Media Watch host Paul Barry took the opportunity to fire some barbs at ABC management and noticeably omitted a short-lived former managing director during his farewell episode.
The veteran presenter sent shockwaves through the broadcaster earlier this year when announce he would step down as host of the staple of the ABC’s Monday night line-up after 11-and-a-half years with award-winning investigative journalist Linton Besser to take over next year.
In his final episode, Barry admitted that ‘several executives at the ABC have wanted me sacked’ during his time on the show.
‘But they left and I survived as did the program and I need to thank the ABC for that,’ he said.
Barry went on to personally thank two managing directors- Mark Scott and David Anderson, that bookended his second stint on Media Watch but left out the middle one, Michelle Guthrie.
Ms Guthrie was unceremoniously sacked in 2018 halfway through her five-year term and later took legal action against ABC over her firing, which was settled out of court.
‘What a mess,’ Barry tweeted at the time about her sudden departure.
‘Are the staff going to mourn her passing?’ he rhetorically asked in another tweet.
Media Watch host Paul Barry has signed off from the show for a final time
‘I think the answer’s “no”… Are we losing a passionate advocate for public broadcasting? Again the answer’s “no”, I think.’
Ms Guthrie moved Australia from Singapore to take over the ABC in 2016 after being headhunted from her senior job with search engine Google under the then Coalition government of Malcolm Turnbull.
Her cost-cutting approach angered ABC staff after $43 million was removed from an enhanced news gathering service.
Under her leadership 200 middle-management staff were retrenched, with the savings put into a new $50 million Great Ideas Grant, in which different divisions could bid for funding.
Another 20 capital city newsroom journalists were later sacked to make way for new digital and regional reporters.
She was then slammed by high-profile Melbourne ABC radio mornings presenter Jon Faine at the Melbourne Press Club for her ‘failed strategy’ and ‘staying silent’ after the Turnbull government freezed funding for the ABC by $84 million over three years.
Barry thank two ABC Managing Directors who oversaw his time on the show but omitted to mention the other one, Michelle Guthrie who was sacked in 2018
Ms Guthrie’s digital-first strategy saw the ABC spend $2 million promoting its online stories on Google and Facebook.
The ABC, long accused of left-wing bias by conservatives, angered then Communications Minister Mitch Fifield after chief economics correspondent Emma Alberici wrote an article condemning company tax cuts.
The analysis piece was found by an ABC review to have contained nine factual errors or omissions of fact, including the allegation big companies like Qantas hadn’t paid corporate tax, when in fact the airline had made a loss for several years.
Then-ABC chairman Justin Milne allegedly emailed Ms Guthrie at the time demanding that she sack Alberici.
Ms Guthrie also introduced a system whereby bosses would be rewarded with ‘well done’ cards, as part of a thank you system that saw them treated like toddlers.
Paul Barry was in a reflective mood in his production office at Sydney’s ABC headquarters before filming his farewell episode of media Watch
It featured a character called Larry, to help improve the morale within the ABC, and reward individual efforts.
A new lifestyle website ABC Life was launched, which commercial media said was encroaching on their territory.
Some comedy programs commissioned on by Ms Guthrie were controversial, with the quickly-axed Tonightly program airing a distasteful skit which called an Australian Conservatives by-election candidate, Kevin Bailey, a ‘c***’.
Barry opened his last Media Watch episode recalling his first stint hosting the program in 2000, where he had run-ins with then-controversial ABC boss Jonathan Shier.
‘He (Mr Shier) was a disaster, fattening management, cutting programs and creating fear and confusion with the media agreeing,’ Barry recalled.
An emotional Barry teared up backstage after filming his final episode of Media Watch
‘So, I decided to devote an episode of Media Watch to that criticism and to interview ABC chairman Donald McDonald, whose board had picked Jonathan Shire for the top job. I asked him if he was regretting his choice.
‘People told me I was brave. People told me I was stupid. People told me I would be sacked and I was well, my contract was not renewed thus proving that an independent Media watch is never guaranteed.’
Media Watch was cancelled in 2001 despite a protest strike by ABC staff.
After Mr Shier’s departure it returned to the ABC line-up the following year hosted by journalist and author David Marr.
‘It is remarkable that any broadcaster tolerates a program that rips into it as we have done,’ Barry said.
Barry, who was shown wiping away tears in backstage photos taken after the show ended, wound up with a few more thanks.
He singled out executive producer Tim Latham ‘as wonderful to work with’ but noting he would also not be at the show next year.
‘Thanks to all the people who’ve put this program to air week after week, year after year,’ Barry said.
‘They’re friends I have made not lost and it really has been a team effort next year.’
Barry also announced spin-off webisode series Media Bites would not be made next year as he wished Besser the best of luck taking over the prime gig.
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