News.com.au editor-in-chief Penbo: Kyle Sandilands is a misogynist
News.com.au’s editor-in-chief David Penberthy has joined the growing row over Kyle Sandilands’ attack on journalist Alison Stephenson, accusing the Today Network presenter of being a misogynist.
As Mumbrella reported last night, Sandilands launched into a highly personal attack on the journalist after she reported on poor viewer reaction to his new television show Kyle & Jackie O’s Night With The Stars.
Sandilands described Stephenson “a fat slag” and “a piece of shit” and told her that if she didn’t watch her mouth he would hunt her down. He also made comments about the size of Stephenson’s breasts.
Today Penberthy responded to the attack his staff member with a posting on News Limited’s comment site the Punch, describing Sandilands as “a dead-set, rolled-gold, card-carrying dickhead”.
Penberthy added: “I have never had the misfortune of meeting this oxygen thief. I have worked with a number of people who have upset him and been on the receiving end of one of his sprays. The thing which is really interesting is that, in every case, these people have all been women.
He went on:
“When Kyle gets upset he has a pathetic habit of not picking a fight with the male bosses of media organisations but the female reporting staff employed in junior or mid-ranking levels for those organisations.
“It is the mark of his misogyny and the mark of his gutlessness. In the past decade he called former Sydney Confidential columnist, now Woman’s Day editor Fiona Connolly ‘a fat toad’ when she was pregnant. He was just as abusive towards another Confidential writer, Holly Byrnes.”
Penberthy concluded: “Why does anyone employ him? Why would any brand advertise itself on his shows?
The bloke is a piece of shit. ”
In a further sign that the senior editorial ranks of News Limited are taking the attack on their staff member personally, a news story about the attack appears under the byline of news.com.au editor Paul Colgan.
Colgan reports that show sponsor Holden has moved to distance itself from the comments. He reports a Holden spokesman as saying: “Kyle Sandilands’ comments do not on any way reflect the views or opinions of Holden and we are very disappointed to hear his personal attack on a journalist. We have raised our serious concerns with the station directly.”
The story is currently dominating the news.com.au home page.
Meanwhile, Southern Cross Austereo has this morning deleted the comments from yesterday’s audio podcast of the show.
Tim Burrowes founded Mumbrella in 2008. He worked on Mumbrella until 2021. At various points he was editor, content director and editor-at-large.
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Great article. Good on you, Penberthy!
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All of a sudden I love News Ltd., telling it like it is….
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What a charming man.
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“Why does anyone employ him?”
Says a News Ltd mouthpiece who forgets his employer has employed him to write in the Sunday Tele the last few weeks …
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The silence from Southern Cross Austereo is deafening. This is an opportunity for the new management team to show they have some ethical standards.
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Why is it ok for Penbo to call someone a “piece of shit.”, but not OK for Kyle to call someone a “fat slag”.
Penbo and News trying to take the high ground is laughable. They’re gutter trash journo’s and his response has proved that.
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god he is scum- ye fucking gods he is scum
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Comment #4 – the fact that Kyle started it, opens the door for a response don’t you think?
I’m not a fan of News but in this instant, a genuine no PR spin, response has made me smile.
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Seriously Anonymous do we have to spell it out for you.
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Firestarter: I think it was about 3rd grade the ‘he started it’ excuse stopped working. Perhaps everyone involved needs to go back to primary and learn fundamental human interaction etiquette or basic manners as we used to call them.
Kyle really does need a good smack in the mouth though.
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Does anyone reckon it’ll stop here? Check this out: http://www.smh.com.au/entertai.....1ntwi.html
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@ Tim any reason my previous post has not been published seems fairly innocuous compared to what others have written? It was : The silence from Southern Cross Austereo is deafening. This is an opportunity for the new management team to show they have some ethical standards.
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News Ltd taking the moral high ground.
What a joke.
They would have needed a map and compass to get there.
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Just so you all know, Chopper Read has challenged Sandilands to a fight on twitter. He has also sated that he will smack Kyle so hard that he will “have to stick a toothbrush up his arse to brush his teeth” twitter.com/realchopperread
Can we all rally to make this happen? It would make for some great television.
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Why are we all so shocked when a “shock jock” shocks?
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“Can we all rally to make this happen? It would make for some great television.”
The problem with that is Kyle has a great face for radio only….
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I can’t quite believe that an editor-in-chief (David Penberthy) would go so far as to be quoted calling anyone – even the DETESTABLE Kyle Sandilands – “a dead-set, rolled-gold, card-carrying dickhead” or “oxygen thief” but I LOVE IT!
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This guy clearly doesn’t read the comments posted on News Ltd websites every day, make Kyle’s comments sound like a compliment.
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Well done penbo. Couldn’t have said it better.
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Don’t know why News Ltd and talkback radio are complaining. The things they publish and air about the PM is as demeaning and misogynistic as Kyle’s comments.
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#9 – AN
Go on, spell it out for me then.
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Pfffft! Couldn’t help laughing the sheer hypocrisy of these comments. Oh for Christ’s sake – you all suddenly get on your moral high-horses when it comes to someone telling it like it is in a way that gets public attention? You all milk this system for what it’s worth – many of you drive expensive cars and rake in huge salaries, then take a ludicrous moral position? You work in advertising and “journalism” (and yes, we see the crap you peddle as ‘intellectual worth’ every day). Guess what? it’s NOT! Few people are buying it anymore. The Telegraph (for instance) was probably the FIRST to condemn Jackie O and her caring of her baby in the gutter press – such a cruel and obnoxious article to any young mother. You think we’ve forgotten Penbo??!
Journo’s and ad peeps (especially those from the gutter press like News Ltd – Levenson Enquiry anyone?) have been peddling this shit for years. Admen, and women, just in case you feel offended – have tried to take a moral position in every space in society – except they can’t because they actually always want to sell you stuff at the end of the day – it’s what they’re paid to do after all.
At least it’s an authentic opinion – more than most people and agencies offer these days. And yet, you still have the sheer audacity to complain? Beggars belief in my eyes.
Ignoring the Telegraph and 50% of advertising agencies would do so much more to make Australia a better place…I don’t agree with (all) Kyle’s comments, but they are no worse than the crap, blinkered, racist, homophobic and brainless articles that Australian tabloids – and the lame ads that agencies create for that matter – print and thrust upon us every day.
The gutter press and advertising creatives are the LEAST qualified people on the planet to comment! You guys earn your living on focus-group formed stereotypes.
Where’s the outrage on these occasions?
Go figure…
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“Meanwhile, Southern Cross Austereo has this morning deleted the comments from yesterday’s audio podcast of the show.”.. that really is the most telling bit. After all his crap about freedom of speech, his own bosses have deleted yesterday’s comments.
Freedom of alt-delete??
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Its perfectly acceptable for news.com.au to profit from the racial vilification of members of the public by Andrew Bolt. But its not ok for Sandilands to have a crack at their staff. So News Ltd’s position is, racial vilification of public – ok, sexisms against journalists – not ok.
Could someone tell them they are both not ok?
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