Channel 7 identify culprits behind leaked video of newsreaders
Channel 7 has reportedly identified the culprit behind a leaked video of presenters Mike Amor and Rebecca Maddern making disparaging remarks about Novak Djokovic.
While preparing to read the 6pm news in Melbourne on Tuesday night, Amor and Maddern were caught letting their feelings about Djokovic known while off-air.
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“Whatever way you look at it, Novak Djokovic is a lying, sneaky, a***hole,” Maddern said.
“It’s unfortunate that everybody else stuffed up around him. To go out when you know you’re Covid-positive - well, I don’t think he was even Covid-positive …”
Amor also labelled Djokovic an “a***hole”, saying: “You’ve got a bulls**t f***ing excuse and then he fell over his own f***ing lies, which is what happens right? That’s what’s happened."
After the video was leaked and went viral on social media, Channel 7 slammed the "underhanded, cowardly act" of vowed to deal with the perpetrator "accordingly".
And it looks like Seven have identified the culprit, with The Australian reporting that caption company Ai-Media is to blame.
Ai-Media provides the captions for Channel 7 shows, as required by federal legislation for viewers with hearing impairments.
The Australian is reporting that all Channel 7 employees have been cleared of wrongdoing, with Ai-Media chief executive Tony Abrahams leading an investigation.
A timestamp visible in the top right-hand corner of the footage reportedly led Seven bosses to Ai-Media.
The timestamp does not appear on internal video outputs at Channel 7.
Ai-Media conducting investigation into leaked video
Ai-Media is said to be conducting interviews with staff and IT network tracing to determine who recorded and distributed the video.
On Wednesday morning, Seven's Network Director of News and Public Affairs Craig McPherson said in a statement: “The illegal recording was of a private conversation between two colleagues.
“It was an underhanded, cowardly act in breach of the Victorian Listening Devices legislation the perpetrator of which will be accordingly dealt with when found.”
Channel 7's managing director Lewis Martin said on 3AW radio: “We are going to have an outcome. What has happened here is illegal.”
Maddern only re-joined Channel 7 last week after leaving Channel 9.
Speaking to Yahoo Sport Australia on Wednesday, an industry insider said Seven might see some unintended benefits from the leaked video.
"Is it a crisis for Channel 7? Doubt it," the TV veteran said.
"The reality is it makes your newsreaders look like the average person in the street. There's plenty of ordinary people out there saying Novak is an a***hole.
"It's given them some street cred and I don’t think Seven would be too worried."
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