Nine Network Axes TWO High-Profile Stars in Brutal Restructure: ‘It’s Appalling’ Say Colleagues as Popular Presenter Kate Collins is Left ‘Heartbroken’
- Beloved newsreader Kate Collins is among the high-profile casualties of Nine’s brutal restructure, leaving her ‘heartbroken’ after 17 years with the network.
- Collins’ departure is just the tip of the iceberg, with up to 50 jobs set to be affected and popular radio host David Penberthy slamming the network for its ‘appalling’ treatment of the popular presenter.
- Nine’s restructure is aimed at reducing duplication of roles, but colleagues are outraged at the way Collins was let go, with many taking to social media to express their shock and sadness.
Popular newsreader Kate Collins is among the high-profile casualties of the Nine network’s brutal restructure, leaving her ‘heartbroken’ after 17 years with the network. The Adelaide Advertiser reports that Collins, 42, was given the boot just days after hosting the SA capital’s Christmas Pageant coverage for Nine.
Radio host David Penberthy was scathing in his criticism of Nine’s treatment of Collins, calling her axing ‘the biggest story in Adelaide’ and slamming the network for its ‘appalling’ handling of the situation. ‘I reckon the biggest story in Adelaide right now is the way poor old Kate Collins has been treated by Channel 9,’ he said on-air on Tuesday morning.
‘I mean treated by Channel 9 nationally. It’s a classic example of the head office in Sydney treating us like you-know-what and as a result there’s one fewer South Aussie on our TV screens.’ Penberthy also revealed that Collins only found out about her axing in the middle of the day yesterday, calling it a ‘crap way to treat a good person’.
Collins isn’t the only on-air talent to be affected by the restructure, with 9News Queensland sports reporter Jonathan Uptin not having his contract renewed and longtime Nine presenter Amber Sherlock also being let go. Sherlock was mysteriously absent from her usual role as weather presenter on Nine’s evening bulletin on Monday.
A Nine spokesperson said the restructure is aimed at reducing duplication of roles in the business, but colleagues are outraged at the way Collins was let go. ‘We have this week commenced consultation with some team members, whose roles within Nine’s Streaming and Broadcast division are impacted by our new operating model,’ the spokesperson said.
‘The new operating model formally brings together teams across Stan, Channel 9 and 9Now. It is designed to reduce duplication, drive greater collaboration and deliver commercial growth for Nine, while working to offset the challenging external advertising market.’ The spokesperson also revealed that the network is exploring redeployment opportunities for affected staff.
The shake-up comes amid a slew of high-profile departures for the network, with much-loved weather presenter Livinia Nixon last week announcing her shock departure from 9News Melbourne to focus on her family. Weekend Today’s Clint Stanway also opened up about the reason behind his September decision to quit Nine altogether in a candid podcast interview.
‘Physically, first and foremost, I was just getting sick a lot, pushing the envelope,’ he told the Big Bros podcast. ‘When I finished work, I was going home because I was exhausted. I’d sit on the couch, go to bed.’ Stanway said his punishing breakfast television schedule had finally proven too much to handle.
‘In fact, every day was set an alarm, go to bed, wake up, go to work, and sometimes go to work radio, go to work TV in the same day, come home at seven o’clock, make my dinner, sit on the couch, go to bed. That was all I was doing.’ The departures have left many in the industry shocked and saddened, with many taking to social media to express their support for the affected staff.