Kim Williams admits ‘inappropriate’ comms in Media Watch exposé
ABC board chair Kim Williams has admitted he acted inappropriately and used gratuitous language, but denied editorial interference, after his pushing of a veteran comedian came to light on Media Watch.
Comedian Austen Tayshus, real name Sandy Gutman, had a hit comedy single Australiana in 1983, and has been touring pubs and clubs since its 40th anniversary.
According to a Media Watch report on Monday evening, this tour has been given a significant leg-up through promotional interviews on various ABC programs, which came due to Gutman’s personal association with ABC chair Kim Williams, who the program refers to Gutman’s “man on the inside.”
Gutman claimed a 40-year friendship with Williams, telling Media Watch, “I asked him if he could get a couple of interviews. He did.”
Williams denied the pair have a personal relationship.
Kim Williams
Since July last year, Gutman has received “more than 90 minutes of free publicity on the public broadcaster in no fewer than 11 segments, all of which promoted specific upcoming gigs.”
According to Media Watch, Williams personally intervened numerous times when Gutman was denied interviews on regional ABC outlets.
Williams denies this, telling the program. “I asked for a simple examination of the matters. There was no instruction or suggestion of intervention made.”
His communication, however, prompted ABC’s head of audio Ben Latimer to “tell [Williams] to back off and that Sandy Gutman was out of line”, to which Williams told Media Watch he “took his counsel.”
Williams told Media Watch he “did not … ever ask or seek an inappropriate intervention. That simply didn’t happen.”
Sandy Gutman
In December, Williams again sent an email to both Latimer and senior news division executive Donna Field, after Gutman was knocked back for an interview on a New England station.
“I am of course essentially on his side,” Williams wrote, regarding Gutman. “Our people are often arrogant with talent.”
When approached by Media Watch regards to this email, Williams said: “I acknowledge that it is open to interpretation, however I was referring to what I saw as an offhand manner in dealing with talent. On reflection that was inappropriate.”
When asked to respond to a statement from an unnamed ABC staffer, who referred to it as “an alarming failure of several levels of ABC management who should’ve stood up to the chairperson”, Williams again denied any direct interference.
“I did not at anytime intervene and would never seek to override editorial judgement from local teams,” he responded.
“My comment was about responding to talent. I accept that my comment can be seen as gratuitous. I respect the right of local teams to make any call as they determine is appropriate for their own regional audiences and the personality of their programming.
“Any suggestion that I directly interfered and directed is simply wrong.”
The closest Media Watch got to an admission from Williams was: “If there have been misunderstandings in the process, or erroneous assumptions I genuinely regret that they may have arisen.”
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Nathan Jolly is the Features Editor at Mumbrella. He joined the team in July, 2023.
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Of course it’s the ex News Corp CEO lol
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Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese have made the same blunder in appointing an ABC Chair that seemingly doesn’t understand their role. Ita Buttrose regularly reaching (directly) into day-to-day operations (as exposed by the Antoinette Lattouf cock up) and Kim Williams doing the same in this case. Effing amateur hour!
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Beggars belief that Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese made the same blunder in appointing an ABC chair with seemingly no understanding of the fundamentals of their role. Ita Buttrose reaching directly into day-to-day management matters in the Antoinette Lattouf debacle and Kim Williams doing exactly the same in this instance. Amateur hour!
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