Business of Media
James Warburton joins HCF-backed sportstech VC; raise in the offing
Former Seven West Media chief executive James Warburton isn’t lying low in his post-Seven life, reports The AFR’s Street Talk.
Since departing the network in April, Warburton has signed a deal with excess advertising inventory sales shop Boost Media alongside 248 Growth Partners, formerly CVC Emerging Companies, and been named to the board of photo-sharing app Tiny Beans.
Now, Street Talk can report the media executive has added another role to the resume, joining sport & health technology venture capital investment firm XT Venture. Warburton has been named chair of the up-and-coming VC as it kicks off efforts to raise its first $50 million fund and build out its investment team. Also on the leadership team: HCF chief executive Sheena Jack and Aura Group managing director Eric Chan.
Nine Entertainment communications boss Victoria Buchan to leave the company
Nine Entertainment’s communications boss Victoria Buchan has been made redundant, with her departure announced just weeks before the media company is due to hand down its findings into its long-awaited workplace culture review, reports The Australian’s Sophie Elsworth.
On Monday morning Nine’s interim CEO Matt Stanton sent an email to staff informing them that he and Buchan – who is the director of communications and public relations – had “agreed” for her “to leave the business as we go about restructuring the corporate roles”.
Buchan’s departure comes after the trouble-plagued company commissioned an independent review into workplace culture at the ASX-listed media business, following allegations of sexual harassment and bullying within its broadcasting division.
It is understood Buchan’s exit is not linked to the findings of the cultural review – the findings have yet to be made public and are scheduled to be handed down at the end of this month.
Buchan has been at Nine for 15 years and had close ties with former news and current affairs boss Darren Wick who left the company in March.
Nine’s communications director the latest out the door
Nine’s top communications and public relations executive has been made redundant one week into acting chief executive Matt Stanton’s tenure and ahead of the imminent public release of the independent report into cultural issues at the media company, reports Nine Publishing’s Calum Jaspan.
Victoria Buchan will leave Nine at the end of November after Stanton, the company’s former chief strategy and financial officer, deemed her position surplus to requirements.
Buchan’s redundancy may be the first in a series of cost-cutting moves made by Stanton, according to some senior figures at Nine not authorised to speak publicly. Stanton has been appointed to the chief executive role on an interim basis until a permanent successor to Sneesby is found. Nine is also searching for two new board directors.
Guy Sebastian’s former manager’s fight to recoup $1m in legal costs
Australian Idol winner Guy Sebastian’s former manager spent more than $1m battling to overturn his convictions for defrauding his famous client, a court has been told, reports News Corp’s Adelaide Lang.
Titus Emanuel Day (pictured above) was jailed for at least two and a half years in November 2022 after a jury found him guilty of 34 fraud-related charges, including misappropriating more than $620,000.
He successfully quashed his convictions on appeal last year and is due to face a retrial in May 2025. The manager to the stars has continued to deny the allegations against him.
Day’s lawyers have filed an application to delay his retrial until the Director of Public Prosecutions has compensated him for the legal bills he incurred during the initial trial and appeal.
His barrister Thomas Woods told the NSW District Court on Monday the prosecution had previously agreed to negotiate after conceding it should pay some of Day’s costs.
“That negotiation hasn’t proved fruitful,” he said.
News Brands
Aussie live music under scrutiny amid Oasis ticket sales
Oasis’ tour promoters have been at the centre of a damning report into the country’s live music scene, reports News Corp’s David Mills and Kathy McCabe.
Live Nation, which also owns Ticketmaster and Moshtix, has been accused of “sucking up profits” and using its business model to “plunder competition” in ABC’s latest episode of Four Corners.
Peter Garrett, the frontman for Midnight Oil, appeared on the program to warn against the company’s dominance.
“I don’t think Live Nation cares at all about Australian artists,” the long-time campaigner said.
Four Corners said many musicians were afraid to speak out against Live Nation due to potential repercussions.
The show reported that UK concert tickets for Oasis were ridiculed by fans who complained about the high price of tickets. This is called dynamic pricing – as a show gets more popular, the ticket prices go up.
‘Execution’: Live Nation CEO slams allegations before Four Corners airs
Live Nation Australasia CEO Michael Coppel has hit back at claims that the company is the reason for the downfall of the Australian music industry due to the “hidden” costs of ticketing, reports News Corp’s Joshua Haigh.
An investigation by ABC’s Four Corners has claimed that Live Nation’s ticketing arm Ticketmaster are maximising profits at the expense of both consumers and artists.
It also alleges that musicians have been nervous to speak out against Live Nation for fear of the repercussions to their touring careers.
Coppel was grilled on The Project on Monday evening over some of the extra charges being pushed onto consumers when buying concert tickets.
