Business of Media
Elon Musk’s social media platform X banned in Brazil after disinformation row
Social media platform X, formerly Twitter, has been banned in Brazil after failing to meet a deadline set by a Supreme Court judge to name a new legal representative in the country, reports BBC News.
Alexandre de Moraes ordered the “immediate and complete suspension” of the social media platform until it complies with all court orders and pays existing fines.
The row began in April, with the judge ordering the suspension of dozens of X accounts for allegedly spreading disinformation.
Reacting to the decision, X owner Elon Musk said: “Free speech is the bedrock of democracy and an unelected pseudo-judge in Brazil is destroying it for political purposes.”
The social media network is said to be used by at least a 10th of the nation’s 200 million inhabitants.
By Saturday morning some users had reported access to the platform was no longer possible.
The streaming service reeling in Netflix in Australia, despite lifting fees
Enduring cost-of-living pressures and 13 interest rate rises since mid-2022 have not stopped Australians from signing up for more streaming services. But 1.5 million people have downgraded plans to pay less in exchange for watching ads, reports The AFR’s Sam Buckingham-Jones.
Australians spent $3.5 billion in streaming subscriptions in the 12 months to June 30 – a 15 per cent surge largely fuelled by price rises, according to research firm Telsyte’s annual Subscription Entertainment Study.
Netflix remains the dominant player in Australia, with an estimated 6.2 million subscribers, up 2 per cent. But the faster-growing Amazon Prime Video platform, which expanded 7 per cent to 4.8 million, is gradually reeling it in.
Read summary of last year’s streaming figures.
ABC needs to focus on ‘core business’, says former managing director David Hill
The ABC should stop trying to compete with commercial media outlets and focus on “serious news and current affairs”, according to its second-longest-serving managing director, David Hill, reports The Australian’s James Madden.
Echoing ABC chair Kim Williams’ recent criticism of the public broadcaster’s digital news platforms, Hill said if the taxpayer-funded giant is to return to its best, it needs to focus on its “core business”.
“If you look back to see when the ABC has worked, it’s when it has really prioritised sharp, information-based news and current affairs,” Mr Hill said in an exclusive interview with The Australian.
“The ABC shouldn’t be tempted, even in the pursuit of a younger audience, (to engage) in a race to the bottom by attempting to emulate commercial media.
“The ABC still does a very good job in the regions, particularly in radio. Its strongest per capita support has always been regional radio.”
It’s now or never: Kim Williams must knock ABC into shape
ABC chairman Kim Williams, who has occupied the role for just shy of six months, may be the first person to change the public broadcaster’s culture since Mark Scott introduced the iview streaming service in 2008 and the 24-hour TV news channel in 2010, comments The Australian’s Chris Mitchell.
But Scott, a former editor-in-chief at the old Fairfax broadsheet newspapers and now a controversial vice-chancellor of Sydney University, did not tackle the journalistic culture of the organisation. It’s no surprise he is too timid to tackle cultural issues at his uni. In fact, by introducing live Twitter feeds on programs such as Q+A, Scott arguably accelerated the decline of the ABC’s journalism into one-sided political advocacy.
Williams, thankfully, is no fan of social media. The last person to try to tackle the ABC’s editorial culture was the ill-fated Jonathan Shier, who lasted less than two years after his March 2000 appointment.
As the sun sets on The Monkeys, it’s time for Accenture Song to shine
The Monkeys, one of Australia’s most celebrated creative agencies, will ditch its iconic name in December and rebadge as Droga5, reports The Australian’s Danielle Long.
The agency, which has offices in Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland, is owned by Accenture and operates as one of the crown jewels in its integrated marketing services offering called Accenture Song.
Droga5 is also part of the Accenture Song offering and the move will officially merge the two agencies which share a number of similarities; they both launched in 2006, share clients including Tourism Australia and NRMA Insurance, and feature similar cultures and creative philosophies.
The Growth Agenda understands the plan was hatched during the Tourism Australia pitch this year, which saw Droga5 and The Monkeys work closely together along with the integrated Accenture Song group.
News Brands
SMH Letters editor departs: Farewell and thanks for all the wisdom
As many readers will know, there are changes afoot at the Herald. The company called for voluntary redundancies and some of the paper’s stalwarts put their hands up, wrote SMH Letters Editor Pat Stringa on Saturday.
