MEAA is concerned that Network 10 is embarking on a round of redundancies that will strip newsrooms and deprive audiences of local news.
MEAA said the loss of jobs, particularly editorial positions, will limit the amount of essential news and information available to the communities the network is supposed to serve. The decision to cease weekday news bulletins from Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide and replace them with bulletins originating in Sydney and Melbourne shows enormous disrespect to viewers.
MEAA Media acting director Adam Portelli said: “The end result of these cuts is that viewers will simply seek their news and information somewhere else.
“When the network was taken over by ViacomCBS three years ago this month, it was hoped that Network 10 would finally enjoy stability and an injection of new ideas. Despite the best efforts of staff who have constantly struggled to do more with less, we are now seeing deep cuts that have cruelled the hard work done by so many loyal employees.
“Concerningly, under the restructuring being introduced by management, we now have the prospect of sports journalists having to film their own news stories. That’s a slippery slope that presents a real danger for news presentation in Australia,” Portelli said.
MEAA will meet with members at Network 10 and will continue to support them during this restructuring.
