Nine exec Matt Rowley departs in restructure of youth publisher Pedestrian
The youth publisher will also shed licences to the Vice, Refinery29 and Gizmodo brands as part of the changes, which come in the throes of a company-wide cost-cutting program at Nine Entertainment.
The chief executive of Nine Entertainment's youth publisher Pedestrian Group is due to leave the company amid a leadership restructure, as part of a group wide cost-cutting program designed to cut 200 jobs.
Pedestrian chief executive Matt Rowley informed staff on Monday that he would leave the business and that the Nine subsidiary would shift its focus from the licensing agreements it holds for Vice, Refinery29 and Gizmodo to its in-house brands, including its eponymous Pedestrian TV and The Chainsaw. Dozens of staff are expected to lose jobs.
“The market forces that have created today’s changes make the work that Pedestrian.TV does — engaging young Aussies with news and content they can trust — more important than ever,” Rowley said in a Slack message to staff.
“While these decisions have been hard to make, we believe this new approach — with a strategy and plan focused on the growth of our own business at Pedestrian.TV — will create a long term, sustainable business which continues to lead youth publishing in Australia.”
