Kerri-Anne Kennerley blasts Nine Network for ‘entrenched culture’ of bullying and intimidation amid fresh claims
One of the Nine Network’s biggest ever stars, Kerri-Anne Kennerley, has publicly blasted the network over what she says is its “entrenched” culture of bullying and intimidation.
Kennerley pulled no punches with her claims, which come amid new allegations made in The Australian newspaper of past sexual harassment and bullying against complaints made by a female staffer against two senior male managers still employed at the media company.
“I experienced the Nine culture, professionally and personally, over decades, and it is learned behaviour,” Kennerley told The Australian.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.“Bad behaviour and bad management skills, or lack of them, was wrong, it always was wrong, but the perpetrators got away with it because they learned from senior management.
“It was entrenched by senior people (who had gone) before them.
“The management style was to pit people against each other, in the assumption that would get the best out of them. That included bullying and foul language and intimidation and extreme behaviour.”
During the 1990s, Kennerley hosted Midday on Nine and later hosted Mornings with Kerri-Anne on the network from 2002 to 2011.
The star was awarded a Gold Logie in 2017 and inducted into the TV Week Logie Hall of Fame.
The Australian also reported that a former Nine employee had contacted the independent review of Nine’s workplace culture to detail complaints of sexual harassment and bullying she made against two male managers.
The woman left the network in 2022 and was reportedly given a payout after complaining she had been managed out.
She complained of “predatory behaviour” at a an end-of-year party in which one of the managers allegedly plied her with dirks then engaged inappropriate behaviour.
The paper reported she alleged she was later bullied, then managed out of the company by the other manager.
The male staff do not work in the network’s News division.
The comments come just days after former federal treasurer Peter Costello resigned as chairman of the Nine Network last week, amid allegations he assaulted a journalist from The Australian.
Costello was accused of pushing the journalist after he refused to answer questions about the resignation of senior executive Darren Wick.
Nine confirmed had Wick left the network on March 15.
Originally published on Sunrise
