As Nine Entertainment begins consultation on structural changes across its Streaming and Broadcast division, staff have been warned that potential job cuts are on the way.
In an email sent to staff this morning (November 10th) and sighted by Mediaweek, Managing Director, Streaming & Broadcast, Amanda Laing, confirmed the leadership team has spent recent months reviewing the division’s operating model as it looks to “reduce duplication, drive greater collaboration and deliver commercial growth for the Nine Group.”
The note said the review has placed “particular focus” on News, Sport, Stan, Marketing and Creative functions, with consultations beginning today for some individuals whose roles are expected to be impacted.
“While only some teams and individuals are impacted by this, I ask you to be cognisant and mindful of your colleagues as we navigate this change,” Laing wrote.
She added that Nine’s employee wellbeing platform, Sonder, is available to support staff, and that the company is “committed to finalising this process as quickly as possible, whilst respecting the appropriate consultation process.”
The internal announcement came days after Nine CEO Matt Stanton addressed shareholders at Nine’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), delivering his strongest warning yet about the damage artificial intelligence could inflict on the industry.
Responding to a question from the Australian Shareholders Association’s Don Adams, Stanton said global tech giants were “scraping and stealing” Australian content and that urgent intervention was needed to protect jobs and newsroom viability.
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“We’re paying for journalism, but the revenue is flowing elsewhere,” Stanton said. “There needs to be an intervention. These are global players doing this, and we feel very strongly about it.”
While Stanton reaffirmed Nine’s “strong financial position,” he acknowledged that cost-cutting and structural changes would need to strike a delicate balance between efficiency and editorial strength.
“As we go through this process, we need to achieve the right level of efficiency while maintaining the strong content creation we’re known for,” he said.
The changes follow an ongoing restructure within Nine’s content and commercial arms, as the company looks to streamline operations and unify its broadcast and streaming businesses under a single leadership framework.
Laing told staff they would hear more from divisional leaders “over the coming days,” with the group set to reconvene next week.