After six years as letters editor, I will also be leaving the Herald. This year marks my 40th year in journalism, the past decade at the Herald.
Like my colleagues, I have lived and worked through a revolution in journalism. But the many changes brought about by the advent of technology have not changed the fundamental, and the best part, of the job: providing a space for people to have a voice. Your epistles have filled some of that space every day – you’ve entertained, challenged and informed readers, and me, with your carefully crafted missives.
I look forward to reading, from afar, more of your thoughtful, witty, intelligent missives (long or short, they are always great – although contributors know my preference!).
Margot Saville and Harriet Veitch will be safely steering the ‘‘good ship Herald letters’’ through the waters of the daily news cycle. As always, brilliant scribes, keep writing!
Readers then sent their own letters when hearing of Stringa’s departure.
Cartoonist Michael Leunig calls The Age “a tacky tabloid” after being sacked
Legendary cartoonist Michael Leunig says he’s embarrassed to be associated with The Age newspaper after his 55-year career at the Melbourne masthead was terminated last week, report The Australian’s James Madden and Sophie Elsworth.
In what he described as a “throat-cutting exercise”, the 79-year-old said he was left gobsmacked after reading Age editor Patrick Elligett’s subscriber email newsletter on Friday night that said the cartoonist had “filed his last editorial illustration for The Age”.
Although Leunig had received a call from Elligett days earlier to tell him his time was up, the cartoonist was stunned when the editor’s note failed to reference the circumstances of his departure.
“There was no mention of the fact that he (Elligett) gave me the axe,” Leunig told The Australian.
“I was expecting it, as I have parted ways with The Age philosophically (and) culturally. I don’t read it really, I just scan it. It’s a sad story because I began there when it was a substantial newspaper.
“It’s almost embarrassing now to say that I worked for The Age, it’s become like a tacky tabloid.”
ABC changes on-air language regarding LGBTQI+ community
The ABC has issued a staff directive about how to appropriately refer to the LGBTQI+ community, insisting that more “inclusive and accurate terminology” must be used, reports The Australian’s Sophie Elsworth.
The latest missive from the broadcaster’s management comes after the taxpayer-funded organisation recently overhauled its acknowledgment of Indigenous names during broadcasts to now also refer to “non-Indigenous custodians”.
On Friday, a message from the ABC news digital day editor was circulated among employees just hours after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that gay, lesbian and bisexual people will be counted in Australia’s next census. The note sent to ABC staff said employees should drop the ‘QI’ and just refer to the LGBT community.
Radio media
Time to taste humble pie: KIIS FM’s Kyle and Jackie O crash and burn
The Melbourne radio war is now a two-horse race, with Kyle Sandilands and Jackie “O” Henderson so far being noisy but largely ignored by listeners in the high-quality, hotly contested breakfast market, reports News Corp’s Fiona Byrne.
The race is over this year for Sandilands and Henderson, who rather than being conquering heroes will have to get used to the taste of humble pie.
They will not be No. 1 FM by the end of the year, as Sandilands had predicted: instead the profanity-littered Kyle & Jackie O Show on KIIS FM will hover around the lower end of the FM ratings ladder.
The real battle is between Jase Hawkins and Lauren Phillips on Nova and Fifi Box, Brendan Fevola and Nick Cody on Fox FM, with Christian O’Connell on Gold nipping at both their heels.
Future of 4BC breakfast: Could there be a change as soon as next month?
4BC’s flagship breakfast program, led by Laurel Edwards, Mark Hine and Gary Clare, could come to an end sooner rather than later after the trio’s worst performance yet in the year’s fifth radio ratings poll released last week, reports The Australian.
The trio jumped ship from 4KQ in 2022 after taking over from Neil Breen and have seen their ratings gradually slide ever since, falling from an audience share of 10.1 per cent to just 4.3 per cent last survey.
So will Nine Radio boss Tom Malone rip up their contracts before things get any worse?
The trio’s contract was extended in April but is up at the year’s end and the drums are already beating loudly. There is some speculation that they could even be gone before the upcoming Queensland state election late next month. Edwards, Hine and Clare are scheduled to take one week off during the non-ratings period from September 15 but will they even return?
Names being bandied around to take over the breakfast mic include Nine News weather reporter Luke Bradnam, and Peter ‘I can read a room’ Fegan who, according to spies, is “desperate” to get the gig after he had a stint filling in earlier this year alongside Sofie Formica.
