ABC finally apologises to Gina Rinehart after airing disgusting joke about her that even Leigh Sales described as nasty
ABC's managing director Hugh Marks has apologised to mining billionaire Gina Rinehart after the broadcaster aired a segment attacking her, prompting a backlash so severe that even ABC presenter Leigh Sales publicly called it "nasty". The controversy stems from the ABC's filmmaking competition series Race Around the World, in which aspiring Australian filmmakers travel the globe producing short films, and it has raised fresh questions about editorial oversight at the national broadcaster.
The offending segment was a four-minute entry by contestant Kate McGuinness, titled "A Very Relaxing Video", which was broadcast on 12 July and took an unexpected turn near its end into a foul-mouthed attack on Rinehart. The piece prompted significant public outrage, leading to ABC's managing director issuing a formal apology to Rinehart over the content.
- ABC boss Hugh Marks apologised to Gina Rinehart over on-air attack.
- Segment aired during Race Around the World filmmaking competition, 12 July.
- Presenter Leigh Sales called the content "nasty".
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ABC's Race Around the World is a filmmaking competition series in which up-and-coming Australian directors travel abroad to make short films, which are then broadcast and judged. Gina Rinehart is one of Australia's wealthiest people, having built her fortune through the mining company Hancock Prospecting, and she is a prominent and sometimes divisive figure in Australian public life. Hugh Marks is the managing director of the ABC, Australia's publicly funded national broadcaster, and is responsible for its editorial standards.
The row centres on a short film submitted by contestant Kate McGuinness, which aired on the ABC and included content mocking Rinehart. Because the ABC is funded by taxpayers and required to meet certain editorial standards, complaints about content broadcast under its name often prompt scrutiny of its internal review and approval processes.
Leigh Sales is a well-known ABC journalist and former presenter of its flagship current affairs programme 7.30, giving her comments on the matter added weight within the broadcaster. The episode has become part of a wider, recurring debate in Australia about impartiality, editorial standards and accountability at the ABC.