Jessica Rowe has claimed she wasn’t allowed to open Channel 10 news throughout her prolonged co-anchor stint as a result of she was a lady.
The 52-year-old Australian journalist, who started co-hosting Sydney’s 5pm bulletin alongside veteran Ron Wilson in 1996, made the declare on a particular International Women’s Day version of her podcast The Jess Rowe Big Talk Show.
Rowe mentioned Wilson, now 68, was given the honour of studying the opening story on daily basis for six years till she lastly mustered up the braveness to name it out.
“When I first began, I needed to earn my stripes. But come on, six years into the role,” she mentioned. “I wasn’t going to make a fuss, I wasn’t going to make a noise, but now was the time to stand up.”
The mother-of-two, who’s married to fellow news anchor Peter Overton, then approached an unnamed boss and requested why she was continually being sidelined. She claimed he mentioned to her, “Well lovey, that’s because Ron’s a man and you are a woman.”
Rowe mentioned she consulted the HR division after the encounter, which prompted her boss to permit her to lastly helm the lead story the very subsequent day.
“I was like, ‘Yes!’,” Rowe mentioned.
The sudden change-up reportedly didn’t go down properly together with her co-host, nevertheless, with Rowe claiming Wilson didn’t communicate to her for “around six weeks” afterwards.
“I didn’t care though,” Rowe mentioned. “Get loud. Use your voice and call out discrimination this International Women’s Day,” Rowe completed.
News.com.au has approached Wilson for remark.
A Ten spokesperson mentioned the trade had come “a long way” since Rowe began on the community.
“Today we’re proud to have our national and state news bulletins anchored, produced and edited by talented women and to have men constructively working and collaborating as allies in our newsrooms,” they mentioned.
“This International Women’s Day, we pay tribute to all the women in media, who have been courageous in speaking out against gender inequality.”
Rowe wrapped her internet hosting duties with Ten in 2005 earlier than leaping ship to Nine to co-host Today with Karl Stefanovic – a gig that was additionally marred by claims of sexism.
Rowe was infamously sacked from Today in 2007 after only one yr into the function. Upon getting back from maternity go away, she was abruptly let go over “payment disputes” with the community.
What unfolded afterwards was revelations that then-CEO Eddie McGuire had pushed for her sacking in a gathering with executives.
Rowe and Stefanovic reunited on Rowe’s podcast in mid-2021 for the primary time since they hosted the breakfast program collectively, through which the present Today co-host apologised for not talking up on the time of the injustice.
“You didn’t have a guy next to you who could have helped you and protected you,” a candid Stefanovic mentioned to Rowe.
“I’m here to apologise to you, and I wish I’d been a better man. A stronger man. Not just for you, but for myself.
“Years later, when I was going through my third and fourth wave of [criticism], I was thinking, how did Jess Rowe survive?”
Originally printed as Jess Rowe claims Channel 10 boss wouldn’t permit her to open bulletin: ‘You are a woman’
Source: www.dailytelegraph.com.au
