16 November 2007

Sammy goes national

| Crikey
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Did any one else see Riot’s former blogger, samuel gordon-stewart , get a mention in today’s Telegraph?

The story read…

CHANNEL Seven’s Today Tonight has been caught out by its own coverage of its stand-off with the Chaser’s War on Everything team.

The first 17 minutes of TT last night was dedicated to an exchange between The Chaser’s Chas Licciardello and TT’s senior reporter Bryan Seymour after the Chaser team were caught ‘‘trespassing’’ in the Martin Place studios.

Footage showed Mr Seymour challenging Mr Licciardello and fellow Chaser colleague Andrew Hansen but unwittingly was filmed in front of a whiteboard listing the names and mobile phone numbers of TT staff members.

An eagle-eyes blogger spotted the blue and alerted
Sydney radio station 2UE who rang a few of the people listed on the whiteboard to alert them to their names and numbers being broadcast on national television.

The blogger, samuel gordon-stewart, says on his site today: “There were other shots where the numbers were even clearer than these shots…one does have to wonder why Seven chose to hold the Chaser team in that location, film the events and then release the footage to the rest of the media, when there were many other more innocuous positions only metres away.

” In an industry such as the media, one would expect an employer such as Seven to be more responsible with the personal details of their staff.”

Meanwhile, Channel Seven’s war with The Chaser intensified overnight with the credibility of Today Tonight host Anna Coren officially declared a joke, after her own management this week successfully argued in court that she’s regarded as just a “performer.”

The demeaning job description for the former
US correspondent, which emerged in legal documents yesterday, was the backhanded way Channel 7 was able to block The Chaser airing its stunt involving the star during last night’s show.

In an expensive bid to stop the skit via a Supreme Court injunction, Seven’s lawyer Dauid Sibtain stated Coren’s involvement as a “performer” meant the ABC would be breaking copyright laws if they reproduced her image without her employer’s consent.

Chas Licciardello and Andrew Hansen from The Chaser’s War on Everything recorded a spoof with the TT presenter, inside Seven’s Martin Place studios on Tuesday.

While the ABC maintained yesterday they were invited in by Coren, Seven executives stepped in to stop the taping, accusing the crew of unlawful trespass.

But the gag did not shut down both network’s publicity teams, who took pot shots at each other via email yesterday. The Chaser’s executive producer Julian Morrow continued the comedy routine with his response.

“We’re stunned that Today Tonight has completely beaten up this story. Who do they think they are . . . Today Tonight?”

Seven appears to have lost its sense of humour over the prank program, despite previously seeing the funny side of skits parodying the network’s news director Peter Meakin and TT’s tabloid TV style.

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I loved how Sam was appalled at the numbers being divulged but felt the need to post the stills (the only usable form) on the web.

green_frogs_go_pop10:12 pm 15 Nov 07

i saw it on facebook. wooo!

Deadmandrinking7:07 pm 15 Nov 07

I just watched it on Youtube. Couldn’t see the numbers since it was pretty blurred, but good on you, Sam. Hammered the final nail into the coffin of that awful excuse for a ‘tables-turned’ piece.

Joe Canberran6:00 pm 15 Nov 07

I don’t think it’s the same Crikey. To my knowledge Crikey’s Christian Kerr has always posted as Christian Kerr when on Riot.

Gungahlin Al5:14 pm 15 Nov 07

Crikey writing for RA now?
Wouldn’t JohnBoy be proud?
We’re in the big league now – have to start behaving…

I don’t think TT could have looked worse if they tried.

As for SGS – hah! Go you good thing.

Absent Diane4:06 pm 15 Nov 07

the funny thing is it sounds like tt were trying to cash in on the chasers popularity and it has back fired completely!! love it

Agreed. I bet the Chaser guys are just loving it – they don’t have to write any material any more; the reality of those twits at TT is far funnier than anything you could make up.

The whole thing was a fucking riot. TT have absolutely no idea what they’re talking about, and just provided the Chaser with more fodder to throw at them.

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