Sky News to remain in Qantas lounges as Leyonhjelm outrage continues
Qantas has signalled it plans to resist calls to remove Sky News from its lounges despite continuing controversy over Sunday morning show Outsiders.
Since the weekend, more than 6,000 people have signed an online petition calling on Qantas to stop showing the channel in its lounges.
The petition, aimed at Qantas CEO Alan Joyce, was launched yesterday by former News Corp journalist Shannon Molloy. It followed Sky News guest Senator David Leyonhjelm repeating a slur he made against fellow parliamentarian Sarah Hanson-Young last week.
The remark was also repeated in an onscreen caption.
Sky News is owned by News Corp. Yesterday afternoon it apologised for broadcasting the remarks and suspended a producer, who is reportedly a young woman.
While the channel carries what is generally seen as balanced news coverage on weekdays, its evening and weekend programming is given over to mostly right-leaning commentary, with Outsiders among the most outspoken.
Molloy, who left News Corp for a content role with Amazon Alexa late last year, launched the petition after apparently spotting the attack while in a Qantas lounge.
When Mumbrella asked Qantas a number of questions about the channel, the airline avoided answering them directly, simply saying “We note that Sky has apologised and is investigating”, followed shortly by another response saying: “There’s no change to our arrangement with Sky.”
Mumbrella had asked Qantas if the airline obligated to carry Sky News in the lounges as part of its 2014 inflight entertainment deal. Outsiders is not one of the programs shown on Qantas’ inflight channels.
Although both Fairfax and News Corp newspapers are available in Qantas Club and business lounges, Qantas only makes News Corp titles available as passengers get onto the plane, after a falling out with Fairfax in 2014.
The questions Mumbrella asked Qantas were:
- Is Qantas prepared to review its broadcasting of Sky News in its business lounges?
- Has Qantas had previous complaints about Sky News being broadcast in the lounge?
- The change.org petition currently has 4,000 signatories. Will Qantas be taking it seriously?
- Does Qantas feel Sky News’ weekend and evening programming is consistent with the company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion?
- Is Qantas obligated to carry Sky News in the lounges as part of its 2014 inflight entertainment deal?
- Does Qantas pay Sky News for the right to broadcast into the lounges?
The airline’s terse response is below;
Sky News declined to comment on the relationship.
Outsiders was previously suspended by Sky News after a series of controversies including then co-host Mark Latham verbally attacking ABC broadcaster Wendy Harmer and fellow Sky News presenters Kristina Kenneally and Peter van Onselen.
Peter Van Onselen was one of the media figures leading the criticism of Sky News, pointing out a junior producer had been held liable for the scandal rather than the hosts and the station’s senior management.
Those accountable for that disgraceful show and it's content are the male hosts, the male news director and the male CEO. Not a 25 year old producer writing a strap which says exactly what a senator (disgracefully) said. https://t.co/xONM88RlpR
— Peter van Onselen (@vanOnselenP) July 1, 2018
Others were equally scathing of Qantas with Fairfax columnist, John Birmingham calling out the airline for showing the channel in its lounges.
I don’t often sign petitions but when I do it’s this petition, early and often: Qantas, get Sky News off your screens! – Sign the Petition! https://t.co/OPBv8jfFc2 via @ChangeAUS
— John Birmingham (@JohnBirmingham) July 1, 2018
In response to Birmingham’s tweet, former Federal minister Cheryl Kernot and exiled broadcaster Yassmin Abdel-Magied, herself a favourite target of vitriol from Sky News hosts, told of their experiences in the Qantas lounge.
In the days when I had access to the lounges I would find the remote & change to ABC & then make remote less visible ?
— Cheryl Kernot (@cheryl_kernot) July 1, 2018
This afternoon top Sky News presenter Andrew Bolt and former Prime Minister Tony Abbott called on Leyonhjelm to apologise to Hanson-Young for his comments.
“While the channel carries what is generally seen as balanced news coverage on weekdays, its evening and weekend programming is given over to mostly right-leaning commentary, with Outsiders among the most outspoken.”
Nice understatement. How about idiotic, bigoted and fringe right wing bile?
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The most insincere grovelling (grovelling to management for being naughty boys) you’ve ever seen by those creatures Dean and Cameron tonight. “the apology is made” type of bs. Totally distanced from yourself. Narcissists are incapable of sorrow.
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What an idiotic, bigoted and fringe left wing reply full of bile.
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Yeah why don’t they just call people they don’t agree with “cunts” am I right….
Does this left wing rag sell moving goal posts?
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Not sure I understand why Qantas is coping a backlash. Apparently it’s because this Shannon Molloy guy happened to be in a Qantas lounge while watching this unfold?
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Considering the elderly sausage-fest that is the Quantas lounge – it seems oddly fitting that they should have Sky in there.
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@line well at least the guests can spell the name of the airline.
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Lol, so 6000 ppl who probably never watch Sky News or frequent a Qantas business lounge signed a change.org petition. Nothing like a bit of keyboard warrior virtue signalling to feel morally superior.
Btw Mumbrella, I missed your campaign to have Tonightly taken off the ABC when Tom Ballard called a candidate a c**t recently.
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Is that an achievement?
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I’ve decided to boycott Qantas following their support for Sky News. I’ll fly any airline but Qantas.
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Leyonhjelm could have chosen his words better in the senate. On the other hand, his frustration is understandable. Australia is a country with a gynocentric social policy and media slant. Media reports and legislation are constructed around the gender stereotype that blames men for everything and trivializes the crimes by women. In particular, weaker, more vulnerable men are given little help in society, while vulnerable women are prioritized by the system. Male leaders simply don’t care about vulnerable men as human beings. Leyonhjelm is fighting an entrenched culture of gynocentrism
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Considering Quantas still has employment rules whereby some it’s female staff MUST wear makeup to work and MUST wear high heels to work it’s no surprise they’re hardly championing women outside their workplace.
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But it’s true.
That’s the point of Sky’s evening lineup – target the right wing audience segment with very right wing hosts, views and shows.
It’s not a lie or a secret. It’s Sky’s stated strategy to lift ratings.
Sky After Dark (the cute name for the strategy and portfolio of shows) usually struggles to get 40,000 viewers, so it’s not working well.
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Obviously not an Australian.
We are taught how to spell Qantas in grade 3. It’s an acronym.
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Do you realise that even when you post under different names, you give it away with the spelling? Quantas…
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