Nine investigates complaints as staff voice anger at response to workplace report

Investigations are under way into multiple complaints from staff within the Nine news and current affairs division, in the wake of a damning workplace report that detailed a culture of bullying, belittling and sexual harassment within the organisation.

High profile stars spoke out in support of their newsrooms colleagues, who are angry over a perceived lack of action by the company which hasn’t taken any steps against those staff accused of perpetrating the abuse.

Sarah Abo said the report into Nine’s broadcast culture was “gut wrenching”.Credit: GK Photography

Senior company sources, speaking anonymously because they weren’t authorised to comment, confirmed Nine is investigating a series of individual complaints from staff who had participated in interviews with the independent firm Intersection, which conducted the cultural review.

Many Nine staff had expected perpetrators to face justice as a result of the review, but Intersection did not hand any names to the company and redacted identifying details from quotes. The complaints are being handled in separate process from the Intersection report.

Today co-host Sarah Abo on Friday described the report as gut-wrenching and devastating. “Some of the quotes were too hard to read,” she said on air. “‘He tried to groom me’. ‘She’s a toxic bully’. ‘Her M.O. was to create a culture of fear’.

“There was real hope this report would bring about change, but the hurt remains, and many are deeply disappointed. Some are angry, and there’s concern about whether those responsible will be held to account.”

Her co-host, Karl Stefanovic, said he felt for the women who had the courage to speak to the surveyors. “Many people are hurting,” he said on the program. “They feel like: what was the point of speaking out if perpetrators are not called out?

Today host Karl Stefanovic directly addressed the report on air this morning.Credit: Nine

“I want to say it’s not about us, but there are good men who do work here at Nine who find what happened absolutely intolerable, who struggle to understand how we didn’t know more and do something, how it grieved you.”

Nine, the publisher of this masthead, commissioned consultancy firm Intersection to review its culture after the long-serving former news and current affairs boss Darren Wick left amid allegations of lecherous behaviour and poor management earlier this year.

The report found that public humiliation, white-anting, belittling comments, silent treatment and aggressive, intimidating behaviour were normalised in the broadcast division, and that known perpetrators were allowed to behave like that unchecked.

It quoted employees, who spoke about the behaviour they’d been subjected to and the trauma they’d suffered. Several referred to self-harm. “When I left Nine I was a shell,” one said. “I was broken.”

Nine’s board and management face questions over their response to sexual harassment allegations against former television news and current affairs chief Darren Wick.Credit: Fairfax Media

An interviewee described a woman who would “shame you, stonewall you and you wouldn’t know why she would ignore you. I can think of three friends/colleagues who have been suicidal because of her.”

Another said the chase for ratings trumped everything else. “The goal is just eyes on screen ... at any cost.” Others said employees were warned against going to HR, and their managers covered up poor behaviour.

“[My supervisor] said to me ‘don’t let him touch your boobs’,” one said. “Women were constantly in tears about their interactions with [Individual]. Younger women were scared to speak up.” One interviewee referred to the broadcast division as a “cowboy operation”.

Chief executive Matt Stanton’s request that staff use a different process to report individuals – “It’ll be investigated and actions will be taken,” he said on Thursday – came as a surprise to some, who thought their interview with Intersection was the only report they would need to make.

Some also worry that the managers known for using bullying tactics would identify their victims from the quotes used in the report. “It was an awful, disappointing day … there were people who left the meeting in tears,” one broadcast employee said.

“Participants in the interviews were sold fake news that repeat offenders will be held to account. Now we have to rely on the very people who’ve let us down to institute the changes. Are they kidding? There is total and utter dejection with the company.”

Another said that broadcast employees would insist on action. “There’s a bunch of very strong, confident employees who have been here for a long time, whose job is to hold people to account, and that’s what we are going to do.”

Radio announcer Ray Hadley, from 2GB (which is owned by Nine), said he believed he knew the identity of some of the perpetrators. “Some are no longer in the business, but unfortunately some are still in the business,” he said. “How they’re still in the business I’m not quite sure.”

Radio broadcaster Ray Hadley.Credit: James Brickwood

Hadley said he is living proof of people’s capacity to change their behaviour. “As you all know, 10 years ago, I decided my rather robust way of dealing with some matters had to change, particularly in relation to my dealings with men I work with,” he said.

The company’s radio division had the highest rates of abuse of power, according to an employee survey. Hadley called for an end to cover-ups and invited people to raise complaints with him. “Don’t be intimidated,” he said. “I won’t bite your head off … the door’s always open.”

Melbourne 3AW Mornings host Tom Elliott criticised Nine’s decision not to identify or act against alleged perpetrators. “I mean, there’s not much point in having a report to say some terrible behaviour has happened unless you actually point out who did the bad behaviour.

“Now, I know several people who made submissions to this report who are upset that no perpetrator has been named. I’m not going to name these people, but they are upset because no individual perpetrator has been named. Now, to its credit, Nine as a business has apologised for what has gone on in the past over many years and has promised to fix the culture.”

This masthead spoke to former senior executives at Nine, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because their involvement in the company was historic and accused present management of inflaming the scandal by failing to take immediate action against perpetrators.

They also said that so-called “talent”, or high-profile, highly paid presenters, were part of the problem as they had long been allowed to throw their weight around. However, the employees who spoke to Intersection told this masthead that managers were the problem, and senior female presenters were supportive of junior staff.

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