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Seven apologises for skipping Welcome to Country at FIFA match

"We sincerely apologise for not broadcasting the cultural ceremony," says Head of Sport Lewis Martin.

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Seven has apologised for failing to broadcast the Welcome to Country at the FIFA Women’s World Cup match between the Australia v Ireland match last month.

The Welcome to Country was delivered by Dharug Elder Aunty Julie Jones. Jannawi Dance Clan dancers performed alongside her.

It was broadcast in full by Optus Sport but was only fleetingly seen on Seven in wideshot or background while presenters spoke, and advertisements played out.

“The only opportunity for these children’s families to see them was that free to air broadcast,” Aunty Julie told NITV.

Aunty Julie said that she felt silenced and devastated.

“[Channel 7] go to an ad and silence the voices and the storytelling of women that have been a part of the oldest living culture on the planet.”

Lewis Martin, Network Head of Sport told Media Watch, “We sincerely apologise for not broadcasting the cultural ceremony of the FIFA Women’s World Cup match between Australia and Ireland …

“There were valid reasons for it not being broadcast on the night, but we do apologise for the upset caused.”

It isn’t clear what those valid reasons were but presumably it was linked to the sponsors which Seven had previously announced as adidas, Hyundai, Rexona and Qantas, while the sponsors are Cadbury, Coca-Cola, Kia, McDonald’s, Visa and Xero.

He added, “It is now available to view in full as part of the full match replay on 7plus.”

Aunty Julie also alluded to Channel 7’s history of not being culturally sensitive to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

“I kind of felt that they might do a better job, given the gravity and the weight of the event itself. Channel 7 actually have a bit of a history of this.”

“I don’t know whether it was cultural ignorance or ego but for two minutes, the three presenters who were babbling on for the whole World Cup commentary just couldn’t be respectful.

“We had a three minute ceremony to perform … I don’t understand why it was hard to just be respectful,” she told NITV.

Seven is also a signatory to the Screen Diversity Inclusion Network Charter and in December pledged to raise awareness and celebrate the culture and histories of First Nations peoples in its Reconciliation Action Plan.

4 Responses

  1. Seven had Home and Away which they weren’t prepared to ditch on a Monday because it gets close to 1m total viewers. And they have to do their pre-match and fit all their ads in their because you can’t show ads during the first half of a Soccer match, which 1.55m tuned into watch. Seven has has to let most of the World Cup go to Optus, all they can show are 1-2m of goals in the games.

  2. Did any of the bablers say “As you can see behind me…” like so many field news reporters have a gift for? Well No we can’t see because you need your time in the limelight rather than let us see what actually is “behind”. Pretty pathetic directing all-round these days.

  3. Whether it’s a Welcome to Country performance, or a Robbie Williams pre-show, if it’s at the stadium, then it should be showed. Cultural events are there to be a part of.

  4. It’s not uncommon for broadcasters to skip pregame ceremonies, although its highly unusual to skip a ceremony of such detail at a World Cup event. The number 1 rule if you’re going to skip a ceremony however is you have to completely hide it from viewers. You certainly don’t put talent on camera showing the ceremony happening behind them. It’s insensitive and just really clumsy.

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