Mary Kostakidis

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Mary Kostakidis (born 1954) was an Australian newsreader for the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS). She was born in Thessaloniki, Greece and migrated to Australia with her family two years later.

1 Education
2 Acting
3 SBS
- 3.1 Walk-out and legal action
4 Community
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Education

Kostakidis attended Fort Street Girls' High School, and the University of Sydney, where she studied Modern Greek, Philosophy, French, German and Italian. She was also a founding member and first President of the University's Greek Society. She went on to complete a Diploma of Education in order to prepare for a career as a teacher. Kostakidis won a post-graduate scholarship to study at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece.

Before joining SBS Kostakidis worked as a tutor at the University of Sydney, as a research officer for the Departments of Health and Young and Community Services in New South Wales and as a Court interpreter. She once worked for ABC Radio news.

[edit] Acting

Kostakidis acted in a children's television series called Five Times Dizzy in 1986 with Rebekah Elmaloglou. She has also appeared in the movies Jindabyne and Look Both Ways as a newsreader.

[edit] SBS

Kostakidis joined SBS as part of the original management team in September 1980 and worked to set up the Subtitling Unit. She became Director of Programme Preparation where she was involved in developing policies of censorship and classification.

She previously co-hosted the main SBS World News at 6.30 pm weekdays with Stan Grant.

[edit] Walk-out and legal action

On August 21, 2007 it was reported that Kostakidis had stormed out of the newsroom a week and a half earlier, furious at changes to the news bulletin. Although SBS says she is ill and taking leave, it is reported she has concluded her role as co-host due to differences in opinion over the increasingly commercial direction SBS is taking since the 2003 arrival of former New Zealand TV boss Shaun Brown.^[1]

On 5 October 2007 Kostakidis lodged a statement of claim in the Federal Court of Australia, alleging a breach of contract and contravention of the Trade Practices Act 1975 on the part of SBS, citing alleged bullying by fellow presenter Stan Grant.^[2] Kostakidis has secured the services of a prominent Melbourne lawyer, Julian Burnside QC. Kostakidis is expected to argue her contract states she would be the primary presenter of the programme, and was able to exercise some editorial control.^[3].

On 23 November 2007 Kostakidis reportedly reached an "amicable settlement" with SBS. The financial details of the settlement have not been disclosed.^[4].

[edit] Community

Kostakidis is active in the community and has a long standing interest in social justice issues. She is a member of the Drug and Alcohol Council, the Order of Australia Honours committee, the Sydney Olympic Cultural Organising Committee and was a member of the Breast Cancer Council Advisory Committee. She was appointed as a member to the Constitutional Centenary Foundation and to the Republic Advisory Committee. In August 1997 she was appointed to the Advertising Standards Board.