If anyone missed it, there was a new voice in the Nine Network’s commentary team for
the first cricket test between Australia and the Windies at the Gabba in Brisbane.

Mark Nicholas, the bloke sacked two weeks ago today, was back leading
the coverage of the toss and interviews with the captains before play
started. We pointed out how the decision was made by Nine management,
without anyone, from Sam Chisholm down, checking with The Viewer at
Park Street, Kerry Packer.

When he
found out about it, he ordered Nicholas’s reinstatement, and this was leaked to Rebecca Wilson, the Sunday Telegraph
sports columnist and former Chisholm appointee to the NRL Footy Show
(for only one program).

Blame was not laid at the feet of any one
person at Nine. As everyone in TV knows, decisions like that are not
made without being signed off at the very highest level at Nine,
especially with
something as important as the cricket involved, and with Sam Chisholm
in the CEO’s chair.

Wilson
followed up last Sunday by saying that the new contract deal was almost done. And as
we forecast, there was Nicholas on Nine just before 11am Eastern time, talking to Ricky Ponting.