Nine to miss Games opening ceremony

Gold Coast Commonwealth Games organisers won't reinstate the Nine Network's accreditation until after Wednesday's opening ceremony.

A Channel 9 microphone.

A Channel 9 microphone. Source: AAP

The Nine Network won't be attending Wednesday's Commonwealth Games opening ceremony on the Gold Coast.

Organisers have suspended the network's accreditation "until further notice" after a clip of Saturday's ceremony dress rehearsal was broadcast in a Sunday evening news bulletin.

Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation (GOLDOC) chief executive Mark Peters confirmed on Tuesday Nine's accreditation won't be reinstated until after the opening ceremony.

"The suspension will be reviewed tomorrow and a decision will be made the day after," Mr Peters said.

Nine has apologised for the broadcast, which it says was simply a mistake.

"We are in discussions with the Commonwealth Games authorities to restore our accreditation and hope to have the situation resolved as soon as possible," it said in a statement.

Media organisations as well as performers and volunteers must adhere to strict non-disclosure agreements as part of their attendance at ceremony rehearsals.

Mr Peters said Nine's actions were a blatant breach of those protocols.

"Someone was in the venue, took the pictures of the opening ceremony; the other 16,000 volunteers and people respected the fact we asked them not to do it and then they put them on their news service," he said.

"That's not what dignity's about. That's not what trust is about. They broke our news access rules so there has to be a consequence the same way there's a consequence for athletes and officials."

In January, international news agency Reuters was banned from covering the opening ceremony of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics after it transmitted photographs to its clients of the cauldron for the Games.

The International Olympic Committee also revoked the media accreditation of the photographer who took the pictures.

Commonwealth Games Federation chief executive David Grevemberg said Nine's actions were "very disappointing".

"The impact of this investment only works if we all work together," he said.


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Source: AAP


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