Vic: Nine defends Newman after latest Footy Show comments

AAP General News (Australia)
08-01-2008
Vic: Nine defends Newman after latest Footy Show comments

MELBOURNE, Aug 1 AAP - Embattled television co-host Sam Newman today moved to head
off another potential firestorm, telephoning a female politician to clarify comments he
made about her on The Footy Show.

After a clip was aired of Tasmanian MP Paula Wriedt commenting on a major sponsorship
deal backing a new Tasmanian AFL team, the controversial Newman quipped: "We couldn't
get her on, could we?"

The remark sparked a raucous reaction from the audience and panel, before Newman continued:
"Worthy of coming on, her."

But his risque comments on last night's show immediately drew the ire of co-host James
Brayshaw, who berated Newman telling him: "Sam you cannot say that."

This morning, the Nine Network released a statement defending its star, who has only
been back on the network for a month after he was ordered to take leave indefinitely in
May.

Nine's executive producer of entertainment Tim Cleary said Newman had phoned Ms Wriedt
to clarify his comments.

"There was never any intention to insult Paula Wriedt, and any suggestion to the contrary
is grossly unfair," Mr Cleary said in a statement.

"Sam Newman was simply suggesting Ms Wriedt should be a guest on the program given
the news of Tasmania's backing.

"Sam qualified this moments later when he realised he'd been taken out of context.

"Sam is horrified at suggestions he made a lewd remark about Ms Wriedt, and phoned
her to clarify his comment."

The incident also drew support from AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou, who said
he had watched the show and believed Newman had made an honest slip.

"I think it was a slip, I understood what he said, I didn't take the double meaning
in it, I understand why people might," he told Fairfax Radio Network today.

"I know James Brayshaw did and he took it up with Sam.

"I'm starting to really in some ways sort of question if everything Sam said is going
to be scrutinised and analysed, I think we are going to start becoming terribly unfair.

"He went out of his way to say that he didn't say that and I think you've got to take
him on face value."

Newman was urged to seek counselling in May after almost two months of controversy
as he recovered from surgery to remove a cancerous prostate.

The former VFL star sparked outrage in March when he manhandled a lingerie-clad mannequin
on which he had stapled a picture of Melbourne newspaper The Age's chief football writer,
Caroline Wilson.

Newman, who played 300 games for Geelong before his retirement in 1980, refused to
apologise immediately after the mannequin stunt, instead choosing to attack the role of
women in senior AFL positions.

As the controversy rolled on, the Nine Network faced a rebuke from advertisers including
the ANZ Bank and mobile phone retailer Crazy John's as viewers - particularly women -
turned away from the program.

When Nine's Melbourne managing director Jeff Browne announced Newman's break, he said
the star had not been given long enough off following his brush with cancer and subsequent
surgery.

Comment was today being sought from Ms Wriedt.

AAP md/sjm/it/mn

KEYWORD: NEWMAN

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