Vic: Another D-Day for Hinch

AAP General News (Australia)
02-01-2004
Vic: Another D-Day for Hinch

MELBOURNE, Feb 1 AAP - High-profile radio commentator Derryn Hinch expects to be sacked
by Melbourne station 3AW tomorrow following his on-air revelations that dead cricketer
David Hookes was separated from his wife.

Hookes, a former South Australian captain and Victorian coach, aged 48, died two weeks
ago after an altercation outside a Melbourne hotel the previous night, prompting a public
outpouring of grief.

Hinch announced on his drive-time program this week that Hookes and his wife were estranged,
sparking controversy at radio station 3AW, where Hookes was also a presenter.

Hinch said he was called to a meeting on Friday which he declined to attend, but would
meet with station management at 1.30pm (AEDT) tomorrow.

"I really don't know whether I will have a job tomorrow," he said.

"I want to see what they've got to say and see what happens but the chances are I'll be sacked."

He said he had discovered that talkback callers to his program wanting to discuss the
issue with him had been blocked from going to air.

"They were censoring my calls and that's just not on," he said.

"I wouldn't go along with their spin doctoring and I stand by that.

Hinch said everybody at 3AW but him already knew about the separation and that he found
out at the funeral.

"I've always been a person who believes `why should some of us be in the know?'" Hinch said.

In his 43 years of journalism, Hinch has been sacked 14 times.

Comment was being sought from 3AW.

AAP rb/gfr/jv/de

KEYWORD: HOOKES HINCH

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