Television
Sun, surf and a dead body: The Paraverse heads down under
Return to Paradise is the latest entry to what is now known as the “Paraverse”, the world that began with the BBC’s megahit murder mystery series Death in Paradise. That series, following a string of British detectives (beginning with Ben Miller, moving through Kris Marshall, Ardal O’Hanlon, Ralf Little and Don Gilet) solving fiendishly complex murders on the beautiful Caribbean island of Saint Marie, writes Nine Publishing’s Ben Pobjie.
It’s been running since 2011 and is still going strong, feeding the British – and Australian – audience’s insatiable appetite for tricky whodunnits. After Beyond Paradise, Return to Paradise is the second spin-off, and the first Australian entry, as well as the first Paraverse entry to feature a female detective.
That detective is Detective Inspector Mackenzie Clarke, played by Anna Samson (Home and Away, Jack Irish, Wake in Fright). Samson is cognisant of the pressure that comes with taking the lead in the spin-off of such a beloved franchise.
“Yes, absolutely (there is pressure),” she says. “I’d be silly to say otherwise. There’s a pressure and an excitement and a fear. It’s like taking up that mantle from those maverick detectives. Along with the fear there’s a lot of pride. I’m really proud to be the first female detective. I’m really proud that it’s Australia and it’s the ABC that’s made the move in the Paraverse to put a female in that lead role.”
Eurovision 2025 heads to Basel, Switzerland…will Australia be there?
Eurovision 2025 will take place in Basel, Switzerland next May, reports TV Tonight.
The cultural capital of Switzerland was selected by Host Broadcaster SRG SSR and the European Broadcasting Union, over Geneva.
The bid process examined facilities at the St. Jakobshalle venue, local infrastructure and the ability to accommodate thousands of visiting delegations, crew, fans and journalists from around the world. St. Jakobshalle, located on a trinational border triangle between Switzerland, Germany and France, boasts a total of eleven halls under one roof with a capacity for 12,400 people.
The Grand Final will take place on Saturday 17 May (EU) with Semi-Finals on Tuesday 13 and Thursday 15 May.
It follows the 2024 win by Nemo with “The Code” in Malmö, Sweden.
Martin Österdahl, Executive Supervisor said in a media release: ”The EBU is thrilled that Basel has been selected as the Host City for the Eurovision Song Contest 2025. The Contest was born in Switzerland in Lugano back in 1956 and it’s great to be bringing it back to its birthplace almost 70 years later.”
SBS is yet to confirm Australia’s return to Eurovision.
Footy greats pull plum roles in new Brendan Cowell TV series
We knew Asher Keddie would be joining former Love My Way co-star Brendan Cowell in his newest TV series, Plum, reports News Corp’s Briana Domjen. Several high-profile footballers will also make their acting debut in the drama, based on his novel of the same name.
Australian rugby league greats Andrew “Joey” Johns, Mark “Spudd” Carroll, Paul Gallen and James Graham are also set to feature in the anticipated ABC series – which tells the story of Peter “The Plum” Lum (Brendan Cowell), a 49-year-old national football treasure who discovers he has a brain disorder as a result of the hundreds of head knocks and concussions he suffered on the field.
And, according to Cowell, the sportsmen are naturals.
“Joey warned me to bring his A game then, when the cameras rolled, he said ‘Brendo, I got butterflies!” Cowell told Sunday Confidential.
“Spudd wanted more lines to say but nailed all his takes like it was an early hit up in Origin game three.”
Sports Media
Kevin Walters swipes journalist in fiery press conference scenes
Broncos coach Kevin Walters has taken a swipe at a journalist in a post-match media conference as his team’s season hangs in the balance after being belted 40-6 by the Dolphins in Saturday night’s Battle of Brisbane, reports News Corp’s Anthony Brand.
Despite his side’s lacklustre display before a packed Suncorp Stadium, Walters said the club “can still make the finals”.
when a journalist pointed out to Walters that Saturday night’s loss was just the latest in a string of recent shellackings including their Round 21, 41-16 trouncing to the Bulldogs, the coach hit back.
“I wouldn’t say that (that we’ve had a number of disappointing losses),” Walters said.
“It wasn’t great (against the Bulldogs) but what do you think? You seem to know a lot about everything.
“It has (happened more than once) but as I said it’s not great.”