It's network war on ice

Foxtel today issued a media release blasting Nine's coverage of the Winter Olympics and accussing the free-to-air network of missing Torah Bright's gold-medal ceremony. Here's Nine's response.

A press release issued by Foxtel's public relations department this afternoon criticising the Nine Network's coverage of today's Winter Olympics action is both erroneous and inflammatory.
Foxtel CEO Kim Williams has subsequently apologised to Nine CEO David Gyngell regarding the contents of the release, which Mr Williams described as "disgusting", along with an undertaking that such behaviour will not be repeated.
In its release a Foxtel spokesperson asserted that Nine had been in a commercial break during the "history making award ceremony" for gold medalist Torah Bright, and that Nine presenter Ken Sutcliffe had minutes later presented that ceremony as "live".
The later assertion is totally false, as the record shows. And the event referred to was in fact a flower presentation ceremony - not the medal presentation which Nine will cover live tomorrow.
The Nine Network covered Torah Bright's winning gold medal run LIVE, as it did her first interview, and the first interview with her family. It did take a commercial break after that extended live sequence, but returned with the flower presentation ceremony in full, clearly indicating it had just taken place.
CEO David Gyngell pointed out that Nine was a commercial television station which provides free coverage, but must necessarily schedule ad breaks through extended live coverage.
"Our telecast of the Games has been first class, and the coverage of Torah Bright's fantastic win was entirely appropriate in every respect. Nor do I make any apology for Nine running a Woolworths commercial after her event was completed, and post all the relevant interviews and replays of the event. That is a commercial reality. And Woolworths are a great sponsor of the Games." he said.