The head of the Australian television network, Channel 10, has discouraged staff from celebrating Jan. 26 as Australia Day, arguing the date marks the beginning of a “turbulent history” for Indigenous people, according to an internal note.
Channel 10 is one of five national free-to-air networks and is part of Paramount Australia and New Zealand (Paramount ANZ), a division of U.S. network CBS Studios International.Ten’s chief content officer Beverley McGarvey wrote in an email sent to staff, co-signed by chief commercial officer Jarrod Villa, that Australia Day is “not a day of celebration,” reported The Australian newspaper.
“At Paramount ANZ we aim to create a safe place to work where cultural differences are appreciated, understood, and respected,” the letter said.
“For our First Nations people, we as an organisation acknowledge that Jan. 26 is not a day of celebration. We recognise that there has been a turbulent history, particularly around that date and the recognition of that date being Australia Day.”
