Channel Nine has gone to extreme lengths to defend the network’s decision not to give Lisa Wilkinson a fair salary package, one that would match her co-host Karl Stefanovic’s.
Splashed on the cover of The Daily Telegraph today, CEO Hugh Marks claims he went to “an incredible amount of trouble” to create the package she was allegedly offered. It is highly unusual for a CEO to publicly comment on contract negotiations, particularly high profile talent.
“I went to an incredible amount of trouble to build that ($1.8 million) package for her. She wanted $2.3 million. It wasn’t a $200,000 shortfall to (Karl’s) $2 million magic number. It was $500,000.”
“We could invest that money in junior journalists coming in to the business”.
With one evening tweet on Monday night, Lisa Wilkinson announced she wasn’t returning to Channel Nine’s flagship morning show TODAY.
A press release simply stated that contract negotiations were not successful. It followed a News Corp columnist’s assertion, just a day earlier, that there was a large gender pay gap dividing Lisa and her co-host Karl Stefanovic. And that magic number was causing trouble.
That number was $500,000, according to Marks. Keeping in mind that, from the outside, we will never know the full details of the offer discussed behind closed doors.
It’s a reported figure that has lost Channel Nine one of their star talents and resulted in, what can be argued, a titanic PR disaster for the TV station. The powers that be may now have a very different view of what $500,000 can buy you.
Top Comments
Whilst Lisa does deserve to paid at a commensurate wage to Carl, it must be remembered that he actually does other programs on Nine besides just the Morning show. However, I think that no-one on Australian Television should be paid anywhere near what some of them are actually getting! None of them put their life on the line every day (as Police, Fireman, Armed Forces etc do), nor do they perform life-saving operations & services daily (as do Doctors & Nurses etc). So why is it that they can get obscene salaries for siting on a couch or behind a desk & just talking etc? Just shows how the CEO's etc value the work done by their comperes! So much for a "fair days pay for a fair days work", which is what almost all Australian workers have as their mantra. NONE of these TV announcers/personalities/compares "deserve" any where near the obscene amounts they get!
If I ever watched today it was because of Lisa. I cannot stand robotic Karl. I think channel 9 know they’ve been caught and today has well and truly jumped the shark now. My mum actually said “after the block finishes I’m done watching channel 9 because they don’t support equality”. Whilst it was somewhat silly, she has a valid point. And it does make you think twice about switching on