Nine net accused of dirty tactics

Packer family bows to pressure form rival congloms

By MICHAELA BOLAND

SYDNEY -- The Packer family's Nine Network has bowed to pressure from print congloms, News Limited and John Fairfax Holdings, allowing publication of an explosive affidavit by Nine's news and current affairs boss Mark Llewellyn, who last week ankled to join rival network Seven.

The sworn statement includes sensational allegations of Machiavellian plotting and editorial interference from the highest levels of Nine management.

The story has captured the local media's attention, given the fierce battle Nine is raging with Seven for auds and advertising dollars, and the instability at Nine since Kerry Packer's death in December.

Llewellyn claims he was ordered to prepare a story attacking Seven's proprietor, Kerry Stokes and that Nine's new topper, Eddie McGuire, was planning to sack new co-host of the Today show, Jessica Rowe.

Earlier last week Nine sought to suppress the document sworn by Llewellyn for a court case Nine hoped would stop him defecting to rival Seven. It also issued subpoenas against Fairfax and News requesting they reveal sources from which the affidavit was obtained.

Nine subsequently dropped that court action but won a court order banning rival media outlets from publishing its details in New South Wales.

"There are many threats to press freedom in this country but few are as disturbing as this assault by Nine," News Limited's corporate affairs director Greg Baxter said.

Then Friday the network retracted its publication ban, issuing a statement saying that Llewellyn's affidavit was erroneous anyway.

''Nine strongly refutes much of the affidavit's contents, which it rejects as little more than a series of unsubstantiated allegations [but] there [is] no longer any point to be served by pursuing the matter in the courts," read the statement.

Separately McGuire issued a statement supporting Rowe and stating her position was secure.