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Amanda Laing firms for mega Nine broadcast job amid restructure
Nine Entertainment is expected to appoint former Foxtel executive Amanda Laing in a new role with responsibility for broadcast operations under a proposal to overhaul management at the $2 billion media company that could be finalised within weeks.
The new role is likely to report directly to Nine’s acting chief executive Matt Stanton and would have oversight over the ASX-listed company’s free-to-air television and radio divisions, and the Stan streaming platform.
Ms Laing’s appointment would mark her return to the media giant where she was managing director until 2017. If Ms Laing is appointed, she would only take up the job later in the year once her non-compete obligations to Foxtel expire, according to two people briefed on the matter who were not authorised to comment publicly.
Grace Hayden talks about life with cricketer dad Matthew and her new job with Racing X
Some of Grace Hayden’s earliest memories are of watching her father, Australian cricket legend Matthew Hayden, play for the national team, reports The Daily Telegraph’s Jonathon Moran.
Now 22, Grace is carving out her own path in the world of sport. “All of the iconic sporting cricket grounds were kind of my playground growing up, so it was all I ever knew,” she told The Daily Telegraph. “Sport is everything that I’ve known my whole life.”
Reflecting on her father’s illustrious career, she added, “Now that I am working in sport and cricket, I realise just how amazing my dad was—still is—but was at his craft, and I just didn’t appreciate that when I was little. Now I look back at videos and see he was amazing.”
The full draw: Australian Open matches to watch, and those to wait for
As the Australian Open kicks off on Sunday, The Age’s Scott Spits analyses the standout first-round clashes and the potential storylines shaping the tournament. From veterans like Gael Monfils and Novak Djokovic to emerging stars like Coco Gauff and Carlos Alcaraz, the stage is set for an exciting fortnight of tennis at Melbourne Park. Read more for a closer look at the key matches to watch and the players who could make a deep run.
Radio
“We are not here to make up the numbers. We are here to make a difference” – Chris Smith launches a new era for 2SM
As 2025 begins, Radioinfo reflects on the year ahead in Australian radio, highlighting key developments across the industry. After Australia’s triumphant reclaiming of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the SCG—where radio and podcasting played a central role in bringing the action to audiences—the focus shifts to Chris Smith’s return to commercial talk radio on 2SM, part of the Super Radio Network.
Under the new leadership of George Caralis and Despina Priala, along with group general manager Graham Miles, the network is entering the new year with ambitious plans. Unlike some competitors, such as ABC Radio Sydney, which has yet to announce a replacement for Sarah Macdonald, 2SM is actively engaging its audience with strategic promotion that echoes the efficient legacy of its founder, Bill Caralis. Radioinfo looks into these developments, as well as broader trends shaping radio in 2025.
Retail
‘Shame job’: Beauty influencer blasts Mecca over 50 cent makeup claim
A beauty influencer has criticised one of Australia’s leading beauty retailers, accusing them of misleading advertising in a recent campaign, reports news.com.au’s Ally Foster.
Jill Clark, known to her 144,000 TikTok followers, shared a five-minute video calling out Mecca’s ‘50-Cent Face’ campaign as a “shame job.” The campaign, launched in November, promotes Mecca Max’s affordability, claiming customers can achieve a full face of makeup for under 50 cents per day based on cost-per-wear calculations.
Clark questioned how Mecca determined its “daily recommended usage” for the products, revealing she had used ChatGPT to run her own calculations, which she says expose significant flaws in the campaign’s claims.
Social
Meta has ‘heard the message’ from Trump, says whistleblower Frances Haugen
Mark Zuckerberg has signaled a shift in Meta’s approach to online content moderation, responding to President-elect Donald Trump’s stance on reducing restrictions, report The Guardian Australia’s Dan Milmo and Robert Booth. According to whistleblower Frances Haugen, Zuckerberg’s announcement reflects Trump’s belief that “the right way to run social media is with no restrictions,” with Meta platforms expected to “intervene less and less” during his administration.
Haugen, who exposed Facebook and Instagram’s safety issues in 2021, interpreted Zuckerberg’s decision to drop third-party fact-checkers in the US and make other moderation changes as a response to Trump’s views. “The announcement from Mark is him basically saying: ‘Hey, I heard the message. We will not intervene in the United States,’” Haugen said.
In his statement, Zuckerberg emphasised his intention to “work with President Trump” to resist government censorship globally, citing concerns about online safety laws in regions like Europe, China, and Latin America.
Sport
Novak Djokovic says he was ‘poisoned’ during deportation ordeal in Melbourne
Novak Djokovic has claimed he fell seriously ill after being “poisoned” by food during his detention in Melbourne ahead of the 2022 Australian Open, reports news.com.au’s James McKern.
The 10-time Australian Open champion was held at the Park Hotel in Carlton after his visa was cancelled over his unvaccinated status and Australia’s COVID-19 entry rules. In a recent interview with GQ, Djokovic, now 37, revealed he became unwell on his way home, linking it to food he consumed while detained.
“I realised that in that hotel in Melbourne I was fed with some food that poisoned me,” Djokovic said, adding that medical tests in Serbia showed high levels of heavy metals, including lead and mercury. When asked if he believed the food was the cause, he responded, “that’s the only way.”
Television
Former child actor becomes producer of a $1.7b show
Katrina Sedgwick, CEO of the Melbourne Arts Precinct Corporation, draws inspiration from Japan’s Teshima and Naoshima islands, where art and architecture revitalised struggling communities, reports The AFR’s Michael Bleby.
Leading Australia’s largest arts project, Sedgwick oversees the $1.7 billion transformation of Southbank’s arts precinct, which includes the new NGV Contemporary, an Arts Centre Melbourne expansion, and a sprawling public garden. Despite pandemic-related budget increases, she’s steering a diverse team of politicians, architects, and arts administrators to bring the ambitious project to life.
TV Tonight Awards 2024: Best Free to Air Network
In the TV Tonight Awards for 2024, readers have crowned the ABC as the Best Free-to-Air Network for an impressive fifth consecutive year, reports TV Tonight’s David Knox. Netflix continued its reign as Best Subscription Service, while the headline-grabbing “Toxic workplaces across TV industry: bullying, sexism, racism” was named Story of the Year.
ABC chief content officer Chris Oliver-Taylor said The ABC is for all Australians, and I is incredibly proud that its broad range of Australian content has connected with the readers of TV Tonight. He highlighted the network’s standout year, commissioning over 100 programs, including Total Control, Austin, Return to Paradise, Fisk, and global phenomenon Bluey. The awards celebrate excellence across the industry, with a full list of winners detailed in the article.