60 Minutes reporter slams show
- Published by David Knox
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- Filed under News
A farewell function for Ray Martin is today making news for all the wrong reasons.
There are reports 60 Minutes journo Liam Bartlett dumped a bucketload on colleagues over a “shit” return of the long-running series last Sunday.
During the rant, which colleagues said “came out of nowhere” he is said to have referred to McGuire’s interview with his AFL friend Sam Newman as “not a story,” claims the Daily Telegraph.
Bartlett is also believed to have taken aim at the ratings: “If you guys are satisfied with 1.2 million (viewers), you’re f. . . . .” Bartlett apparently told colleagues.
“You could say the feeling was just that everyone was gobsmacked,” one guest said. “It’s one thing to bag out a crew member or a production even, but this is your own camp.”
Rumours of the rant were rife around Nine’s Willoughby camp last night but if the claims turn out to be true he will reportedly be “in big trouble” with management, a source said.
Bartlett, who colleagues yesterday said had a reputation for being “a bit prickly and difficult” when dealing with 60 Minutes talent and producers, would not comment yesterday.
If the Telegraph story does have any basis, it will put Bartlett in a precarious position. It is well-known that the handling of Newman’s story was put together by McGuire and David Gyngell.
Bartlett did not have a story in the year’s first episode, with features covered by Liz Hayes, Peter Overton and Eddie McGuire.
Source: Daily Telegraph
11 Responses
I think the nine network need to look back how it used to be, get back some of the faces it axed years ago, that were good in their time,I knew Ian Ross (ex TCN9)would kick butt on ATN7, whatever did happen to Jim Waley (ex TCN9)? I know he got a bit upset not getting anchor for Sydney news,but putting a reporter as frontman instead hasnt paid off at all. Maybe nine did have a bit of a look at things lately, and changed their minds airing the comeback of WWOS sundays. Maybe a good future coming soon to nine when they do more of the same… Agree on all fronts regarding this 60minutes report. Not good material at all.
I agree with Leith that 60Min needs to return to a serious current affairs format but the problem is now that our audience is so dumbed down (thanks to commercial TV in general) that anything resembling serious current affairs has almost a zero per cent chance of survival on commercial TV now.
In Kerry’s later days ACA tried to go back to ‘serious’ current affairs a few years ago and it rated dismally.
I love 43 minutes.
Sorry if Nine are upset about Liam’s outburst… but it’s so true it’s not funny. 60 Minutes has become the ACA of about 20 years ago, and as “the human dree” said, we have to rely on Dateline for hard hitting journalism.
If anything, Bartlett should get a promotion, or a chance to overhaul the show so it’s more like what it used to be.
Congratulations Liam, you’re just saying what we’re all thinking.
Someone put that man in charge of the show!
Bartlett is the man.
Dunno what its done for his career, but its done a shit load for his personal rep. Good on him I say. Geez I sound like a 50/50 opinion piece.
Complete agreement Liam, this was not a story and to try to make it out as doing it for a community service is so insincere…
I think the ratings speak for themselves in my opinion. 1.2million is crap.
60 minutes lost its serious news image many years ago!
Dumb down stories in the guise of news!
Any pretence at serious current affairs on the commercial stations is over. ACA and Today Tonight are unwatchable, Sunrise and Today are froth and bubble, and Sunday and Sixty Minutes are shadows of their former selves. They may as well just produce one show and call it “The Lowest Common Denominator”.
He is absolutely right. The Sam Newman segment was ‘not a story’ but a cross-promotion for Channel 9. It’s embarrassing that they used Eddie Everywhere as a ‘reporter’.
You reckon Packer would have let Eddie host a segment on Sixty Minutes? No way. Sixty Minutes’ reputation and public persona are based on serious, in depth controversial pieces. Having Eddie host his piece just cheapened the show. (I love Dateline as they really address issues that 60mins SHOULD be covering) Although Newmans health has been tragic, its hard to show a soft and cuddly side to a guy so known for his arrogance and ego, the most annoying part is that when something happens to these type of personalties, the whole “its just an act” part always comes out as if off camera their white washed angels doing a great service for our community.
Bartlett may have been out of line but some one needs to reign Eddie in even if it is just a roasting during a toast. Eddie was the poster child in the late Ninties and early Naugthies, but were getting close to a new decade and the “blokey” crap of C9 has to move to the back burner.
Just like Ray some people don’t know when they have reached their used by date. Back 50 years ago an Aussie TV Celebrity had a fairly long shelf life, but with attention spans shortening and more channel options emerging, a lot of todays celebrities have to swallow there pride (in a lot of cases arrogant pride) and be more strategic and self aware of their “on-screen” careers.