What's New August 24, 2012

Vizard “threatens the integrity of the station”

With Steve Vizard being confirmed as the fill in host for Denis Walter for 2 weeks, 3AW’s Neil Mitchell has come out saying that management’s decision “threatens the integrity of the station."

In the below video Mitchell also said…

”I don’t blame Steve for wanting the job, I don’t blame him for this. It’s his right, he’s entitled to work as he wishes. But the fact is I believe Steve Vizard is still in disgrace in this town.”

"I think that access to a microphone is a great privilege. I think in many ways, particularly for you, the audience, it is more important than being a director. And if he's not a fit and proper person under the law to be a director, he's not a fit and proper person to have the privilege of using a 3AW microphone or the airwaves."

Watch the video below….

Yesterday Derryn Hinch said…

"Many commentators, me included, said he should have gone to jail.”

"He knows he was lucky to strike the money deal that kept him out of (the) clink.

"I believe that hiring him to appear on this station while still deemed a business pariah is an insult to our listeners. For starters, how the hell is he going to do the money advice segment?

"And I've told them quite forcefully I think they're wrong and I've told them quite forcefully I think they're potentially damaging the radio station. In making that decision, if you put us all together they've ignored almost 100 years of broadcasting experience."

3AW GM, Shane Healy told The Age he knew the decision to appoint Vizard would be a controversial one.

"The point I made to Neil when we were discussing it, because I gave Neil the heads up, is how long do you keep punishing someone? I just reckon it's reasonable to bring him back at this time. And he's good. If we'd done it one, two or three years after (Vizard was punished) you could have formulated that (integrity) argument, but this is seven years on. He got 10 years on the director's path, but that was a specific penalty. It wasn't for living his life or being an entertainer."