Guy Parsons, a supplier who runs the online business My Hair Doctor, is preparing to serve TVSN with a formal creditor's demand, claiming he is owed $140,000 for shipments of hair dryers and haircare products delivered to the network's Sydney headquarters.
Parsons said he flew to Sydney from London last week because he was due to appear on a broadcast segment that was cancelled after the network switched to "presenter only" segments. He said he was denied entry to TVSN's headquarters in Frenchs Forest when he visited to collect his belongings.
The developments follow a failed confidential pitch to about 170 wealthy and high-profile Australian investors in August. The pitch, sent by Tim Brookes — a partner at advisory firm Unessa and the son of TVSN director and former Myer chief executive Bernie Brookes — sought between $32 million and $40 million to "restore liquidity."
The email, obtained by this masthead, included a 28-page slide deck titled "Project Signal" that said TVSN had been restructured and was seeking the "right ownership and capital partner for its next stage of growth."
Recipients included Andrew Forrest's Tattarang and Minderoo; the Lowy, Smorgon and Schwartz family offices; private equity firms CPE Capital and Propel Investments; and investment bankers including former Macquarie CEO Nicholas Moore. Tim Brookes mistakenly copied all recipients into the email rather than using blind carbon copy.
When approached for comment, Bernie Brookes confirmed that Direct Group, the network's owner, is "not at this stage" considering any offers for TVSN.