Both the Nine boardroom and the company’s senior management team are now almost entirely made up of people who were attached to the broadcasting arm of Nine when it merged with Fairfax Media in 2018.

Since the merger, the board has mostly maintained an even split of Fairfax and Nine loyalists and, while the carve-up at senior management has slightly favoured Nine staff for the past three years, movements over the past few months have seen the overall balance clearly shift in Nine’s direction.

The most senior ex-Fairfax figure still at Nine is deputy chairman Nick Falloon, although his position is believed to be tenuous given his fractious relationship with company chairman Peter Costello.

One senior source at Nine said the board “remains dysfunctional” — despite Mr Costello’s protestations to the contrary.

On March 1, Fairfax-aligned Nine director Patrick Allaway resigned, leaving Mr Falloon and Mickie Rosen, an LA-based executive, as the only board members with historic ties to the publishing company.

Mr Janz, who joined Fairfax Media in 2016, worked across the company’s three main newspaper mastheads, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Australian Financial Review, as well as the group’s digital assets.

His departure also comes at a turbulent time for the company’s radio and television divisions — Nine Radio last week suffered its first ratings loss in the lucrative Sydney breakfast timeslot in 17 years, while Seven is a strong chance this year to snatch Nine’s crown as the most popular TV network.

The most senior ex-Fairfax figure still at Nine is deputy chairman Nick Falloon. Picture: Hollie Adams

It’s understood Mr Janz will stay with Nine until the company announces its FY21 results in September, but will leave shortly thereafter.

It is unknown if he will move straight into another role at a rival media company, or if he will depart the industry altogether.

It was reported on Sunday night that Mr Janz will be replaced by two executives – James Chessell, who is being elevated from his current position as executive editor of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, and Nine’s former chief digital officer Alex Parsons.

Mr Sneesby praised Mr Janz for his contribution to the media company.

“Chris Janz has made the decision to leave our business. He goes with our very best wishes and much gratitude for his significant contribution over many years, for the service and guidance he has provided during his tenure with us, both at Fairfax and since the merger with Nine,” Mr Sneesby said in a statement provided to The Australian.

Mr Janz did not respond to a request for comment.

Nine’s share price closed at $2.57 on Friday, down more than 12 per cent on its closing price of $2.94 on March 2, the day of the announcement of Mr Sneesby’s appointment as the new CEO.

The broader market has rallied by 7 per cent over the same period.