Sky News Australia has announced The Adam Giles Show will be reviewed and placed “in recess” after it broadcast an interview with far-right extremist Blair Cottrell.
The channel’s chief executive, Angelos Frangopoulos, also announced that Cottrell, who has previously said he wanted a portrait of Hitler in every school classroom, would “not be back on the channel” after his invitation sparked outrage.
Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust)A statement from Angelos Frangopoulos, CEO Australian News Channel, regarding the Sunday night broadcast of The Adam Giles Show. pic.twitter.com/KLS9AEgXhM
August 6, 2018
The channel’s political editor, David Speers, also delivered an on-air condemnation of the decision, describing Cottrell as a “neo-Nazi”.
“I’d rather not have to talk about internal issues but this is one of those times when something has to be said,” he said. “We’re not the first channel to put Blair Cottrell to air … but that’s no excuse. He should never have been invited on the Adam Giles program last night and someone should have stopped that happening.
“This isn’t about censorship, it’s about avoiding the deep offence and hurt it has caused to give a platform to a self-confessed Neo-Nazi ... legitimising, normalising or mainstreaming these sorts of repugnant views is not OK.”
On Sunday night, Adam Giles, the former chief minister of the Northern Territory, invited Cottrell onto his program to discuss his views on immigration and politics. The far-right leader has previously expressed an admiration for Adolf Hitler, has admitted to using “violence and terror” to “manipulate women”, and has been convicted of violent assault, intimidation and racial vilification.
The channel said on Sunday night it was “wrong” to invite Cottrell, but after sustained anger on Monday, Frangopolous announced that the show would be placed “in recess” and Greg Byrnes, the channel’s news director, would be moved into a newly created role of acting program director.
Kaycie Bradford will be the new acting news director.
“We deeply regret featuring the interview on our channel,” Frangopoulos wrote. “It was an error of judgement.”
Earlier on Monday, former Labor minister Craig Emerson announced he would immediately resign from his role as a Sky News commentator as a result of Cottrell’s interview.
“My father fought Nazis in WWII and was interred in a German POW camp,” he wrote. “The decision to allow neo-Nazi Blair Cottrell onto the channel was another step in a journey to normalising racism & bigotry in our country.”
Last month, the channel also featured frequent interviews with far right figure Lauren Southern during her tour of Australia.
GetUp! (@GetUp)Sky News has apologised but the damage has already been done.
August 6, 2018
Engaging in any discussion with a neo-Nazi only normalises their violence, and equates their ideas to legitimate political discourse.
Craig Emerson has quit Sky News, other commentators should follow suite.
brad esposito 🍃 (@braddybb)
Sky News may have deleted the video, but it lives on inside Blair Cottrell's social accounts. A win for him. pic.twitter.com/k1A1mUXmrH
August 5, 2018
Cottrell has previously been featured on Channel Seven where he was interviewed as a local activist, with no reference to his criminal history or far right beliefs. He was also invited as a guest on ABC’s Triple J Hack program to discuss “patriotism” in 2016.
Giles, a member of the Country Liberal party, served as the NT’s chief minister from March 2013 to August 2016, and was given his one-hour program on Sky News in May.
