Crime pays, and it pays quite well especially when 60 Minutes is involved.
Last year “Wellness Blogger” Belle Gibson was revealed to have lied about having cancer in order to defraud the public of nearly $300,000. After receiving widespread condemnation for her actions Gibson was invited by Channel 9 to do and interview with Tara Brown on 60 Minutes.
It has now been revealed that despite repeated denials from the Nine Network. Gibson was paid a total of $75,000 to do the interview after publically acknowledging that she had lied about having cancer.
Disgraced author Belle Gibson was secretly paid $75,000 for appearing on Channel Nine’s flagship current affairs show, 60 Minutes, after her global cancer hoax and charity fraud were first exposed.
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But documents obtained by Fairfax Media now reveal the broadcaster paid her much more for the exclusive interview. Invoices and remittance advice show Nine made two separate payments each of $37,500 to Ms Gibson’s lawyers in July 2015 under the reference, ’60 Minutes – Belle Gibson interview’. –The Age
Earlier this year Channel 9 staff where detained in Lebanon after the network paid $115000 to professional child snatchers in pursuit of an exciting story. Although Channel 9 initially denied involvement with the botched abduction attempt, a spokesman later confessed to the network having fronted the $115,000 to the child snatchers.
So given this is now the second time (that I’m aware of) that Channel 9 has been caught I have to wonder how much money have they really paid to the crooks over the years. The fact the such a disreputable network is able to continue operating speaks volumes about the integrity of Australian Journalism.