EXCLUSIVE
Broadcasting icon Liz Hayes is set to be the latest victim of Nine’s brutal bloodletting, with network executives set to kill off their biggest… True crime series from the star.
Channel Nine sources have revealed that the veteran reporter’s award-winning show, Under Investigation with Liz Hayes, is “under review” and on the verge of being cancelled amid widespread budget cuts and forced redundancies at the network.
Long-time Nine staff said they were surprised by the decision, particularly considering she had just been nominated for a Silver Logie for her work fronting the series.
“If that’s what they’re comfortable doing with the Liz Hayes show, then nothing is off limits,” a troubled network source told Daily Mail Australia.
“Liz is a Nine legend and the face of the network. To even think about cancelling her show is brutal – it means absolutely no one and nothing is safe.”
While Hayes’ show may have gone, the star journalist will remain with the network she first joined four decades ago as a news reporter at Nine’s Sydney headquarters in 1981.
Under investigation with Liz Hayes is ‘under review’ amid Nine’s brutal budget cuts
Nine-star reporter Liz Hayes had hosted the award-winning show for six years.
She’s unlikely to have much free time, as the move will free her up to return to her regular reporting duties on the network’s flagship show, 60 Minutes.
While Hayes has remained the main face of the show, he has largely disappeared from the schedule in recent years as he has turned his attention to his own police investigation series.
Under Investigation had developed a strong following in its Tuesday night time slot since its debut six years ago.
This year, at the Walkley Foundation’s 2024 Midyear Journalism Celebration in June, she received a media diversity award for her investigation into the shooting off Kumanjayi Walker by former Northern Territory Police officer Zachary Rolfe.
“It’s incredibly gratifying to receive this recognition, especially considering the small but mighty team we have assembled at Under Investigation. Our mission is unwavering: to uncover the truth behind challenging and significant cases,” Hayes said at the time.
‘Our programme is about shedding light on difficult and sometimes very dark stories. But it is always about uncovering the truth and, more importantly, offering the families and friends of victims the opportunity to find out what happened to a loved one.
While Hayes’ job at the network is safe, it is understood that several members of the show’s close-knit team have already lost their jobs at the network.
Nine declined to comment on the fate of the program.
Nine Network icon Liz Hayes is expected to return to full-time duties with 60 Minutes
Nine boss Mike Sneesby has announced that hundreds of jobs will be cut at the broadcaster as part of a $30 million cost-cutting plan.
“Of our national team of almost 5,000 people, around 200 jobs are expected to be impacted at Nine, including some vacant and casual roles that will not be filled,” Nine’s chief executive said.
Sneesby has since come under repeated criticism for her “tone-deaf” generosity amid the cuts, including her decision to fly to Paris to carry the Olympic torch ahead of the Games.
He was also criticised for staying in a luxury five-star hotel and spa in the heart of the French capital, while hard-working journalists covering the Olympics were relegated to cheap accommodation in the outer suburbs.
Members of Nine’s management team also booked accommodation at the glamorous, ivy-covered Le Pavilion de la Reine hotel and spa in the heart of the capital’s coveted Le Marais district.
Boasting an “elegant atmosphere” and world-class “understated” luxury, the hotel is located a stone’s throw from the city’s most famous landmarks including Notre Dame, the Pompidou Centre and the Louvre, and includes fitness facilities, spa access and complimentary breakfast.
Nine Entertainment executive Mike Sneesby in Paris with Today show star Karl Stefanovic
Nine’s executive team members have checked into the famous Le Pavilion de la Reine hotel
The luxury hotel and spa offers designer rooms in the heart of one of the city’s trendiest neighborhoods.
Rooms at the exclusive resort cost more than three times as much as the “budget” staff accommodation.
In contrast, journalists and staff were staying in hotels for less than a third of the price, far from the boss’s downtown retreat.
The disparity in accommodation led to an embarrassing televised encounter outside the Sneesby hotel.
“It’s really not the time to have a chat,” the Nine boss said, after being approached by a journalist from rival commercial broadcaster Seven.
“It’s quite simple, should you have carried the torch yesterday?” the journalist persisted as Sneesby walked past him.
The journalist was undeterred and fired more questions at Mr Sneesby, who continued walking without saying anything.
“Is it inappropriate for you to stay in a boutique hotel when you have just laid off staff?” the journalist asked.
Wincing in pain, Mr Sneesby attempted to dismiss the journalist.
“I will meet with my family and…” he said.
“You are the head of a media company, are you here to work or on holiday with your family?” the journalist interjected.
Nine was also forced to defend its decision to fly The Block host Scott Cam to Paris at big expense to promote the upcoming season of the groundbreaking reality show at a time when the network was mired in budget cuts.