Nine board chairman Peter Costello quits

Peter Costello has stepped down as chairman of Nine Entertainment Co days after allegations he shoved a reporter at Canberra Airport.

The Nine board convened on Friday to discuss the fallout from sexual harassment allegations within the organisation as Costello was under scrutiny for video footage published by The Australian on Thursday night that showed him appearing to drop his shoulder into reporter Liam Mendes.

A statement released on Sunday afternoon by Nine chief executive officer Mike Sneesby said: “I want to thank Peter for his contribution to Nine over more than a decade. As the announcement makes clear, he has played an important role in the big Nine milestones over that time – a period marked by dramatic digital transformation for the media industry and our company.”

Deputy chair Catherine West has been appointed as Costello’s replacement.

In the video, Mendes falls to the floor and accuses the former federal treasurer of assault. Costello has denied shoving Mendes and alleged the reporter tripped over an advertising placard.

The incident was the latest in a string of controversies surrounding Nine, the publisher of this masthead, having been embroiled in scandal for several weeks over its handling of the departure of former Nine news and current affairs director Darren Wick.

Mendes and The Australian are yet to press any formal charges against Costello, who was criticised by the Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers on Friday over the incident.

“I think it’s really important that we treat journalists with respect, that journalists are safe in their workplace. And if anyone should know that, it should be the chairman of a major media organisation,” Chalmers said.

The video shows Mendes accusing Costello of assaulting him and displaying “quite violent behaviour”. Footage shows Costello staring at Mendes after he fell, before walking away without offering assistance.