Next Monday (11th October), ABC’s Four Corners will broadcast an investigative special centred around the scandals that have rocked Sony Music‘s Australian division this year.
Presented by reporter Grace Tobin, Facing the Music – The Sony Music Scandal will feature interviews with multiple employees of the company regarding their time there along with the allegations of a toxic workplace culture that have emerged in recent months. A trailer has been released that indicates the special will focus specifically on former CEO Denis Handlin.
In June, Handlin abruptly departed Sony Music Australia after five decades with the company. In an email to staff, the company’s global chairman Rob Stringer wrote that it was “time for a change in leadership” and that Handlin’s exit was “effective immediately”.
Though no allegations were specifically targeted at Handlin, his exit came a month after it was revealed that Sony’s head office in the US was looking into claims of discrimination, bullying and harassment within its Aussie team. A staff member at the label’s Darlinghurst HQ triggered the review after making a complaint to the global head of human resources.
Following Handlin’s departure, senior executives Pat Handlin and Mark Stebnicki also departed. Sony Music Australia also sacked its vice president of commercial music, Tony Glover, back in April, after a previous internal investigation found he had bullied and harassed multiple staff members at the company.
Facing the Music follows the release of Everybody Knows, a five-part podcast series from the team behind the 7am podcast and hosted by Ruby Jones that explored the rise and fall of the Me Too movement within the Australian music industry. It specifically explored the allegations of harassment and toxic culture at Sony Music Australia.
Facing the Music is set to air on ABC at 8.30pm on Monday, 11th October. Watch a trailer below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMBgDEB6pd0
