Communications Minister says Nine review exposes ‘very serious cultural issue’ at broadcaster

Communications Minister Michelle Rowland says a “very serious cultural issue” had been exposed within Nine Entertainment after an independent report found bosses had bullied, harassed and belittled staff as part of a toxic culture.

The minister said the media company now had to act on the promises made in response to the bombshell report while also taking aim at the ABC, which she said has also been “infected by bad behaviours”.

The independent review found the Channel 9 owner had “a systemic issue” with abuse of power, bullying, discrimination and sexual harassment, and that management failed in its responsibilities to protect staff who were sometimes driven to the point of self-harm.

It was backed by harrowing testimony from past and present staff, many of them women, who spoke of their despair, fear and horror about abhorrent workplace misconduct that has gone unchecked.

Nine has promised to implement all the report’s 22 recommendations, including overhauling its HR department and reviewing its code of conduct.

Ms Rowland said the government wanted to see a media sector that was strong in terms of culture.

“This has exposed a very serious cultural issue within Nine,” she told Sky News on Friday.

“We know that there’s other parts of the media who have been similarly infected by bad behaviours; our public broadcaster is a case in point when it comes to racism.

“But I think what the public is looking for, and what these impacted employees are looking for, is delivery.

“It’s one thing to identify the problems, and it is useful that that is being done and that is being made transparent now, but what people will want to see is deliverables.”

In a survey of staff that made up part of the report, 62 per cent of broadcast employees reported experiencing or witnessing abuse of power, 57 per cent experiencing bullying, discrimination or harassment, and 30 per cent experiencing sexual harassment.

Ms Rowland said “no corporate citizen would stand for” that level of misbehaviour.

“The fact that it has reached that level shows the seriousness of it,” she said.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said everyone should feel safe where they worked.

“Any workplace should be safe and secure, and companies need to make sure that they’ve got in place the arrangements that provide that security to staff regardless of what organisation they’re from,” he told reporters in Busselton.

Shadow communications minister David Coleman and the regulator ACMA have been contacted for comment.