As we publish, there are rumours of
significant changes at the top of Kerry Packer’s Nine Network.
According to sources, Nine boss David Gyngell has resigned and the
rumour is his replacement is former CEO, Sam Chisholm, who’s currently
a director of Nine’s owner PBL.

Meetings are being held on the
third floor of Nine’s headquarters as I write (lunchtime on Monday).
Chisholm is also chairman of Sky News and chairman of Prime New Zealand
in which PBL has a 50% stake. Whether he would want the gig, other than
on a temporary basis, is questionable. Chisholm is in his 60s, very
wealthy and with no need to prove himself again in Australian TV.

He
has been active at Nine, Sky and especially at Prime where Chris
Taylor, a former group sales manager from Nine has been making waves,
lifting ratings, ad revenues and running up costs. Chris Taylor is son
of Lynton Taylor, a former Nine and Packer executive who has just
returned as a consultant to help with TV sports rights negotiations,
such as the recently done deal on cricket. Lynton Taylor and Chisholm
were at Nine together in the 70s and 80s.