The Australian parents of baby Gammy speak for the very first time on 60 minutes in an exclusive interview. Courtesy: Channel 9
Thai surrogate mother Pattaramon Chanbua poses with baby Gammy before he was discharged last week. Source: Getty Images
NINE'S 60 Minutes, which routinely pays $200,000 for a big interview, made a $5000 donation to the Australian charity raising money for baby Gammy's care after its exclusive interview with his biological parents last week.
Hands Across the Water, which has so far received around $240,000 from some 6000 individual people moved by Gammy's plight, received the money through its website last Thursday, four days after Tara Brown's hour-long interview with Wendy and David Farnell — a convicted paedophile — the baby's Australian biological parents.
60 Minutes would expect to make at least $500,000 in advertising revenue in that hour.
The charity plans to use the Nine's money for a reunion between Gammy and his sister Pipah in coming years.
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It was a highly anticipated program, and was the sixth most popular TV show of the night with over a million viewers, even though the show didn't end until well after 10pm. The ensuing social media debate went on for days.
In a press release announcing it had secured the Farnells — described by Tara Brown as the most hated couple in Australia — 60 Minutes executive producer Tom Malone said given the nature of the story it was important viewers knew it was not paying the couple but would instead be making a donation to Hands Across the Water.
Innocent victim ... Gammy with the children of his Thai surrogate. Picture: Patrick Brown Source: Supplied
Peter Baines, Hands Across the Water founder, told News Corp Australia the first he knew the charity would be getting a donation from 60 Minutes was when he read it in a story on news.com.au.
He confirmed Hands Across the Water received an online donation from 60 Minutes late last week. "(But) as with other donors and supporters we don't disclose the details.
"We accept and appreciate all donations large and small and put them to the best use we can."
Baines said he has never spoken to Nine or 60 Minutes.
Gammy's parents ... David and Wendy Farnell speak to Tara Brown from 60 Minutes. Source: Channel 9
Malone told News Corp on Sunday the program's decision to donate money to Hands Across the Water was totally separate to the 60 Minutes story.
"The interview with the Farnells was not contingent on any donation," Malone said.
"We made a separate decision to make a donation to Hands Across the Water. We won't comment on the amount or timing of a confidential and anonymous donation."
No other media outlets have made public any donations to the Gammy charity.
60 Minutes, the glossiest of Nine's crucial ratings winning news and current affairs stable, has a reputation for its open chequebook. Gordon Wood, acquitted killer of Sydney model Caroline Byrne, spoke of being offered $200,000 in a TV deal two years ago, shortly before his interview on 60 Minutes. The show was believed to have paid wife killer Gerard Baden-Clay's mistress Toni McHugh a similar amount last month.
Resting ... baby Gammy has left hospital and is at home with his surrogate mum. Picture: Patrick Brown Source: Supplied
Insiders at Seven, Nine and talent management say the market for interviews is very competitive — now more than ever because of the internet — and the going rate tends to fall between $50,000 to $200,000.
The Farnell interview was seen by the industry as unsellable because of David Farnell's child sex convictions. Nobody in Nine sales could phone a client and ask if they'd like to buy an ad during an interview with a paedophile, one insider of 30-years standing pointed out. However 60 Minutes' shine emerged largely undimmed thanks to Tara Brown's stellar performance.
Baines said the charity made no judgment on the Farnells, but admitted there was a "discussion" among the board about whether to accept the money. He said when it was clear it was on behalf of Gammy it made it no different from any other donation " … and that took (debate) off the table."
He said the charity has earmarked the money for a special purpose…. "to be used to bring Gammy and Pipah together at some point."
Hands Across the Water found out about Gammy from Tim Shaw, the former Demtel man, who is now a broadcaster in Phuket, Thailand.
Baines said Hands Across the Water does not give money directly to hospitals or medical specialists but pays their invoices when they receive them.
Baby Gammy, who has Down syndrome, left hospital on Thursday and is now at home with her mother Pattaramon Chanbua, known as Koi.
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