Neil Breen (journalist)

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Neil Breen
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Occupation
Years active1990 to present
Known for
  • Editing newspapers
  • Sports reporting
  • Hosting radio programs
Notable work
The Sunday Telegraph, Today (Australian TV program), Nine News, 4BC, 4BC

Neil Breen is an Australian journalist and radio presenter.

He currently hosts the afternoon drive program on Brisbane radio station 4BC.

Breen has previously been the editor of The Sunday Telegraph and the executive producer of breakfast television program Today (Australian TV program).

Career

Breen graduated from Brisbane State High School in 1985.[1] Breen then studied at the Queensland University of Technology where he graduated with a Bachelor of Communication and Journalism.[2]

From 2006 to 2012, Breen was the editor of the company's weekly Sunday newspaper in Sydney The Sunday Telegraph (Sydney). It was during this time, Breen became embroiled in a scandal in 2009 involving the publication of nude photos of a woman wrongly believed to be politician Pauline Hanson, which culminated in Breen apologising to Hanson.[3][4][5][6]

In 2012, he left News Corp to commence a television career with the Nine Network, initially working as the executive producer of the network's national breakfast programs Today (Australian TV program) and Weekend Today (Australian TV program).[7][8]

Following ongoing reports of tension between Breen and on air talent, such as Ben Fordham, Richard Wilkins (TV presenter) and Tim Gilbert (journalist), as well as a threat of legal action from Breen to News Corp regarding a planned article about the ratings of Today, Nine's director of News Darren Wick confirmed in November 2013 that Breen had left his role as executive producer of Today and Weekend Today to become an investigative sports producer with Nine News.[9][10]

Breen's role saw him reporting on various sports issues for Nine News as well as for the network's sports programs Sports Sunday, 100% Footy and The Sunday Footy Show (rugby league).

In 2016, Breen was accused of verbally abusing a female reporter.[11] The incident occurred at Randwick Racecourse where Breen reportedly yelled abuse at Amy Harris, a reporter from The Sunday Telegraph.[12] Nine confirmed that they were looking into the incident but denied that there was a full investigation into the matter.[12]

In 2020, Breen was announced as the host of a new locally-presented breakfast program on Nine Radio's Brisbane station 4BC, owned by the Nine Network's parent company Nine Entertainment.[13] Breen was appointed as the host of the program following the retirement of Sydney broadcaster Alan Jones (radio broadcaster). Jones' 2GB breakfast program had been airing on 4BC since 2015 following a mass sacking of on air talent, which included the station's local breakfast announcers, Ian Skippen and Loretta Ryan.[14][15]

Shortly after being appointed as the host of the 4BC breakfast program, Breen attracted media attention after performer Boy George, a coach on Nine's The Voice (Australian TV series), abruptly ended a phone interview when he took offence at Breen's introduction.[16][17]

Breen also attracted media attention in 2020 for his comments regarding Ellen DeGeneres. Breen claimed that while he was the executive producer of Today in 2013, an interview DeGeneres did with Richard Wilkins while she was in Australia was so strictly controlled that it included Breen being ordered not to talk to or look at DeGeneres during filming.[18]

Following a station reshuffle in 2022 to accommodate the former breakfast presenters of now-defunct station 4KQ, Breen was moved to the afternoon drive timeslot where he now hosts Brisbane Live.[19]

Awards

In 2002, Breen was awarded a Walkley Award for his coverage of "Ben Tune" for The Courier-Mail.[20]

At the inaugural Kennedy Awards in 2012, Breen and reporter Jonathan Marshall were recognised with the award for Most Outstanding Splash for their coverage of Grant Hackett's revelations that he abused the sleeping pill Stilnox.[21]

At the 2018 Kennedy Awards, Breen received the Harry Potter (journalist)|Harry Potter Award for Outstanding Television News Reporting.[22]

Personal life

Breen is married to fellow journalist Elizabeth Meryment.[23][24] They have three children.[23]

Rugby league player Moses Mbye is Breen's nephew.[23]

