GTV9 ready for redundancies
Exclusive: GTV9 has begun asking staff for volunteer redundancies ahead of its move to Docklands, and will shift its Playout to TCN9.
- Published by David Knox
- on
- Filed under News
EXCLUSIVE: GTV9 Melbourne will centralise its On-Air Presentation to TCN9 Sydney when it abandons its Bendigo Street headquarters and shifts to a new home at Docklands in December.
Nine’s On-Air Presentation will be centralised from TCN by the end of December. Disappointed staff were hopeful that Melbourne Playout would continue at the new Docklands facility.
In an email from Managing Director Jeffrey Browne to GTV9 staff leaked to TV Tonight, Nine is commencing a call for volunteer redundancies across various departments.
Browne’s email to staff indicated Nine met with union representatives last week to discuss the move and impact on staffing.
“We have been working to identify those departments where we expect a reduction in the number of positions and, as I also said at our meeting, we propose to go to those departments first to seek expressions of interest in a voluntary redundancy,” he wrote.
“We will be circulating an expression of interest form to affected areas tomorrow and the period for lodging these forms will remain open until 28 May 2010. A calculation sheet will be available outlining the redundancy severance package that anyone enquiring would be entitled to, if their offer was accepted. All calculations will be up to and including 31 December, 2010.
“Please note that there is no guarantee that expressions of interest will be accepted.”
Nine expects to respond to staff by the end of the first week in July with all affected staff notified by the end of August.
Nine has sold its premises in the heritage-protected former Wertheim Piano Factory, home to the network for 53 years, to property developer Lend Lease. Browne had previously indicated no shows would be lost as a result of the move, with small studios built in the new facility for Nine News and smaller productions. But there has been no clarity on job losses until now.
“If you have any queries or feedback in relation to this process, please discuss these with your manager. The HR team are also readily available to assist with any queries, or to receive any feedback that you may have. To help with this process, we have partnered a member of the HR team with your department so you have a clear point of contact. A contact sheet is attached outlining your HR contact,” wrote Browne.
“I will continue to keep you posted as events develop towards our move, anticipated now to be mostly complete by the end of this year.”
20 Responses
After being a longterm employee who left in 2000 this is so sad to see.
What was once the greatest place to work has turned into a dump it seems.
The employees used to give 120% to that place and I mean everyone, these days if you were asked to do any OT you’d tell them to get stuffed!
Morale is everything, no wonder 9 has taken a dive down the ratings ladder.
I wonder who’s left…? Captain, Joffa??
Thanks Channel 9. I guess you did me a favour in April 2009. I dare say this won’t be the last of the the GTV departments moving north. Time to get those CV’s ready guys………trust me when the decide to get rid of people they have no idea what an impact it has on a person’s…………..I have 2 favourite people at 9
Channel 7 centralised their “playouts” at Docklands ten years ago. And to everyone’s surprise, there were very little hickups. Quite remarkably, the Channel 7 transmission for the entire country emanates from Docklands in Melbourne. That’s right – if you are sitting as far away as Perth, Brisbane, Sydney or Adelaide, your programs, commercials and entire signal are processed and broadcast from Melbourne. It is an amazing set-up and is quite fascinating to watch.
@mha: I’d be not surprised, if QTQ’s playout has moved already.
As an ex employee, I feel sad that Melbourne is going to lose studio 9, which has been used for some of Australia’s top shows, and has had some of the most famous names in the industry. I also feel for the staff, which are probably the most skilled in the industry.
So if a cable is cut in TCN9 does this mean we will not be able to watch “Two & A Half Men” in Melb now?
As a Nine employee it makes me laugh to think that we can contact HR staff. I didn’t realise that we had HR staff. You only seem to ever see them appear when Nine needs to let go of people.
Just what we needed, more Sydneycentricity in tv.
Thanks JB. Much appreciated. Does that mean during late night tv we are more likelty to see an ad for a funiture shop in Parramatta on Melbourne TV screens?
No.
To those who asked, “Playout” is the technical department which plays the “tape” (it’s pretty much all off computer disk units now) of the TV shows, and all the commercials and promos.
When you watch any TV station you are watching “playout” except for live news, live sport and live variety shows.
Presently GTV does “playout” for the Melbourne viewers from Melbourne.
It is this which will be done from Sydney in the future.
Pretty much all TV networks, including ABC and SBS, do playout from Sydney.
The exception is Channel 7 which does playout from Melbourne for the whole of Australia, with backup in Sydney in case Melbourne’s playout centre has a technical hitch.
Disappointed staff were hopeful that Melbourne Playout would continue at the new Docklands facility.
Sorry if tis obvious but what is “Melbourne Playout “??
NWS Nine Adelaide and STW Nine Perth are going to MediaHub at Ingleburn as they are not owned by PBL Media. PBL only owns TCN Nine Sydney, GTV Nine Melbourne, QTQ Nine Brisbane, NTD Darwin and NBN Newcastle.
@ Chrisjema.
please read the story… it explains that melbourne news will be filmed in melbourne…
“Nine’s On-Air Presentation will be centralised from TCN by the end of December”. Sorry, just trying to understand this story …. so does that mean that Channel Nine News Melbourne edition will be broadcasted from Sydney? Will this move affect Peter Hitchener’s newsreading position and that of Tony Jones doing sport?
No. It’s technical dept. As indicated in the story, Nine News will shift to Docklands.
Looks like MediaHub did not get the Nine playout contract people were expecting to see happen?
Does this mean QTQ and NTD will centralise to TCN as well?
I believe NBN is staying at NBN after a recent upgrade?
Happening in Adelaide as well.
The axe is swinging, so sad for Nine Melbourne.
I feel sorry for their Melbourne staff. But I suspect this is just the first of the cost-cutting efforts at Nine.
Nine did it to itself, it did, and that’s what really hurts.