Radio broadcaster Ray Hadley faces fresh bullying allegations
7.30
By
Andy Park
Posted 58 minutes ago
Several former staff at radio station 2GB have come forward with fresh allegations of bullying against high-profile broadcaster Ray Hadley.
Key points:
- ABC Grandstand presenter Andrew Moore says he was bullied by former colleague Ray Hadley
- Long-time former panel operator Chris Bowen's Facebook post about working at 2GB encourages others to come forward
- This week Mr Hadley said on the air that he takes responsibility for his "former behaviour"
Former colleagues describe Hadley as a man prone to fits of rage who would threaten, bully and intimidate them in the workplace.
Hadley is one of the most powerful voices in the country with a direct line to those in power. Peter Dutton and Tony Abbott have appeared on his show regularly, and as treasurer, Scott Morrison used to appear every week.
ABC Grandstand presenter Andrew Moore has known Hadley for 35 years, and said he experienced his violent temper from the outset.
"My first meeting [with Hadley] was my first day of work experience in 1984 [at 2UE]. I was in Year 10 so I would have been 15," Moore told 7.30.
"He ripped the [tape] machineout, threw it against the wall, smashed into a million pieces …
"That was within the first five minutes of meeting him.
"That was an extreme case that I saw replicated."
Years later Moore worked again with Hadley, this time as a professional colleague doing rugby league commentary at 2GB.
"He's a very hardworking broadcaster. He's been a very successful broadcaster," Moore said.
"As a human being, I think he's a bully. I think he thrives on intimidation … yelling and screaming."
Photo: Andrew Moore says he complained to 2GB management about Ray Hadley's behaviour. (ABC News)
But Moore said the alleged bullying was not always overt, and said the two fell out over a scheduling conflict.
"The last year there, isolation was a kit in his bag that he used with me," he said.
It was Moore's wife who pointed out the psychological toll that work was having on him.
"She was saying, 'No, that's you. You go to bed, you don't talk'," he said.
"It makes you feel weak."
Moore sought help from a psychologist, citing his work with Hadley as a contributing factor to his mental health issues.
"So I eventually went to a psychologist, got told I had anxiety," Moore said.
"I hated going to work. And I hate feeling so weak."
Four-and-a-half years later, he said he was still feeling the effects.
"Just from time to time, when I feel stressed," he said.
"It's just the effect on your wife and your kids.
Moore complained to 2GB management but the complaint ended up in Hadley's hands, who referred to it on the air, according to Moore.
"What I thought were private emails [were] being referred to on air by Ray, laughing about them. Not mentioning me by name, but it was clear, at least to me," he said.
Hadley told 7.30 in a statement: "I don't remember such an incident."
'I went downstairs and nearly vomited'
Former 2GB staff member Jesse Perez said Hadley's conduct extended to those he was not directly working with.
"Ray Hadley had nothing to do with my employment there. He's an on-air presenter. I was working for the newsroom," Mr Perez said.
Mr Perez wrote a satirical article while working for 2GB in 2009 which raised Hadley's ire.
"He didn't really understand the humour. I was called into his studio. That situation felt like I was being fed to the lions," Mr Perez said.
"I was there for about 10, 15 minutes. The timeframe is a bit blurry, but it was essentially a furious diatribe. It was a ferocious amount of rage that was directed at me. Expletives out the wazoo.
"Every possible name under the sun was given to me. He said that he would drag me by my effing ear up to Singo [Macquarie Radio Network shareholder John Singleton], and have me out on my ass.
"I went downstairs and nearly vomited from, like, a panic. It was like my guts fell out of my body because I've never experienced anything of that ferocity in my professional life.
"That would continue for the next few months."
Mr Perez says he reported the behaviour to management.
"[Management] said to me, 'Look, it's really important that we know this stuff, that you communicate this incident to us because we need to know this'. But nothing was done about it."
Hadley's close former colleague breaks his silence
Photo: Ray Hadley and his former personal panel operator, Chris Bowen. (Supplied: Chris Bowen)
Allegations of bullying were initially detailed in a Facebook post by former 2GB staff member Chris Bowen.
Mr Bowen worked as Hadley's personal panel operator for 16 years. Hadley was even master of ceremonies at Mr Bowen's wedding.
"You think you're in the good books with Ray one moment, and then subsequently you're not," Mr Bowen told 7.30.
In 2010 Mr Bowen wrote an email to Hadley to complain about having to wheel Hadley's chair in and out of the studio, a task Mr Bowen said was "degrading".
Hadley shot back in an email: "Do it or find another job."
Mr Bowen said his workplace experience was one of a number of contributing factors leading him to seek mental health treatment.
Hadley was ferocious in hounding politicians into overturning the greyhound racing ban in NSW.
Imre Salusinszky was targeted by Hadley on-air because of his role advising former NSW premier Mike Baird.
"I have a longstanding concern, before any of this arose, about the tendency of the political class, particularly conservative politicians, to regard Hadley as an ally or to give into at least threats," Mr Salusinszky said.
"I think it reflects poorly on them. I think it leads to poor policy. And I also think it reflects a view of the media landscape that's very old fashioned, been completely out of sync with where people are now going for their information and news.
"These guys have to step back. They have to step away while these allegations are seriously investigated because workplace bullying destroys lives and is not on."
Former 2GB broadcaster Jim Ball said action had to be taken against Hadley.
"Hadley needs to go … management should go … they have an opportunity to clean the joint out of the empty suits," Mr Ball said.
'He's got to be accountable'
Moore blamed various management teams at 2GB for a lack of action regarding Hadley.
"He brings in a lot of revenue. They pay him a lot of money and they're going to protect that at all costs," he said.
Moore had mixed feelings about speaking out, remembering Hadley was one of the reasons he wanted to get into radio in the first place.
"Whether it is abuse, threats, isolation, he's got to be accountable for it," Moore said.
Hadley addressed the allegations on the air this week.
"I took responsibility for my former behaviour, which has been well-documented. I gave my word in 2013 to my fellow staff members, the sort of culture I grew up in would no longer be the standard," he said.
Hadley told 7.30 in a statement he did not recall the incidents raised by Moore.
Hadley said on air he did not recall Mr Perez, but later told 7.30 he thought Mr Perez's article was "inappropriate".
"I'd like to make amends with anyone who has been affected by my past behaviour," Hadley said.
Mr Bowen said making a complaint about Hadley to 2GB was "about as effective as setting yourself on fire".
2GB CEO Adam Lang said "the outcome of any complaint, concern or investigation is part of a confidential process between the person complaining, the person being investigated and the company".
In a statement, 2GB said it had received no formal complaints from Moore, Mr Bowen or Mr Perez.
Watch Andy Park's story on Ray Hadley tonight on 7.30.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-04-03/ray-hadley-faces-fresh-bullying-allegations/10958154
