Nine boss Mike Sneesby on a bumpy road – will he hit the skids?
Nine Entertainment chief executive Mike Sneesby was spotted on Monday on his way to work as his future remains in limbo.
Nine Entertainment chief executive officer Mike Sneesby was spotted on Monday on his way to work as his future remains in limbo and the network’s independent investigation into allegations of misconduct is unlikely to be handed down before the Paris Olympics.
Two weeks have passed since The Australian first revealed veteran news boss Darren Wick resigned from the media company after he was the subject of a complaint from a female staff member.
An external review by consulting firm Intersection will delve into complaints of sexual harassment and bullying with past and present employees and this process is expected to be completed by early July.
Nine has the broadcast rights to the Paris Olympics which begin on July 26 and run through until August 11.
The company is scheduled to deliver its annual results on August 28, but when the findings from the independent report will be delivered is unclear.
A Nine spokeswoman told The Australian: “Intersection will provide the results when they have completed the report, we don’t have an exact date for that.”
Numerous complainants have spoken to news outlets including The Australian and Sky News Australia about claims of misconduct at the network, and Nine has held crisis meetings with staff to address cultural problems at the commercial network.
Mr Sneesby, chairman Peter Costello and director of people and culture, Vanessa Morley, said in a joint note last week that the independent report’s findings will be shared and be used to “reframe and rebuild the culture in our news and current affairs team.”
Mr Sneesby has addressed staff on multiple occasions since the fallout and is understood at a meeting with Today show staff last week he said he did not know how long the review would take and it depended on how many people submit information.
He is also dealing with a falling share price – on Monday it closed at $1.43 and is 53 per cent down on when Mr Sneesby took up his CEO role in March 2021.
On Monday, The Australian exclusively revealed that billionaire businessman James Packer had taken a swipe at Mr Costello and said his eight-tenure at the company “hasn’t been good” for shareholders.
“I think being chairman of Nine is all he (Mr Costello) has left and he will try and keep the job for as long as he can,” Mr Packer said.
Maurice Blackburn Lawyers also posted on X last week encouraging women in the television industry to speak up about “claims of sexual harassment and unlawful discrimination.”
In the message it urged people to seek advice about experiences they had encountered in their media roles.
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Maurice Blackburn is assisting a number of women in the television industry to pursue claims of sexual harassment and unlawful discrimination. If you have information that could assist our clients, or if you wish to get advice about your own experience, please contact us. pic.twitter.com/Co6NMrDki1
— Maurice Blackburn (@YouCanCountOnMB) May 27, 2024
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