Business of Media
Bluesky adds 700,000 new members as users flee X after the US election
Social media platform Bluesky has picked up more than 700,000 new users in the week since the US election, as users seek to escape misinformation and offensive posts on X, reports The Guardian.
The influx, largely from North America and the UK, has helped Bluesky reach 14.5 million users worldwide, up from 9 million in September, the company said.
Social media researcher Axel Bruns said the platform offered an alternative to X, formerly Twitter, including a more effective system for blocking or suspending problematic accounts and policing harmful behaviour.
Bluesky is still second to Threads in the social networking category on Apple’s US App Store, which reported reaching 275 million monthly active users in November, up from 200 million in August.
News Brands
Councillor suing commentator Clementine Ford after social media posts
A freshly-elected Kingston councillor is suing controversial feminist commentator Clementine Ford for defamation after Ford called her a “racist, transphobic cooker angling to be a politician”, report News Corp’s Laura Placella and Angus McIntyre.
The Herald Sun reveals Jane Agirtan, who will on Wednesday be sworn in to Kingston City Council in Melbourne’s southeast, has formally commenced defamation proceedings in the County Court, seeking $150,000 in damages.
But Agirtan, an accountant, has landed herself in hot water before her term has even begun after publishing details of a member of the public on Sunday who described her in similar terms to Ford.
In a writ filed last month and obtained by the Herald Sun, Agirtan claims Ford published several posts on Instagram and Facebook last year, which were read by a “significant number” of her more than 200,000 followers.
She is seeking “reasonable legal costs of $15,000 to be paid to date and damages of $150,000”, a public apology and a retraction, according to the latest notice.
Former Fox News host Chris Wallace quits CNN after three years
Chris Wallace, a veteran TV anchor who left Fox News for CNN three years ago, announced on Monday that he was leaving his post to venture into the streaming or podcasting worlds, reports The New York Times.
Wallace, 77, told The Daily Beast that he was leaving the network to pursue independent content creation, where, he told the outlet, “the action seems to be.” He mentioned he was still unsure what form of content he would make, but said his career in broadcasting was over.
He said his decision to leave CNN at the end of his three-year contract did not come from discontent. “I have nothing but positive things to say. CNN was very good to me,” he said.
One of the network’s most recognisable faces, Wallace started in 2022 as an on-screen commentator and hosted a weekly talk show called “Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace?” He also anchored CNN’s coverage of the U.S. presidential election last week.
Television
Channel 7 issues statement as My Kitchen Rules contestants cop viewer backlash
Channel 7 has been forced to issue a statement to viewers after several My Kitchen Rules contestants copped extreme backlash online, reports Nes Corp’s Lexie Cartwright.
The network took to its Facebook story on Sunday, ahead of its airing of the final instant restaurant for this season on Monday, to remind fans at home the Australian contestants were “real people”.
“Comments are encouraged but offensive or personal attacks are not permitted,” the statement added.
While the statement didn’t name any of the contestants, it came as Victorian mother-daughter duo Janey and Maddie had been copping heat online.
Further, Victorian brothers Rob and Liam were also targeted by social media users for their behaviour during Monday night’s episode, which followed Janey and Maddie hosting the last instant restaurant at their home ahead of the competition heading to the official MKR kitchen.
Sitting at the bottom of the leaderboard, Rob and Liam were eager for Janey and Maddie to “bomb” spectacularly in a bid to avoid being eliminated.
Adrian Portelli denies The Block is ‘rigged’, adds ‘it was my decision’
Adrian Portelli has vehemently denied claims The Block is “rigged” after he made several questionable comments following his clean sweep during Sunday’s auctions, reports News Corp’s Lexie Cartwright.
The Melbourne billionaire, 35, is hosting a mega giveaway of the five Phillip Island properties via his online lottery business, after his $15 million spending spree during the finale of the Channel 9 reality show.
During a media blitz yesterday, Portelli opened the floodgates by admitting he had made a secret deal with winners Charlotte and Maddy in the hopes of delivering them a win.
Portelli certainly came out of the gate hot to score their property – which was the last home to go to market – bidding an eye-watering, and unbeaten, $3.5 million offer to secure the girls a $1.65 million profit.
“We hand-selected the auction order to make sure the girls went last. So we can get them to win,” he revealed on Nova 100’s Jase & Lauren.
Radio
Comm Bank helps Ben Fordham after he was targeted in OnlyFans bank fraud
2GB breakfast radio host Ben Fordham has issued a warning after one of his bank accounts was targeted by an unusual form of fraud, reports Nine’s Josh Hohne.
Fordham was trying to transfer the unused balance from a Commonwealth Bank travel card when he saw a suspicious transaction on the bank teller’s screen.
“When he brought up the screen, I saw the words ‘OnlyFans’,” Fordham said on his 2GB program Tuesday morning. “Now OnlyFans is an adult subscription website where, essentially, if you’re a creator, you typically get your gear off and your subscribers pay money to see you with your gear off.
“So I had this embarrassing conversation with the lovely gentleman behind the counter, where I said, ‘Look, can you just go back to that page, I saw the words ‘OnlyFans’ there.”
