Seven Refuses To Go By The Book
The Age
Tuesday February 8, 2005
CHANNEL Seven took the high moral ground in the bidding war for Mamdouh Habib's story, handing Channel Nine's 60 Minutes an exclusive interview with the former Guantanamo Bay inmate by refusing to bring out its chequebook.
Mr Habib's lawyer, Stephen Hopper, has been inundated with interview requests by the media, including Nine, Seven and the ABC, but apparently received only a "couple of informal offers" from outlets willing to pay.He said concerns that the media would do a "hatchet job" on Mr Habib influenced their decision. "We've had multiple offers for interviews and we've just looked at who reaches the largest audience and who can give us a fair go in what Mamdouh has to say," he said. Seven's news and current affairs director, Peter Meakin, said the network was keen on an interview but refused to pay on moral grounds.Nine was initially reluctant to confirm reports it had paid Mr Habib but yesterday acknowledged a deal had been secured.
© 2005 The Age