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In the September 15 episode of Media Watch, presenter Jonathan Holmes charged Razer with "patronising" Berkoff
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Date Posted: 24/11/10 20:26:18
In reply to:
Bridget McManus/October 3, 2008---bored
's message, " " on 24/11/10 20:25:02
CONTROVERSIAL broadcaster Helen Razer has been sacked by 774 ABC Melbourne after three years as host of the Sunday arts program.
- ABC radio sacks Helen Razer
- Decision follows Berkoff interview
- 'Not a knee-jerk reaction'
ABC radio chief Steve Kyte has confirmed that Razer will present her final show before the end of the year.
Advertisement: Story continues below Her termination comes two weeks after a heated exchange with visiting British playwright Steven Berkoff during an interview. The interview prompted a flood of listener outrage and was criticised by ABC television's Media Watch.
Mr Kyte denied the sacking was related to the Berkoff interview, saying it was part of a freshening of program formats.
"It's certainly not a knee-jerk reaction to Media Watch. It's about getting the right sound for the station," he said. "Any changes to the line-up takes careful consideration and planning and this was well in place before that."
Mr Kyte said negotiations with a replacement host were under way.
In the September 15 episode of Media Watch, presenter Jonathan Holmes charged Razer with "patronising" Berkoff during the live interview on September 7. Less than a minute into the exchange, things became tense when Razer addressed Berkoff as "dear". He told her he had trouble understanding her accent. Razer then called the playwright a "curmudgeon" and a "pugilist", before abruptly terminating the interview.
Twenty-seven viewers posted angry comments on the Media Watch website, criticising Razer's interviewing skills and calling for her dismissal.
The Age and Green Guide have printed several letters from unhappy listeners.
The switchboard at 774 ABC Melbourne, however, reported only one complaint - about Berkoff - on the day of the interview. Four complaints about Razer were posted on the station's website.
Razer, an occasional contributor to The Age, resigned as co-host of the breakfast show on ABC's youth station Triple J, a position she had held for eight years alongside comedian Mikey Robins, after being being the target of a stalker.
In her 2001 autobiographical book, Gas Smells Awful: The Mechanics of Being a Nutcase, Razer accused the ABC of failing to protect her from a delusional male listener who had stalked her for several years.
In 2006, Razer came under fire for hitting the dump button during an interview with filmmaker Bob Weis about his documentary, Women of the Sun - 25 Years Later. Razer reportedly prevented from going to air Weis' comments that ABC board member Keith Windschuttle was "our Holocaust denier". She reportedly said that by allowing Weis' comments to go to air, "I will lose my job".
Mr Kyte said that he hoped Razer would continue to be part of the "774 family", and that the station was considering projects that would utilise her skills as a writer. Razer declined to comment.
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