The all-hands meeting is understood to have been one of Lund’s most significant addresses to staff since assuming leadership of the merged business, outlining his views on the competitive landscape and the company’s future direction.
TV Blackbox understands the meeting included extensive back-and-forth between staff and senior management, with questions covering a range of topics affecting the newly merged business.
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The meeting comes as Southern Cross Media Group continues integrating the former Seven West Media and Southern Cross Austereo businesses following their merger in January.
The combined company brings together brands including Seven, its suite of free-to-air channels, 7plus, The West Australian, the Hit and Triple M radio networks and the LiSTNR audio platform under a single corporate structure.
Since then, the company has embarked on a significant organisational restructure, announcing plans to cut up to 300 jobs across the combined business alongside a series of executive and leadership changes.
Southern Cross Media Group Managing Director Rohan Lund addressed staff during a company-wide all-hands meeting in Sydney on Wednesday (image – Seven)
According to sources familiar with the meeting, Lund also spoke about challenges facing Australia’s media industry, including the outlook for Seven’s commercial rivals and the growing influence of global technology platforms.
Staff were reportedly told the merged business would likely operate under the name “Seven Media Group“, or a closely related variation, a name that has previously appeared in internal company communications and for which the company filed a trademark application in June.
The company has previously downplayed suggestions this will be the new name for the merged business and, when approached for comment on TV Blackbox’s reporting, denied that Lund used those exact words during the meeting.
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Any official change to the company’s name would ultimately require shareholder approval before being formally announced.
During that discussion, TV Blackbox understands Lund reportedly discussed the pressures facing Australia’s commercial television sector, saying Channel 10 was “in big trouble” and suggesting Nine was “on a clear decline“.
Lund also reportedly discussed the growing influence of global technology companies, reportedly referring to platforms including Meta as “thieves” while discussing the challenges facing traditional media businesses.
Lund is also understood to have questioned the media industry’s tendency to focus on its own affairs, suggesting it was not in the public’s interest.
The comments come as Australia’s commercial broadcasters continue grappling with declining linear television audiences and pressure on advertising revenue, while competing with global technology platforms for an increasing share of advertising revenue.
Southern Cross Media Group was approached for comment on this story.
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