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Nine sacks Brisbane staff, accepts resignation following “Chopper-gate” debacle

QTQ's Director of News Lee Anderson has resigned from Nine and three staff have been sacked after live helicopter crosses were faked by Nine News.

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The Nine Network has sacked three staff in the wake of faked live crosses to reporters in a helicopter and accepted the resignation of QTQ’s Director of News Lee Anderson.

Anderson said in a letter, “This morning I tender my resignation as Director of News accepting full responsibility for the events of the last few days. I have served this network to the best of my ability for almost 25 years. It has been a privilege and I wish the team all the very best.”

Following his resignation, two reporters, Cameron Price and Melissa Mallet, have been terminated. News Producer Aaron Wakely has also been dismissed.

Nine launched an inquiry following the revelation that two live crosses during weekend bulletins purported to be “near Beerwah” but were actually near Nine’s Mt. Cooth-tha studios. It was revealed one of the two crosses didn’t even require the  helicopter to leave Nine’s helipad.

Nine Queensland Managing Director, Kylie Blucher and Nine’s Director of News and Current Affairs, Mark Calvert said in a joint statement: “This has obviously been a very difficult process, but our primary consideration was always Nine News’ commitment to accuracy. This is critical not only to our charter, but to maintaining the trust we have developed with our audience over a very long period.”

Nine Managing Director Jeffrey Browne said: “Our position is unequivocal. We rightly demand accountability and high standards of others, and we must meet those expectations ourselves. Over the weekend, we did not. Our clear determination is to ensure that sort of conduct is never repeated, and we have drawn a very clear line in the sand by removing the staff involved in in that breach of trust with our viewers.”

Last night QTQ News apologised to viewers for the ‘misrepresentation’ in its weekend bulletins.

In a statement Nine advises that ‘newsroom procedures and lines of communication have been reviewed, resulting in immediate changes to QTQ’s news gathering guidelines. All News staff will receive further training on their editorial, legal and code obligations.’

TV Tonight understands an unfair dismissal case by some of the parties is now under consideration.

79 Responses

  3. I’m just curious why Nine has sacked three journos over this story, but what consequences were there for Nine News faking ‘security camera’ footage of a man hiding cash in a Channel 9 toilet? Or ACA taking a 4 minute chunk of a Today Tonight interview and passing it off as their own? Were those things not as deceptive to viewers than this helicopter story?

  5. its not an over reaction…but if they had suspended the reporters for a period and just sacked the people who decision it was…COS or producer… then it would have been acceptable as well…in the end if something is not done then who knows what other lies or misrepresentations could happen…if they are as good as what people say, they will get more work somewhere…. in the end its about credibility and they had to go

  6. Its gone a little bit to far don’t you think? Sacking the 2 reporters is unbelievable (Well done Channel7). Its not like they would have a major say in where the helicopter will fly. Very disappointed with Channel9’s decision and its a huge slap in the face to viewers. Whoever made this decision should be ashamed of themselves.

  7. The producer should have been escorted out absolutely..

    But the others I’m not so sure, oh well, Fair Work Australia will probably manage to get some sort of settlement for the reporters and then Sky News or Seven will snap them up anyway.

  9. Woah indeed. I really did like Cam Price. A good young journalist. Can’t believe Lee has resigned either. A reaction and a half but certainly shows how much Nine is annoyed by this event and how they are committed to their news service.

  11. I am so disgusted at this grubby, mud-raking episode. Think of all those families who are now without an income. Channel 7 fed this story to the Courier Mail and the Courier Mail ate it up. I hope they don’t sleep tonight.

  12. Wellllllll…. technically hovering over the helipad at Mt Coot-tha is still “near” Beerwah, from a certain point of view… If they had said they were Over Beerwah however…

  14. Sack the news director and producer(s) involved, don’t sack the reporters……. Melissa Mallet is one of Nine News QLD’s best reporters. I’m sure 7 would welcome her with open arms.

  18. Not surprised that the news director and producer have been sacked, but I gotta say I do feel sorry for the reporters as they were probably only doing what they were directed to do.

  19. Melissa mallet would have to be one of the most sensationalist reporters going around. Reporting facts of life such as a whale dying off the coast as ‘terrible news’ and ‘heartbreaking’ when there are deadly famines in Africa and horrible deaths in Libya doesn’t equate to being a good journalist.

  24. Woah – didn’t expect them to sack the journo’s. Would they have even had any say in where the chopper & live cross should’ve been? or is it just sacking them because they were the face of the stuff up?

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