Today, June 16, a number of long standing staff across the Hit and Triple M networks have been let go, as part of the job cuts announced by CEO Rohan Lund last week.
The Hit Network’s Bronte and Lakey (main image), who broadcast from the Gold Coast across Queensland, outside of Brisbane, are gone. The pair had broadcast together for two and a half years, Bronte Langbroek had worked forSCA on and off for eight years, Danny Lakey for more than a decade.
Similarly Dan and Christie, who are heard on the Hit Network across Regional Victoria and Tasmania, depart too. Christie Hayes had recently returned from maternity leave.
Triple M WA team Robbie and Carly finished up this morning too. You can watch their final break here.
Lund said that the job cuts were a result of the advertising market deteriorating, “particularly within the TV segment.” The SCA and Seven West Media merger effectively saw the former get back TV assets they’d just sold to the latter.
Public companies often conduct redundancy programs at the end of the financial year for tax write off purposes, as seems to be the case with this round and unfortunately with more to come.
On June 12, the day after Lund’s announcement, Australian based activist investment firm Sandon Capital, shareholders in SCA who were so vehemently opposed to the merger, executed a notice via an ASX announcement saying that any new director appointed by the Board of Directors between now and the next general meeting should be booted as soon as that meeting ends.
That next meeting is likely to be the November AGM, where any new director would have to be elected in anyway, making the notice mostly moot. Sandon haven’t (yet) called for any meeting prior to that.
Meanwhile Gina Rinehart has assisted former Seven executive Bruce McWilliam to a 9.15% interest in the company and potentially his own push for a board position, perhaps what Sandon Capital is looking to stall.
It a big bump back to reality for the network after a positive Survey 3 result last week.
Jen Seyderhelm is a writer, editor and podcaster for Radioinfo. Email: [email protected]. You can subscribe to this publication for just $199 per annum (less for community stations, students and pensioners) and support local media. Celebrate Radioinfo in its 30th year.
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