A senior producer who worked on Channel Nine’s axed show Under Investigation has spoken out about the ‘bulls**t’ he endured while trying to find another job.
David Richardson had produced the award-winning program hosted by veteran journalist Liz Hayes for three years when his time with the network was cut short in May.
Mr Richardson revealed on LinkedIn on Wednesday he’d finally secured a new position ‘after some months of unemployment’.
While the journalist didn’t disclose what his new role was, he took the opportunity to call out the ‘ageist’ culture in the industry.
‘I have to say the past couple of months have been challenging,’ he wrote.
‘The work/employment scene is fraught with ageist c**p and unbelievable bias and bulls**t.
‘The old days of someone making a phone call to hire an experienced operator are over, replaced by multiple interviews, non-replies and companies advertising jobs which are already earmarked or non-existent.
‘It makes a mockery of sites like this designed to promote and assist qualified candidates finds positions, and positive thinking employers find valuable employees.’
David Richardson (pictured right with Cyndi Lauper) had been a producer with the program hosted by veteran journalist Liz Hayes for three years
Mr Richardson added he was ‘relieved’ to no longer be job hunting and wished those well who were still trying to secure a role on sites such as LinkedIn.
He had spent more than two decades working on the now-defunct Channel Seven news program Today Tonight, and was a senior journalist at 7News.
Mr Richardson also won a Kennedy Award for the category Outstanding Team Player in 2018.
Under Investigation is understood to have been scrapped as part of widespread budget costs at Nine designed to trim $30million off the network’s underlying costs.
The move has seen the true crime show’s founding executive producer, Gareth Harvey, switch allegiances – and channels – and take on a senior role with Seven’s investigative Spotlight program.
Hayes is expected to return to fulltime reporting duties at Spotlight’s rival 60 Minutes – though at a drastically reduced rate.
Mr Richardson revealed on LinkedIn on Wednesday he’d secured a new position ‘after some months of unemployment’. Richardson is seen with former model and actress Tziporah Malkah
Daily Mail Australia has previously revealed the veteran presenter is currently on $750,000 a year at the cash-strapped network.
Nine’s extensive budget cuts saw about 200 staffers made redundant from the media giant in August, but more pain is on the way with the company’s acting chief executive Matt Stanton promising to slash a further $50million from its budget this financial year.
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