Fordham said the teller was pretending he hadn’t seen the adult subscription site’s name. “I’m sure you hear this all the time, but I swear I have not spent any money with OnlyFans,” Fordham said he told the teller.
A series of $50 transactions had been made on the account and subsequently reversed.
Matt Comyn, chief executive of the Commonwealth Bank, said the bank was always working to prevent fraud and hoped the incident hadn’t been too embarrassing for the 2GB host.
Sports Media
Retired Richmond superstar Dusty to join Fox Footy? Coffee with Delany & Crawley
Retired Richmond star Dustin Martin won’t be lost to footy — it appears he is set to join the commentary ranks with Fox Footy, reports News Corp’s Jackie Epstein.
Martin, 33, was said to be interested in joining the Gold Coast Suns and reuniting with his old Tigers coach Damien Hardwick.
But the 302 game superstar was recently captured in secret talks with key footy powerbrokers in South Melbourne.
He was seen sharing a coffee with Foxtel boss Patrick Delany, Fox Sports managing director Steve Crawley, Fox Footy commentator and former Richmond teammate Jack Riewoldt and his manager Ralph Carr.
Fox Footy is intent on bolstering its coverage with footy experts for the start of a landmark rights deal signed by the Foxtel Group.
Sam McClure quits nightly 3AW sports show after cost-cutting axes co-hosts
Nine radio is searching for a new sports host with Sam McClure set to depart the Wide World of Sports seat at 3AW, reports News Corp’s Scott Gullan.
McClure has been a feature of the station’s popular program since 2020 when he joined Gerard Healy as Sportsday co-host before taking over as the sole host in 2022 when Nine rebranded the show.
But widespread cost-cutting across the station is believed to be behind McClure’s decision to walk away.
Nine recently dumped the rotation of co-hosts who have worked alongside McClure in the 6pm-7pm timeslot.
Essendon champion Matthew Lloyd was a regular on Monday, AFL legend Leigh Matthews on Tuesday, Richmond’s favourite son Matthew Richardson on Wednesday with Geelong Brownlow Medallist Jimmy Bartel the Thursday night co-host.
Possible replacements in the Wide World of Sports hosting chair include Bartel, who has worked as replacement host on the morning show, and commentator Bruce Eva.
Eddie McGuire’s Footy Classified moves to Tuesday to take on 7’s new footy program
The AFL’s footy TV wars are hotting up with Footy Classified’s midweek edition set to move timeslots to counter Channel 7’s new show led by former Nine star Kane Cornes, reports News Corp’s Scott Gullan.
Nine announced on Monday the signing of Essendon legend James Hird and he will appear on the new Tuesday Footy Classified – moved from Wednesday – which will be hosted by Eddie McGuire.
Hird is replacing former teammate Matthew Lloyd who will only appear on the Monday night edition of the talk show as he intends to focus more on his coaching career with Haileybury College in 2025.
Geelong’s Brownlow medallist Jimmy Bartel and journalist Damian Barrett will round out the Tuesday night line-up.
The change of nights by Nine’s premier footy show also gets it away from Seven’s juggernaut show The Front Bar which will feature almost exclusively on Wednesday nights next year because of the increase in Thursday night footy on the network.
What Monday night’s Footy Classified panel will look like is still being worked out after the show’s three biggest stars – Cornes, Caroline Wilson and host Craig Hutchison – walked out in controversial circumstances in September.
Former Crow tipped to replace Kane Cornes on Channel 9’s Footy Classified
Rory Sloane is widely tipped to replace Kane Cornes on Footy Classified next year, reports News Corp’s Antimo Iannella.
The retired Crow is understood to be the “frontrunner” to fill Cornes’s hot seat on the Monday edition of Nine’s footy show, following the Port champion’s much-publicised defection to Channel 7.
Sloane, who hung up the boots in April after 255 games and 16 seasons at Adelaide, had been approached about a coaching position at Melbourne, but turned the role down.
Last month, Sloane admitted he was still undecided about his future.
Sloane is no stranger to the media, having previously held roles with Channel 7 and Fiveaa.
Gary Lineker quits Match of the Day, but staying with the BBC for World Cup, podcasts
The BBC and Gary Lineker have agreed in principle a contract extension through to the 2026 World Cup. Lineker will lead the coverage of the tournament, as England once again try to land a first major trophy since 1966, the other Home Nations look to qualify and Lionel Messi aims to retain the trophy he won with Argentina.
Lineker will also host BBC Sport’s coverage of the FA Cup in the 2025/26 season, 35 years on from lifting the trophy as a player.
After a quarter of a century, Lineker is stepping down from hosting Match of The Day at the end of this season. He will continue with the MOTD Top Ten podcast and the BBC will also host the hugely popular The Rest is Football podcast on BBC Sounds.
Gary Lineker said: “I’m delighted to continue my long association with BBC Sport and would like to thank all those who made this happen.”
The presenter is the co-founder of Goalhanger Podcasts, which produces series The Rest Is History, The Rest Is Politics and The Rest Is Entertainment.
Lineker is the highest-paid talent working for the BBC, receiving around £1.35m during the 2023-24 financial year, according to the BBC.