The TEN News staff job matrix
A confidential "checklist" of TEN News journalist skills has emerged amid debates about redundancies, forced or otherwise.
- Published by David Knox
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- Filed under News
TEN News staff are making news themselves today as various media cover the exodus, phrased as either voluntary redundancies or forced redundancies depending on whose version you buy.
According to Brisbane Times the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) says 10 senior staff have been made redundant but were unsure of details.
“We’re seeking feedback from people at the moment. We’ve had a lot of comment and a lot of inquiries this morning,” a spokesman said.
“Once we collate the details we can decide the best way forward.”
What is confirmed is that TEN began discussions with staff about voluntary redundancies in a bid to reduce costs, following its Full Year Financial Results presentation in October. But it has never clarified how many redundancies would be involved.
TEN said it was establishing a centralised news desk, but would continue to produce state-based news around the country. It was a big U-Turn from the network actively hiring journos for its News revamp of 2011, which ultimately failed to resonate with viewers.
MEAA said in October TEN was looking to cut about 100 journalists, camera and producer positions, or about one-third of its national newsroom.
Journalists had until Wednesday to apply for voluntary redundancy -Eddy Meyer and finance presenter Jacqui Maddock already having taken redundancy.
But The Australian reports TEN didn’t get enough applications so forced redundancies have begun. TEN corporate spokesman Neil Shoebridge, himself a former AFR journalist, denied this.
“There have been no forced redundancies,” he said.
The Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance and the CPSU say they will pursue action through Fair Work Australia because of what they say was the forced redundancy of 10 staff in Brisbane today.
A private and confidential “checklist” of skills has also emerged, rating each journalist on Performance, Skills, Competencies, Experience and Individual Attributes. It measures on everything from “Generating story ideas” to “News gathering technology.”
MEAA is even hosting a sample of the “Network TEN Selection Matrix” here. Even with its blank lines it’s a pretty damaging document.
The Australian also raises questions about staff numbers being significantly affected in Perth and Adelaide, with state news director positions already having disappeared.
When TV Tonight asked TEN for comment regarding the media stories, a TEN spokesperson issued the following statement:
“Local news will not suffer as a result of the changes to our News departments. TEN News At Five will continue to be broadcast locally from each market; will continue to employ local presenters, reporters, cameramen and so on; and will contain a significant amount of local content. The current changes will enable us to bring the best of local, national and foreign coverage to our viewers, in all states. The misinformation being spread by some parties is just that: misinformation.”
The number of redundancies remains unclear and whilst TEN denies any forced redundancies have taken place, this overlooks that forced redundancies may yet take place.
TEN recently posted a $12.9 million loss for the year to August 31.
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- Tagged with TEN News, Ten News at Five
12 Responses
@ David
Ten shareholders do indeed have a scorecard on management, it’s called the ASX share price and in the past 12 months it’s gone from 80 cents/share to 29 cents/share. Only executive managers and board room boys/girls can impact a share price to that extent.
Seeing the newsrooms decimated gives me no joy as the local (WA) 5pm news on Ten is a fav of mine. Narelda Jacobs is, imo, one of the best newsreaders in the country.
Have I missed something – is TEN messing around with The Project’s airtime again? And The Simpson’s is back??
I just find it outrageous that Lachlan Murdoch has not been hauled over the coals for the debacle he has created. Any other executive that has done what he has, would have been ripped by every media outlet in the country.
Obviously News Ltd isn’t going to touch him but is Fairfax that scared? It is just basic journalism to cover someone that has taken a company and destroyed it like he has. Not only has he destroyed it financially but also managed to squash the morale out of the entire place – awesome work Lachy.
Great work!
I like Ron Wilson doing the news…but I am sure I read somewhere that he was supposed to have been handed a pink slip also…I hope not.
Wow did I jump the gun on this one, with my earlier comment on November.2nd 3.43pm. re:- the item “TEN shareholder sells up”.
My comments there are based around some personal experience, and could equally apply to this particular item.
David Knox may be surprised and pleased with me, as my comment here is simply…….
Ditto Ditto Ditto……………………………..
Losing senior reporters such as Meyer and Maddock is a huge mistake. The young, inexperienced reporters particularly in Sydney are cringeworthy.
Bill Woods name has been mentioned as a casualty. He’s a talented journalist but I’d much prefer Ron Wilson co-hosting with Sandra Sully.
$12.9 million debt? $1million of that is Paul Henry. Ditch him and breakfast and half the debts gone. Stop sending Hamish MacDonald around the world to make the equivalent of music videos and that will save some cash too.
Agree that some space for personal commentary would be good but scorecard wise this is what happens every six months at many corporates (performance reviews). It is really that this particular document was made public and I’m sure it is not the worst one out there.
Im sure all the commercial networks have a form of these. Is anyone suggesting that these have been drafted in the last couple of weeks to assist management? Any sensible organisation would keep track of their employees’ performance.
Agreed its not a good look and there should be no forced redundancies but I don’t think this document is part of the story.
A scorecard for management is exactly what is needed, definitely wouldnt be getting a “ten” from anyone
Because it doesn’t exactly support the line that all the redundancies are voluntary. A scorecard also isn’t as generous as a literary document either. Heaven forbid TEN’s shareholders had a scorecard on management right now….
Why is it a damaging document?
Every major organisation needs a criteria to appraise staff performance. The categories on the checklist seem to be consistent with what ten would expect from their journalists.
there is an old saying. If it ins’t broken don’t fix it. sadly channel 10 went to the workshop got carried away pimped out there ride and now no one really feels safe getting on board.
There have been way to many changes and putting the Simpsons back on ten at 6pm weeknights wont change a dam thing. the damage has been done.
leave the Simpsons on eleven and focus on more Australian content for Ten. news at 5 could extend by 30 minutes and run more national and international stories before handing things over the project.