References

  1. ↑ "Alumni Spotlight: Welcome home Neil Breen (class of 1985)". Brisbane State High Alumni. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  2. ↑ Boman, Liam (2021). "Mr Neil Breen - journalist and radio host". 1921-2021 Brisbane State High School 100. State High Foundation. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  3. ↑ Harrison, Dan (21 March 2009). "Editor won't resign over Hanson pics". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  4. ↑ "Sydney Telegraph apologises to Hanson over photographs". The Sydney Morning Herald. 22 March 2009. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  5. ↑ MacBean, Nic (20 March 2009). "Hanson photo row: editor admits not checking facts". ABC News (Australia). Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  6. ↑ Dodd, Andrew (19 May 2009). "Tele's Hanson apology laughable". Crikey. Retrieved 11 November 2022. Editor Neil Breen may have been economical with his words but the admissions were devastating.
  7. ↑ McGinn, Cathie (11 September 2012). "Sunday Tele editor Neil Breen leaves News Limited after 20 years and mulls TV career". Mumbrella. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  8. ↑ "Former Sunday Telegraph editor Neil Breen to join Today as executive producer". The Daily Telegraph (Sydney). 8 October 2012. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  9. ↑ Hornery, Andrew (20 November 2013). "Channel Nine 'furious' over decision by Today show's Neil Breen to hire top lawyer Mark O'Brien". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  10. ↑ Knox, David (28 November 2013). "Today exec producer switches to Nine News". TV Tonight. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  11. ↑ Wilson, Rebecca; Nicolussi, Christian; Ritchie, Dean (7 April 2016). "Neil Breen in hot water after incident at Royal Randwick". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Hornery, Andrew (7 April 2016). "Nine 'looking into' former Today boss Neil Breen after run in with Sunday Telegraph reporter at Randwick". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  13. ↑ Garcia, Jocelyn (16 May 2020). "Neil Breen the new face of 4BC's breakfast program in Brisbane". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  14. ↑ "High-profile 4BC presenters sacked following Fairfax and Macquarie merger deal". ABC News. 10 April 2015. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  15. ↑ "Alan Jones, Ray Hadley flagship 2GB programs to air on Brisbane station 4BC after job cuts". ABC News. 14 April 2015. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  16. ↑ Bucklow, Andrew (3 July 2020). "Boy George hangs up on 4BC radio host Neil Breen". news.com.au. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  17. ↑ Knox, David (3 July 2020). ""I thought we were all in the Channel Nine tent" Boy George hangs up on 4BC radio host Neil Breen". TV Tonight. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  18. ↑ Torres, Libby (31 July 2020). "A radio host said he was given specific instructions for working with Ellen DeGeneres: 'You don't talk to her, you don't approach her'". Insider (news website). Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  19. ↑ Boland, Bray (5 July 2022). "4KQ breakfast team finds new home at 4BC". Radio Today. Retrieved 11 November 2022. Current Breakfast host Neil Breen is moving to the Drive shift with his new show Brisbane Live...
  20. ↑ "Walkley Winners Archive". Walkleys. The Walkley Foundation. 2022. Retrieved 11 November 2022. Year: 2002; Section: All Media; Award: Coverage of Sport; Name: Neil Breen; Status: Winner; Story: "The Ben Tune Affair"; Media: The Courier-Mail, Brisbane
  21. ↑ "Inaugural Kennedy Awards honour our quality journalists". The Daily Telegraph. 11 August 2012. Retrieved 11 November 2022. The exclusive revelations that Grant Hackett had used and abused the sleeping pill Stilnox, which resulted in a radical overhaul of Australian sports, delivered the Outstanding Splash award to The Sunday Telegraph's Jonathan Marshall and its editor Neil Breen.
  22. ↑ Knox, David (13 August 2018). "Kennedy Awards 2018: winners". TV Tonight. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 "4BC radio host Neil Breen on being separated from his wife and children". The Courier-Mail. 18 June 2020. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  24. ↑ "Journalist Elizabeth Meryment launches new magazine for Sydney's east". Mediaweek. 3 August 2018. Retrieved 11 November 2022.

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