A former employee of monopoly traffic reporters Australian Traffic Network religiously plucked, waxed and shaved before fronting Channel Nine’s Today show cameras, according to a fresh statement of claim lodged with the NSW Administrative Decisions Tribunal and obtained by Crikey.
Jason Bouman, who analysed Sydney traffic at Nine for two years before being pulled from the skies in favour of “hot young blonde” Amelia Oberhardt, has hit back at suggestions he was “dishevelled” and resembled Curly from the Three Stooges, as cruelly alleged by his ex-employer.
Bouman, a 20-year radio veteran, is suing ATN for ageism in a landmark case threatening to shine a light on commercial broadcasting’s dubious cut-throat culture.
“I deny ever looking untidy, unshaven, or like I just woke up on Channel Nine. I showered every morning before arriving for work, and washed my face and hair. I always wore make-up and had my hair waxed and professionally done for Channel Nine. I shaved on a daily basis,” Bouman says.
ATN managing director Bill Pezzimenti and operations manager Jay Flood had allegedly discussed his off-base slapstick likeness: “I was unaware that Mr Pezzimenti told Mr Flood that I looked like Curly from the Three Stooges.”
In what is expected to be blockbuster evidence, the traffic whizz will tender 60 tapes of his reports on Nine to the court when ATN takes the stand in October. He hopes the footage will contradict the unkempt allegations and demonstrate his skill in analysing Harbour city traffic snarls. The C91.3 host is seeking reinstatement, payment of $50,000 in lost wages and an additional $30,000 for hurt, humiliation and stress.
The 87-point rebuttal lodged in the NSW Administrative Decisions Tribunal on Wednesday painstakingly points out alleged flaws and in his former employer’s version of events.
Bouman details a conversation in March with Austereo traffic reporter Brian “Sando” Sanders, in which Sanders told him of a “secret meeting” held at McDonald’s Merrylands with outgoing ATN operations manager Steven Woods. At the chinwag, allegedly held at Woods’ instigation, the duo discussed a damaging text message Woods had previously shown Sando from Pezzimenti that said “Tell me, what are you doing about getting that f-cking fat old c-nt off Channel 9?”
In the statement, Bouman alleges Woods had combed through his initial statement with Pezzimenti and denied ever revealing the text. Sando wasn’t happy: “The last thing I want is to be dragged into this, but I won’t lie, mate. I know what I was shown, I know what I saw, Steve.”
Woods says that if he admitted showing the text to Sanders he would also be sacked. “… I don’t expect you to lie but I’m gone when they find out. He [Pezzimenti] told me if he finds out that I showed you any message, it will be instant dismissal.”
Crikey reported earlier this week that Woods had recently resigned from ATN and was moving to New Zealand with his Kiwi partner.
Woods, Flood, Pezzimenti and Oberhardt have all made statements to the tribunal in response to Bouman’s initial submission unveiled by Crikey on May 24 and eagerly followed up by Channel Seven’s Today Tonight and The Sydney Morning Herald.
But ATN has refused to release its statement publicly — Crikey understands it has demanded all parties to refrain from leaking it on pain of legal sanction.
Still, snippets can be gleaned from Bouman’s response. Woods apparently alleges that Bouman had discussed with him whether “he was attractive enough for television”, a claim denied by Bouman. And ATN’s argument that ATN “chops and changes” reporters to suit requirements appears to be contradicted by other reporters’ longevity that helps build a rapport with viewers.
Bouman also denies leaking information to Sydney Morning Herald gossip columnist Andrew Hornery, claiming that Hornery had contacted him last year on the day of his last shift on Nine with “information he already had”. “A little birdie”, had worded him up, Hornery said.
ATN was sold to a New York-based private equity firm in September. Its parent company dominates eye-in-the-sky traffic reports in Australia and the United Kingdom and in eight Canadian markets.
On Monday, Sydney radio legends John Costello, Nils Gustafson and Don Moxham rounded on the organisation that they claim has been controlled by a management clique led by the New York-educated Pezzimenti, who is paid more than $US1 million a year.
Legal observers contacted by Crikey wondered why the firm was yet to settle the case to staunch the gushing wound of damaging leaks and a subsequent free-for-all in open court.
A spokesman for ATN said this morning that the company wasn’t making “any comment”. When asked why, he said “we can’t disclose that” and then, invoking The Beatles, told Crikey to “let it be”.
