Updated October 17, 2017 20:03:26

If reports are true that Today Show co-host Lisa Wilkinson suddenly walked away from Nine because it refused to pay her the same as co-host Karl Stefanovic, then this could go down as one of the worst financial decisions in the entertainment industry.

Wilkinson, a highly respected journalist and TV presenter, shocked the media world and TV viewers on Monday night when it was announced that she was jumping ship from Nine — where she had worked for the past decade — to rival Network Ten. She will join infotainment show The Project.

Apparently, Wilkinson insisted on being paid the same amount as Stefanovic, who is thought to take home $2 million a year compared to her $1.1 million.

Karl Stefanovic farewelled his former co-host Lisa Wilkinson on The Today Show, but made no mention of her reasons for quitting. Here's exactly what he said.

Channel Nine reportedly offered her $1.8 million, but wouldn't match her co-star's salary.

Both salaries are incredibly generous — and I doubt many people are debating whether they are being fairly compensated for their work — but that's not the point.

What was at stake was the principle, with one employee doing the same work but earning more than a female colleague.

Should the rumours be true, then questions need to be asked about why Nine insisted on this gender pay disparity continuing and what its reasons are.

Could there be any justifiable reasons for paying women less than men?

Women are speaking up

Whether it be harassment, assaults, lower pay or gender bias, the growing chorus of voices demanding an end to gender inequality is getting louder.

How Nine could not have heard those voices is a poor indictment.

Photo: Lisa Wilkinson is a big enough name to have featured in this year's Archibald Prize. (ABC News: Ben Worsley)

Not only has Nine lost one of its best on-air talents, but its own credibility on gender has also taken a nose dive.

It's not the first time Nine has been caught treating male and female employees differently.

In 2016, it was revealed that while NRL Footy Show co-host Beau Ryan took home $800,000 a year and flew business class, fellow host Erin Molan was paid $100,000 and had to fly economy.

Bad timing for entertainment industry

The announcement couldn't have come at a worst time, as the entertainment industry grapples with the snowballing Harvey Weinstein sexual assault and harassment allegations.

At the time of publishing, more than 40 women have publicly accused Weinstein of acts from inappropriate touching to rape.

The fact that Weinstein got away with this despicable behaviour is only half the story; apparently, most of Hollywood was well aware that the Oscar-winning producer was a serial predator and his actions were not only tolerated, but Weinstein was actively protected from any consequences.

On the weekend, the social media hashtag #MeToo encouraged countless women across the world to reveal their own experience with sexual harassment.

The scale of the problem is vast, but for far too long it has been considered something that "just happens".

But the growing anger and frustration that women have felt over gender discrimination, harassment and assault cannot be ignored.

A tone-deaf decision

Photo: Lisa Wilkinson will leave the Today Show to join The Project. (Supplied)

As a public relations issue, losing Wilkinson to a network that was prepared to pay the same rate as Stefanovic is bad news for Nine.

Wilkinson has been widely praised for her stance. Social media has been flooded with posts congratulating Wilkinson.

For Nine to refuse to provide pay parity for Wilkinson was a tone-deaf decision that is woefully out of step with society's growing expectations that women should be paid the same as men.

This was Nine's opportunity to take a stand and lead the way for the entertainment industry, which continues to maintain its dinosaur-era policy of treating women like pretty props.

For just $200,000 — chump change for a company like Nine — the network has placed itself in an unnecessary position.

Nine released a statement, saying it was "disappointed" that it was "unable to meet the expectations of Lisa Wilkinson and her manager".

Many viewers and women will feel equally disappointed that Nine was unable to see that Wilkinson was worth at least the same amount of money as her co-host.

Alana Schetzer is a freelance writer.

Topics: television, arts-and-entertainment, feminism, women, community-and-society, australia

First posted October 17, 2017 17:12:28