Shit happens, says Australian media firm head on nurse death

The chairman of the Australian media company that owns the radio station responsible for the infamous royal prank call to India-born British nurse Jacintha Saldanha which led her to suicide has dismissed the controversy, saying "shit happens".

Max Moore-Milton, chairman of the Southern Cross Media that owns 2Day FM, downplayed the incident while speaking at the company's annual general meeting (AGM), the Sydney Morning Herald reported Tuesday.

"These incidents were unfortunate, no doubt about that," Moore-Wilton was quoted as telling the shareholders.

"But in the immortal words of someone whose identity I cannot recall, shit happens," he said.

Saldanha, 46, a mother of two, was found unconscious in December last year in the quarters of the King Edward VII Hospital in central London where she was working as a senior nurse.

2Day FM's radio jockeys Mel Greig and Michael Christian had called the hospital Dec 4 last year posing as Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles.

Saldanha received the call and, not understanding their prank, transferred it to a colleague who then provided them information about Prince William's then pregnant wife Kate Middleton. Three days later, Saldanha was found hanging.

"I think it was a one-sentence comment, wasn't it?" Moore-Milton was quoted saying when asked whether he regretted what he said.

"I have no comment, I made a comment in one sentence. I am glad the media is so busy," he added.

Southern Cross was forced to suspend all advertising on 2Day FM after the scandal broke.

Indo-Asian News Service

bb/ab/vt