“It’s always an interesting conversation when you schedule an execution and then you have the trial and the evidence a week later,” said Coppel, who claimed the ABC only gave them “hours” to respond to the investigation, something the broadcaster has denied.
“I think it’s a great shame the live performance industry is going through a huge boom, and yet there’s a focus on the negative.”
Kamala Harris sets interview with a not-so-friendly outlet: Fox News
Vice President Kamala Harris has agreed to an interview with Fox News, the network said on Monday, reports The New York Times.
The interview, with Fox News’s chief political anchor, Bret Baier, will take place near Philadelphia on Wednesday, shortly before it airs at 6 pm Eastern on Baier’s program, Special Report. Harris is expected to sit for 25 to 30 minutes of questions, the network said.
This is Harris’s first formal interview with Fox News, whose day-to-day programming is heavy on conservative punditry that often explicitly supports her Republican opponent, former President Donald J. Trump.
It could also represent an opportunity for the Democratic nominee three weeks ahead of Election Day.
Harris will have a chance to deliver her message to a viewership that may be skeptical of her candidacy. Her willingness to appear on Fox News may aid the perception that she is open to facing tough questions. And she can reach a swath of independent voters, more of whom watch Fox News than CNN or MSNBC, according to research by Nielsen.
Radio
Shock as Triple M Sydney host announces departure live on air
Veteran broadcaster Gus Worland has called time on his stint at Triple M radio, reports News Corp’s Jonathan Moran.
The media personality has notched up 16 years on the station and will wrap co-hosting The Rush Hour on 104.9 Sydney at the end of the year.
“I want to thank everyone I have worked with over the past 16 years,” Worland said. “From my early days with Matty Johns, Mark Geyer, and Chris Page, to my current team with Jude Bolton and Aaron Woods, I have been fortunate to collaborate with some truly remarkable people,” Worland said, making the announcement live on air.
“I am also grateful to all the incredible behind-the-scenes staff who have helped keep our shows running smoothly.”
Worland will now focus more attention on his Gotcha4Life Foundation mental health charity, although has indicated he will continue his media work in the future.
Television
Heartbreak High star Will McDonald takes on next big gig with role in Thou Shalt Not Steal
Expect the unexpected from Heartbreak High star Will McDonald, reports News Corp’s Jonathan Moran.
With the rising star of the Australian screen set to debut another new character this week, the 26-year old said he is excited for fans to see him as someone other than Douglas ‘Ca$h’ Piggott.
“I never want to be boxed into one thing,” McDonald told The Daily Telegraph.
“I love the profile that Cash has given me but part of the joy of acting is challenging yourself and trying to play different roles and showing people that you have got range, that you are not just this one trick pony. I do one thing, and then I want the next thing to be the complete opposite, completely different.”
McDonald latest project, Thou Shalt Not Steal, premieres on Stan on Thursday (October 17). It is an outrageous road trip dramedy telling the story of two teens, Gidge (McDonald) and Robyn (Sherry-Lee Watson) on the run from police and crooks from Alice Springs to Adelaide.
Sports Media
Foxtel’s top cricket executive departs after investigation into social media usage
Foxtel’s top cricket executive has resigned from the pay TV broadcaster after an investigation into his alleged improper use of social media as the company gears up for the summer of cricket, report Nine Publishing’s Calum Jaspan and Andrew Wu.
Matt Weiss, Fox Sports’ general manager of Fox Cricket, is leaving the company after more than a decade, including seven years running its cricket broadcasting division, having been linked to a now-deleted social media account used to allegedly abuse colleagues, rivals and prominent media, sports and political figures.
A Foxtel spokesperson confirmed Weiss’ resignation on Monday evening following the conclusion of an investigation initiated by the company at the end of August into the alleged improper use of social media.
Footy Show trio reunite in off-season on Sam Newman’s yacht in Whitsundays
Sam Newman says it was like “great old times” when he hosted his former AFL Footy Show colleagues James Brayshaw and Garry Lyon at the weekend, reports News Corp’s Jackie Epstein.
Brayshaw and his wife Lisa and Lyon and his fiance Nicky Brownless, joined Newman and his companion Sue Stanley on his boat in the Whitsundays.
“After a heavy schedule and the grind with football they were delighted to get away,’’ Newman said.
“It was great to see them, like great old times and it was fantastic. We had three very good days out on the boat and the nice weather was a bit of a relief.”
Brayshaw posted a happy picture of the group to social media, saying Newman was “untameable”.
Newman, who set sail on board his yacht Angst in May, has raised awareness for the Rule Prostate Cancer organisation along the way.
He is now preparing for the journey back to Melbourne which is expected to take four weeks.