New Seven boss wants to move on from ‘a few bad apples’

Seven West Media’s new boss, Jeff Howard, has warned he is willing to weed out staffers who show poor judgment or engage in unacceptable behaviour, promising a clean slate after “a few bad apples” tarred the media company.

Howard, who officially took the reins at the embattled media company on Friday, told staff in an email that Seven would not tolerate a “win at any cost” culture, after the actions of its under-fire news division has faced intense public scrutiny.

Reflecting on what he labelled “a difficult few weeks”, Howard said in the email, seen by this masthead, that he would not hesitate to “move people on” if they were found to be in breach of the “frameworks or expectations of what is considered appropriate” at the company.

“If poor judgment or unacceptable behaviour persists, or is outside our comfort zone, we will investigate. If necessary, we will have to move people on. The best organisations will do that without fear of retribution by competitors.

“Our great people don’t deserve to be tarred with the same brush as a small number of bad apples,” Howard said in the email.

He added that he didn’t drink much alcohol, hasn’t ever used drugs, and never drinks coffee.

“I’ve never smoked. I don’t use drugs. Never have, never will. Call me boring, but I don’t even drink coffee.”

Howard’s predecessor at Seven West, James Warburton, took part in his last board meeting with chair and majority shareholder Kerry Stokes and directors at Stokes’ private office in Sydney’s Woolloomooloo on Thursday. He has now left the company, with his final weeks as chief executive plagued by a string of scandals and errors by the network’s news and current affairs division, led by Craig McPherson.

A private spat between current and former members of flagship current affairs program Spotlight led to allegations coming to light of the efforts the show went to in order to secure a two-part exclusive interview series with Bruce Lehrmann.

In a direct reference to the Lehrmann interviews, Howard told staff the company will “absolutely” be honest about where and when it pays or makes contributions in exchange for securing access or stories.

Seven made public statements rejecting evidence given by former producer Taylor Auerbach at Lehrmann’s defamation trial against Network Ten that Seven reimbursed the accused rapist for cocaine and sex workers while in a negotiation period for the interviews, among other benefits such as accommodation, meals, and a golf trip to Tasmania.

Auerbach is now threatening to sue Seven, Warburton, former commercial director Bruce McWilliam and Spotlight producer Robert McKnight for making those public statements accusing him of lying after Justice Michael Lee’s judgment on the Lehrmann case on Monday. Justice Lee ruled to a civil standard that Lehrmann raped former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins.

Seven West also wrongly identified the Bondi Junction mass murderer as a 20-year-old university student, who is threatening to sue the network, while its attempts to cover up a separate expenses scandal, as revealed by this masthead, also exposed the inner workings of the company at an executive level.

Auerbach, Spotlight boss Mark Llewellyn, senior Spotlight producer Steve Jackson, McWilliam and Warburton have all left Seven. Speculation is rife within senior circles, according to multiple staffers not authorised to speak publicly, that McPherson’s position is considered “untenable” when his division has caused such controversy.

“7News have let us all down,” one of the senior executives told this masthead. “It’s been mistake after mistake.”

Seven’s share price jumped to a month-long high on Thursday of 21¢. It sat at 20¢ as of midday on Friday.

The Business Briefing newsletter delivers major stories, exclusive coverage and expert opinion. Sign up to get it every weekday morning.