NSW: ABC boss denies he ordered Paul Barry to be sacked

AAP General News (Australia)
12-07-2000
NSW: ABC boss denies he ordered Paul Barry to be sacked

SYDNEY, Dec 7 AAP - ABC managing director Jonathan Shier today denied he had ordered
Media Watch presenter Paul Barry to be sacked, saying the decision was made solely by
the head of television.

Mr Barry said he believed the decision not to renew his contract with the media watchdog
last week was because he had been critical of the ABC.

He also said he had heard Mr Shier was angry at Media Watch's recent hard-hitting interview
with ABC chairman Donald McDonald.

Mr Shier today said he did not interfere with editorial advice and had followed the
recommendation of ABC's new head of television, Gail Jarvis, that Media Watch needed a
new format and presenter.

"The reality is the director of television has a view that that program should be done
differently and would like someone else to do it," Mr Shier told ABC Radio.

"It's her recommendation to me.

"(Barry) obviously finds it, for whatever reason, difficult to accept, that it could
be for any other reason than invervention by whoever, but the fact is it isn't.

"I am editor and chief under the act, so I do ultimately have to take the final decision,
but it's her recommendation that I would normally go with.

"I don't interfere with the editorial advice."

Mr Shier criticised as censorship the decision by ABC staff to blackban people applying
for the job of presenting Media Watch.

"I spent four years in eastern Europe. That's a bit old fashioned, to really put a
ban on anyone replacing Paul Barry is not where we should be," he said.

"I think it would be sad if the union was going to prevent those people applying because
that effectively becomes censorship and effectively we don't have a program."

The controversial managing director said the program would continue in a longer format
and would remain free from interference from ABC management.

"I'm sure (the new presenter) will ask questions of me and I suspect one of the great
risks is whoever now does it will feel duty-bound to criticise me within the few weeks
to prove their independence," Mr Shier said.

AAP dmc/sb/was/bwl

KEYWORD: ABC SHIER BARRY

2000 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.