Andrew Webster, an award-winning Australian sports journalist, resigned from sports radio station SEN after the network failed to block a listener who sent repeated homophobic text messages during his on-air shifts, he told News Corp.
Webster said the decision to leave was prompted not by the abuse itself but by what he described as the station's unwillingness or inability to remove the caller from its text line after multiple requests.
Webster, who publicly disclosed he is gay in a front-page personal essay in 2013, said the abuse had been ongoing throughout the year but that he had tolerated it until the station failed to act on a specific complaint. He has worked at SEN in various roles since 2020, including regular contributions to the Morning Glory with Matty Johns program on Fridays.
The journalist said the most recent incident occurred while he was filling in on The Run Home with former NRL player Bryan Fletcher and then later on for Saturday League Kick-off. He told News Corp he asked SEN three times over the course of a week to block the listener's number after abusive texts arrived via the station's text line. The messages, he said, were read on air.
"I didn't quit because of the bloke who was texting me. I quit because I asked SEN three times last week to block his number and it just didn't happen," Webster said. "I can’t control what blokes yell from passing cars, or on social media, but I can control where I work."
Webster described a moment in the studio when he noticed the caller's messages were still coming through and said a producer laughed when he asked for the number to be blocked. He resigned after finishing his three-hour shift on the Saturday program.
"I'm not a victim," Webster said. "I'm not a snowflake. I've had to deal with a lot worse homophobia than that. ... I simply wanted a phone number blocked and when SEN couldn't do that I resigned on principle."
SEN managing director Craig Hutchison said the station respected Webster and valued his contributions, and said the listener had been blocked and the matter dealt with. "Andrew is a quality person, broadcaster and journalist who we have the highest respect for and really value as a person and contributor to SEN," Hutchison said. "Some audience feedback inadvertently reached Andrew which was entirely inappropriate and out of line — and which has been dealt with the listener accordingly. The door is always open for Andrew to return at any stage."
Webster said he had received an outpouring of support since his resignation, including messages urging him not to be worn down by abuse. He also framed his decision as a matter of principle about workplace standards and the responsibility of employers to protect staff from targeted harassment.
The resignation highlights ongoing challenges faced by public figures who receive targeted abuse through live broadcasting platforms, and raises questions about the procedures stations use to moderate audience feedback in real time. SEN said it works to ensure on-air talent are treated with respect and care and that the incident had been addressed.
Webster's career spans print, radio and television; he is best known as chief sports writer for The Sydney Morning Herald and as a regular commentator on rugby league and major sporting issues. His 2013 public coming-out essay was widely reported at the time and marked a turning point in his personal life and public profile, as he wrote about years of shame before accepting himself at age 26.
Neither Webster nor SEN provided a detailed technical explanation of how the number remained unblocked despite multiple requests. Webster said he stepped down after concluding he could no longer work where his requests to stop the abuse were not honoured. SEN said its door remains open should Webster decide to return.