Business of Media
The judgement in the Bruce Lehrmann defamation trial will be handed down today. This is what’s at stake for each party
A federal court judge will today deliver his long-awaited decision in the defamation case brought by former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann against Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson, report the ABC’s Jamie McKinnell, Elizabeth Byrne, and Patrick Bell.
For five weeks the civil case heard evidence related to one of the most significant political scandals in recent Australian history: the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins in Parliament House in 2019.
Lehrmann sued Ten and Wilkinson after an interview with Higgins on The Project, in which she spoke about the allegation.
Digital publishers fear Meta is already preparing for news ban
The last time Facebook blocked news in Australia, it was an unmitigated disaster that led a global tech giant to bow to the demands of then PM Scott Morrison, treasurer Josh Frydenberg, and competition regulator Rod Sims. Somewhere around $70 million a year is a lot of money to pay for Mark Zuckerberg to save face, reports Nine Publishing’s Sam Buckingham-Jones.
So the next time push came to shove, Meta, nee Facebook, was a lot more tactical. In Canada, the Facebook and Instagram pages of hundreds of news outlets went dark overnight in August last year in response to the Online News Act, the Great White North’s echo of Australia’s News Media Bargaining Code.
Faced with paying for news, Google omits California sites for some
Google has begun removing California news websites from some search results, a test that acts as a threat should the state legislature pass a law requiring the search giant to pay media companies for linking to their content, report AP’s Adam Beam and Tran Nguyen.
Google announced the move in a blog post on Friday, calling it a “short-term test for a small percentage of users … to measure the impact of the legislation on our product experience”. The company said it also would pause new investments in the California news industry, including the partnership initiative with news organisations and its product licensing program.
Media fury as Albanese government flirts with $400m fast food ad ban
Major media companies reeling from the prospect of losing $300 million in advertising revenue from a government crackdown on gambling advertising now face an even more expensive blow from a possible ban on junk food ads, reports Nine Publishing’s Sam Buckingham-Jones.
The groups representing the multi-billion dollar television industry and Australia’s biggest advertisers have slammed an early study that explored banning or significantly limiting “unhealthy food” promotion as lacking evidence and unfairly targeting marketing over other factors.
Inside Taylor Swift’s surprise return to TikTok
In the battle between Universal Music Group and TikTok, it may be Taylor Swift who has the most leverage, reports The Wall Street Journal’s Anne Steele.
At a recent meeting with record label executives ahead of the debut of The Tortured Poets Department, Swift’s camp shared plans to promote the new album on platforms including TikTok, according to people familiar with the matter. Label executives were surprised.
Months earlier, the label had pulled from TikTok a trove of Swift’s songs like Cruel Summer and Shake It Off, as well as works by its other artists as part of a continuing dispute over what the platform pays in royalties.
News Brands
News Corp plots major shake-up as Meta money ends, Google deal nears
News Corp Australia is planning its biggest restructure in more than a decade as it looks for $15 million in savings to offset a weak advertising market. The publishing giant expects no new revenue from Meta, and flat – or lower – revenue from an impending deal with Google, reports Nine Publishing’s Sam Buckingham-Jones.
The company, chaired globally by Lachlan Murdoch, is considering cutting senior management positions as it reorganises into three divisions, each with their own balance sheet.
Seven West Media’s board members ‘blindsided’ by Spotlight allegations
The Seven West board has been blindsided by the scandalous claims plaguing investigative program Spotlight, with the company’s non-executive directors only finding out about the allegations of misuse of spending on prostitutes and drugs via the media, report The Australian’s Sophie Elsworth and James Madden.
The seven-person board, led by chairman Kerry Stokes, will take part in a scheduled meeting this Thursday in Sydney – the first since the Spotlight saga began – where the drama enveloping the beleaguered network will be high on the agenda.
The Australian has been told that board members only learned of the shocking allegations – that the company reimbursed Bruce Lehrmann for the cost of prostitutes and illegal drugs – by reading and watching the stories in the media.
See Also: Spotlight EP Mark Llewellyn reportedly leaves Seven in wake of Auerbach evidence
Why Kerry & Ryan Stokes’ Seven Group may part ways with Channel 7
In life, it’s generally best to put most effort into the things that are most important to you. Conversely, it is best to commit less to the things that matter the least, reports The Australian’s Ross Greenwood.
The truth is that the Seven Network is diminishing by the day – not just from an overall ratings perspective (that’s common across all free-to-air networks), but also in its importance to the broader Stokes family business.
Television
Lisa Wilkinson’s on-air presence in doubt
The last time viewers saw Lisa Wilkinson in the co-host’s chair on The Project was 17 months ago when she sensationally quit on air and called out “targeted toxicity” from sections of the media. Whatever that means, report The Australian’s Sophie Elsworth and James Madden.
Wilkinson’s contract is due to expire in October and while she’s been on TV plenty of times in recent months – that is walking in and out of court – there are plenty of well-informed media pundits who are tipping that she won’t be returning to Ten’s screens again before her lucrative annual six-digit salary expires.
Frankie Muniz quits I’m a Celebrity jungle
Malcolm in the Middle star Frankie Muniz has quit I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, reports TV Tonight.
He left after three weeks in the jungle, becoming the third cast member to depart.
After receiving a letter from home, Muniz cited missing his wife and three year old son as the reason he quit the show.
Jessica Rowe shares why husband Peter Overton has been ‘missing’ from screens for weeks
Jessica Rowe has revealed the reason her husband Peter Overton has been “missing” from his presenting duties on 9News for the last few weeks, reports News Corp’s Christine Estera.
“Many of you have been missing Petee from your TV screens these past couple of weeks & have asked me where he is!” the 53-year-old began in her post.
“Well he’s at home recovering from hip replacement surgery & getting lots of TLC. Petee will be back @9newssydney soon!”
Why does Alone love the cold so much?
With the second season of Alone Australia in New Zealand, it’s clear this show loves cold climates a whole lot more than warm. Executive Producer Riima Daher told TV Tonight there were indeed reasons why the cold suits production, reports TV Tonight.
“I think you wouldn’t be able to see people flex their skill set in comfortable conditions and then you want to those conditions get tougher and tougher, to really test them so that nature’s upping the ante as they go. But you want to give them a fair fighting chance to show you what they’re capable of, and get settled in before nature starts to challenge them. Typically speaking winter sells that best,” she said.