After working at Triple M for ten years and being ridiculously loyal to the brand (in hindsight, a little too loyal), I have one clear message for Marty Sheargold.
See ya later, mate. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
When I was first offered a job at Triple M Sydney, it wasn’t an immediate yes. Just a year earlier, I had left TV to take a gig as executive producer of SCA’s local breakfast show in Newcastle. After years of travelling the world for Getaway (yes, the best job ever!) and chasing reality stars on the sets of The Bachelor and So You Think You Can Dance, I craved change. A quieter life.
And I got it. I adopted a dog, settled into a fun job and even scored myself a sexy soccer player boyfriend. Life was good.
So when my former boss called, asking me to return to Sydney as a senior producer on The Grill Team, I initially declined. What did I know, or care, about NRL and rock music?
But he persisted, convincing me to ‘just come hang with the show for a week’. I had a lot of respect for him, so I agreed. As I drove back to Sydney, I binged old episodes of the show, trying to wrap my head around its vibe.
Jana (centre) fondly remembers the good old days of Triple M of ex-footballers and radio pros. None of the people shown was involved in the poor conduct Jana witnessed at Triple M Sydney
Jana is pictured on her last day as a producer for Triple M before moving into publicity. Her move was prompted by a host’s outburst, for which they later offered a feeble apology via text
By 5am the next morning, I was in a pre-show meeting with Matty Johns, Mark Geyer, Gus Worland, Chris Page and my fellow producers, Matt and Max. As the only woman in a blokey environment, I could have felt intimidated – but I didn’t. These men were like big brothers: kind, generous, funny and fiercely protective.
By Friday, I was packing up my Newcastle apartment, dog in tow, and heading back to Sydney. The boyfriend? Not so much. Faced with the classic ‘it’s me or the job’ dilemma, I chose my career.
And so began the next ten years of my life at Triple M.
The first five years were some of the best of my career. Working with former footy players was refreshing – they brought a ‘one team, one dream’ mentality, putting the show ahead of egos. If someone got too big for their boots, they were swiftly told to ‘pull your head in’ and then it was off to the pub for a beer.
Arguments were settled quickly and laughter was abundant. It felt like being in a locker room, just with microphones. When a reporter, who shall remain nameless, got too fresh with me, the team banned him from the studio. Another time, a guest presenter rudely demanded I fetch her a banana. My ‘big brothers’ weren’t having it. ‘She’s here to run the show, not be your personal assistant,’ they told her.
Merrick Watts deserves a mention, too. He’s an absolute champion behind the scenes.
But then The Grill Team ended after an impressive eight-year run, and everything changed. Like the saying goes, you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone.
What followed was a revolving door of talent where footballers were replaced by comedians. And as, anyone who’s worked behind the scenes with certain talent knows, these ‘funnymen’ can be moody creatures when they’re not performing.
Jana once had a stand-up workstation consisting of a laptop propped up on two slabs of beer. But it wasn’t all fun and games as unprofessional talent were given endless second chances
Before Triple M’s work culture took a plunge, Jana had a great time working on The Grill Team. None of the people shown was involved in the poor conduct Jana saw at Triple M Sydney
Egos were fragile. Alcohol flowed freely. And the line between banter and bullying blurred.
Once a pre-show meeting was disrupted by an on-air talent who wanted to draw everyone’s attention to how perky my boobs were looking that morning. Sadly, those kind of comments were tame compared to other stuff I went on to deal with.
The big bosses would hire these men (whose bad reputations preceded them) and who had to manage the chaos? The producers.
Drunk talent showing up for a live shift? No worries – just get them a coffee and a McDonald’s cheeseburger to sober them up.
F-bomb on air? Hit the dump button. Female co-host getting berated out of jealousy? Keep the show going.
One host was so notorious for his ‘Tuesday blues’ (we all know what that means) that he was allowed to broadcast from home every Tuesday. I wish I were joking.
During a week-long remote broadcast covering a national tragedy, he managed to make three women cry over dinner. His demands were constant, unwarranted and exhausting.
And yet, management turned a blind eye.
The breaking point came when one host, fresh off a scandal, arrived at work in a foul mood. He was embarrassed at being called out by the media for his stupid mistake.
After being embarrassed by a big-name talent, Jana was told to ‘handle it yourself’
So, in front of the whole team, he turned on me.
He accused me of sleeping with a married media personality (I wasn’t). He accused me of disloyalty for somehow not protecting him from himself.
I was mortified. Humiliated. After years of holding this show together – navigating tantrums, covering up drunkenness and enduring his daily chauvinism – this was the thanks I got?
I called one of my bosses immediately. The response? ‘You’ll have to handle it yourself.’ Management had made it clear: keep him on air, no matter what.
By the time I got back to the studio, my tears had turned to flames. I was done.
I confronted him. He cowered. He managed a pathetic apology over text (despite sitting just metres away from me). I demanded he apologise in front of the whole team – the same way he had humiliated me.
The next day, he called a meeting. He apologised (sort of) but ruined it with, ‘We’ve all got to do better.’
Sorry, we?!
That was it. I called a boss in another department and begged for a transfer. She had heard the rumours of his behaviour and moved quickly.
And just like that, my radio producing days were over.
I was war-torn. Exhausted. The fun, brotherly camaraderie of The Grill Team was long gone. And with executives making it clear that talent could get away with anything, I knew there was no fixing it.
So when I woke up in New York yesterday to Marty Sheargold’s moronic comments about the Matildas – yes, they even made the news here – I wasn’t surprised.
The tired, sexist rant of a man desperately clinging to relevance? I’ve seen it before.
When I woke up in New York yesterday to Marty Sheargold’s (pictured) moronic comments about the Matildas I wasn’t surprised
The thing about men like him: they forget to mask their dislike of women sometimes. Whoops, don’t you hate when that happens?
And here’s a slightly unpopular opinion, but stick with me: the teammates who laughed along? I don’t blame them. When you work with difficult talent, you sometimes have to laugh to keep your job. Because management sure as hell won’t back you. So laugh, monkey, laugh.
The only positive thing I will say about this whole fiasco is this. I see a small tide turning. Triple M Sydney is now run by a brilliant female content director who I know personally and suffers no fools; there’s footy players back on the air waking Sydney up with glorious and non-sexist locker room banter; and you’ve got strong women like Liesel Jones making a mark on Triple M Brisbane. So not all is lost.
But the chauvinism? Marty has publicly proven that it’s still alive and well in our society and on our airwaves – and after working with a few bad eggs over the years, I can’t say I’m surprised.
So go the mighty Matildas! And Marty – what a spectacular own-goal. While you’re lining up at Centrelink, maybe take a moment to fact-check your nonsense. Here’s a head start: The Matildas aren’t just impressive – they’re rewriting history. Their 2023 Women’s World Cup semi-final had 11.5 million Aussies glued to their screens, making it the most-watched TV event in over two decades.
Sam Kerr is Australia’s all-time top goal scorer with 69 international goals, while Clare Polkinghorne holds the record for the most caps of any Australian player, male or female. They’ve won an Asian Cup, dominated Oceania, and packed stadiums across the country, proving time and time again that they’re not just deserving of respect – they demand it.
So, if you still think women’s sport isn’t worth the hype, maybe it’s time to stop embarrassing yourself and start paying attention.
Or, you know, just keep hammering that nail into your c***. Either/or…
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .