Network Ten employees have been left uncertain after a company-wide email from parent Skydance offered a “one-time” buyout to staff, a move the local media union says may breach Australian workplace law.
The message, headed “Building a winning culture”, set out an open opportunity for global staff to apply for personalised exit terms and gave a short window to decide, while emphasising a return to in-person collaboration.
Skydance is owned by David Ellison, who completed his purchase of Ten’s owner Paramount last year and last month finished a deal for Warner Bros Discovery, which owns HBO and CNN.
Acting media director of the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance, Matty Burton, said union members had fought for redundancy protections and warned Skydance must follow local processes.
"Union members at Ten have fought for years to secure fair redundancy entitlements for circumstances exactly like these. If Skydance needs to reduce headcount, there is a clear process in place to follow," acting union media director Matty Burton said.
Union officials told staff they are assessing whether Ten and Skydance met their obligations under the Fair Work Act when the buyout information was distributed. The union also pointed to conditions typically associated with redundancies that would not be included in the advertised program, including certain tax advantages.
Ten staff said the lack of detail and the open, global nature of the invitation had prompted scepticism, with some employees privately describing the offer as a way to reduce numbers without running a formal redundancy round. So far, the number of takers reported internally is small.
Cost reduction measures are happening across commercial television. Seven’s chief executive, Rohan Lund, told shareholders the broadcaster expects to deliver more than the previously flagged $150 million in savings. At Nine, an expansion of its “Future News” program has been accompanied by redundancies, with six roles cut in Queensland.
Meanwhile the ABC committed significant resources to US midterm coverage, sending 7.30 to Washington and deploying reporters around the country. The current affairs broadcast averaged 1.2 million viewers on Wednesday, the ABC said, and the broadcaster reported a total audience of 2.4 million across its live coverage, while a Four Corners episode posted about 1.7 million views on YouTube in the days after airing.
News Corp’s Australian publishing business again reported a local post-tax loss in filings lodged with the corporate regulator, registering a $41 million loss for the 2026 financial year, up from $25 million in 2025. The company cut around 150 staff across the year even as executive pay rose by 16%. Globally, News Corp told investors its News Media segment saw earnings fall 40% to US$18 million ($25.7 million), and data included with internal reports shows News24’s daily YouTube viewership is down about 14% on 2025 levels.
Sources within the industry said the mix of international ownership, shifting audience habits and lower advertising revenue have increased pressure on Australia’s legacy broadcasters, prompting novel approaches to headcount and cost management that unions say must still comply with local workplace law.
