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Waley: 9 ‘fighting for its life’

Jim Waley speaks up on his view of the Nine Network and says he is "the man in the middle" of Sky News rumours.

jimwaleyThe fallout from Sky News sacking John Gatfield continues with further attention turning to Jim Waley -the man said to be replacing him.

Yesterday Sky said nothing had been announced with Waley or former Nine News director Ian Cook.

Meanwhile, Waley yesterday offered sympathy to Nine’s Sydney 6pm newsreader Peter Overton and “those who have the responsibility for turning it around”.

“I really stepped back from Nine and haven’t given it much thought since I left,” Waley told news.com.au.

“I would say it’s sad a once-great network is now fighting for its life.”

When Waley was with Nine (pictured), he himself replaced by Mark Ferguson just two years into a five-year contract. He disputed his sacking, but is believed to have settled out of court for more than $1.2 million.

In regards to a future role with Sky News, Waley indicated he was “the man in the middle” of likely changes that include the exit of presenter John Gatfield.

Source: news.com.au

12 Responses

  1. I think a great combination would be Jim Waley & either Wendy Kingston or Kellie Connolly on nine news sydney, that would give something for bathy and roscco to be scraed of from this 3rd rating news service!!

  2. James Grant,

    Are you friends with “Hendo” and “Rossco”? I assume you must be because you don’t use their appropriate names. Maybe you’re not friends with them and just work at Channel Seven…

    Anyway, what’s wrong with Overtoe and Whales… Jimbo?

  3. Nine just need to lose all the Ammerican junk and produce more Aussie TV, then their problems might be sorted. Obviously Underbelly is Nine’s star show but they need something like Packed to the Raters, a happy, feel good drama for the family.

  4. The problem is it is now run pureley as a busines and now will even fail on that level. People respected Nine years ago. They did things sometimes for prestige even when not proffitable. Axing Nightline and the legendary Sunday was the last straw that collapsed any credibility. They must do things more in the public good that give dividends indirectly and creates more viewers down the track. I used to watch more nine when they had Sunday. So did everyone. Now I dont.

  5. Nine is the wonded lion, it’s slowly bleeding to death and if they don’t tend to the problem they are in serious threat of dying off. They really need to get a grip shake the place up, start to listen to the viewers and invest in quality comedy, drama and decent television shows and news programs and cut the crap and all the ego personalities need to be put in their place.

    Nine was once a great network but gee they really are becoming a laughing stock.

  6. What would 9 be doing if they didn’t have 2 & 1/2 men repeats on all the time???
    I have never seen so many repeated programs on 9 in my life…Big Kerry would never allow this to happen..

  7. I don’t think Nine can afford anyone who might actually be good. They seem to be spending all their money on peroxide for Jules Lund and Shelley Craft. Yes folks, I went there.

  8. Ian Ferguson is a name conspicuous by it’s absence in all of these reports regarding John Gatfield and the changes at Sky News. The current News Director at Sky News, previously deputy ND under Ian Cook, and frequent contributor to various media sites must have a role in all of this. I know from personal experience not to get on the wrong side of the man- is this what happened to Gatfield. What is his agenda?

  9. Nine’s trying to lift its news profile, after dumping “Nightline”, “Sunday”, shafting Jim Waley, Ian Ross, Ian Cook, etc., etc. It ain’t working. This morning Karl’s little brother’s reporting from Santa Barbara via videophone. Terrible horizontal jitter in pictures. At same time TEN has full video correspondent on the scene. No doubt a money-saving exercise by Nine, but symbolic of the difference between 9 News now, and the others.

  10. Nine must be desperate, they are sending out to businesses purely via their ABN’s (I have very good knowledge of this) the opportunity to come to an advertising seminar held at the Melbourne and Sydney studios. They are offering 5k on-air packages which are just going to churn and burn the clients.
    I’ve never seen Nine stoop this low for advertisers before. Definitely a sign of the times for Nine.

  11. I would definitely agree that Nine is fighting for its life. I doubt they’ll fall to third place behind TEN over the next year or two, but because their market share has dropped so much over the past few years they’re obviously not making as much money anymore.

    Nine have had a few shows which I liked, but I just don’t bother with them a lot anymore because nearly every show they air I like gets shuffled around and played out of order, so I just end up having to watch the shows online.

  12. I for one would love to see Jim Waley back at Nine – instead of Nine spruiking and paying enormous amounts of money for another renovation show why not invest some time anf money and bring Waley back to the newsdesk – with he and Rosco in competition I’m sure the ratings would improve for nine in the crucial 6-7pm slot.

    Overton has some what of a baby face and doesn’t instil a lot of credibility – he might read reasonably well but Waley has the sort of news pedigree that Hendo had and Nine should just swallow their pride and bring Waley back.

    As for the dummy spits at Sky – good grief I dont think most of us would know who the newsreaders were over there – they have so many – I think anyone who works in television would probably know that loyalty is not something TV executives give a toss about – Waley lost his job after being fiercely loyal to Nine – it just goes with the territory I think.

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