ABC accuses Mitchell of misleading Tennis Australia state representative over Seven deal

Tim Burrowes

March 2, 2010 11:49

Media buyer Harold Mitchell has been accused by the ABC of giving misleading information about Tennis Australia’s rights deal with the Seven Network in order to influence last year’s re-election of Geoff Pollard as the sporting organisation’s president.

The allegations came in last night’s Four Corners programme on ABC1 which examined events behind last year’s contested re-election of Pollard.

Mitchell is executive chairman of Australia’s biggest media buying operation Mitchell Communication Group and is also on the board of Tennis Australia.

The “State of Play” report on the ABC featured former and current tennis champions including Pat Cash, Peter McNamara, Liz Smylie and Lleyton Hewitt calling for an overhaul of the tennis body.

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Tim Burrowes

I write about the world's media and marketing industry from an Australian perspective Australian lens. I've worked in the UK, Middle East, Asia & Australia. I founded Mumbrella, which we sold in 2017.

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5 COMMENTS

stu 2 Mar 10

I watched the whole program: that part was like 1/30th of the whole episode.

(disclosure: yep, I do work for a Harold company)

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Andrew Hill 2 Mar 10

I am a Level 3 Tennis Coach and past examiner and lecturer of TCA.
Tennis Australia coerced TCA (Coach Education) into shutting down by deregulating them in the market. There is a lot more to come out with the structure changing from a member business into a money hungry system where the money does not seem to get to grassroots or back to the states.
TA used to be in charge of Marketing and Structure. Now they want it all.
The whole system has imploded due to this dictatorship.
Great view on 4 Corners.

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