SALLYANNE RYAN: Without getting too personal, Bouman “stepping in” after you.. well really be honest you didn’t leave much of a bench-mark, the bar wasn’t so high! Did you ever get a fancy title like “traffic-whizz”? Perhaps not, wonder why that was? Maybe Mr. Bouman didn’t read 100% of his traffic content off the RTA Government website IRIS between reading magazines and doing his nail polish. Or was it due to one of your trade-mark muck ups like reading the UBD commercial on the commercial free ABC – http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/s1998088.htm (nice picture). If I was an advertiser I would be genuinely worried how many other commercials are being read wrong or missed. Easy to pick up the blatantly obvious major mistake of reading a commercial on a ‘commercial free station’ how many other mistakes go un reported ripping off the advertisers every day?
Your argument is…. well it’s just an argument that seems to be more of a public suck-up to your current employer than any rational input to the discussion relating to the very serious allegations before the court of discrimination against your current employer. Isn’t Mr. Pezzimenti the chap you have or had a close friendship with and frequently had lunch with when you were in Sydney? Just a thought here, but maybe your inputs are not completely unbiased or impartial. I don’t understand the connection, or why you cast criticism on the journalist who appears to have only published the statement of claim. Reading Mr. Crook’s last story your employer was given fair opportunity to have input on the allegations and the story but declined. So it’s a low bow you draw that Mr. Crook is ‘committed’ to Mr. Bouman, or do you know something we don’t??? If you have any information proving a commitment or connection you should share it with everyone.
Did I say allegations? Reading the court documents it seems that they are not just allegations… Actual Real Emails from YOUR current employer submitted to the court detailing ageist and discriminatory remarks towards Mr. Bouman along with a raft of other pretty ugly stuff. But I guess as you work for the The Australian Traffic Network, and have a close friendship and understand of Mr. Pezzimenti then you would know better than I that your Managing Director would NEVER make such comments or decisions effecting an reporter, and therefore the emails between Mr. Flood, Mr. Woods and Mr. Pezzimenti must all have be falsified by someone…. Can’t wait for the open-court sessions to see how that one pans out.
As they say there is always two-sides to every story, come October we will find out the real story when the Magistrate will ultimately decide who said and did what and to whom.
I would agree with you that there are other univerSALLY pressing issues for the world to focus on but does that mean we simply ignore issues which “you or others” deem unimportant or less important? Don’t lose sight that any wrong doing (if true) should not be allowed to happen, today Mr. Bouman tomorrow maybe you – would you still feel the same then? And given as you so rightly point out that there are other much more important and pressing world issues I am surprised you took the time to respond at such length to the unimportant issue of Mr. Bouman’s claims. Wonder why you did that? I can’t find any references to letters or blogs from you regarding the industrialisation of meat, but I’m sure you must have taken time to write in detail about this abhorrent consumerism for which we should all be ashamed. I do agree and don’t like the commercial farming of meat, especially when it’s in bulk and as something like a ‘double cheeseburger’, and I am sure we will all pay the price for it. What part of the industrialisation of meat is it that you find abhorrent?
Lastly Kardashian’s I would hardly consider it to be “main stream media”, perhaps entertainment at best – but each to their own.
-SJ
Who gives a flying…?
C’mon Sally. Anyone that has ever worked for that company knows they show little support for their staff and only care about the final figures and how their pay packet looks.
With all reporters working so close together how can you deny that what was done to Jason is unjust and wrong, after all, their track record shows they have a history of it. Have you forgotten that while we were flying together they unfairly replaced Alf while he was away on holidays and without his knowledge? That was wrong then and this is wrong now.
The only loyalty they have is too themselves and its great to see david standing up to goliath when most everyone bows to there strong arming and pressure.
It would be nice to see some backbone and loyalty shown for a fellow reporter in his time of need instead of tucking tail and sitting there eyes down, as is done so well by a few that work there.
You talk about this issue like its unimportant as “there are more universally imperative issues”, and yes of course there are. However Im sure if you were standing in Jason’s shoes then this would be pretty damn important to you. How about showing a little professional courtesy to an ex colleague….. the phrase “if you dont have anything nice to say, dont say anything at all” springs to mind.
pfffft Traffic Whiz?? self proclaimed maybe.
Good job Stephen in opening your first reply with “without getting too personal” then proceed to bag Sallyanne and personally attack her in your first paragraph. Oh, and your attempt at clever sarcasm (univerSALLY) is uninspiring to say the least.