Business of Media
Russian media falsely claims King Charles is dead
A false statement announcing the death of King Charles has been circulated on Russian media and social channels, reports The Telegraph’s Victoria Ward.
The notice, which was purported to have been released by Buckingham Palace, said: “The King passed away unexpectedly yesterday afternoon.”
It was printed on what appeared to be official headed notepaper featuring the royal crest, and stated that the message, dated Monday March 18, was from Royal Communications.
‘Incredibly, woman goes to shop is breaking news’: The reaction to Kate’s pop to the shops
Despite the increasingly wild theories about the whereabouts of Catherine, Princess of Wales, the reality is she appears in good enough health to pop down to her local shops, reports the ABC’s Jessica Riga.
The British tabloids have published new images of the Prince and Princess of Wales a week after the furore over an edited photograph turned into a public relations nightmare for Kensington Palace.
“Incredibly, woman goes to shop is breaking news,” says ABC royal commentator, Juliet Rieden.
See Also: The King of Photoshop fails? The PR of retracting Kate Middleton’s photo
Donald Trump’s niece to publish follow-up to bestselling memoir this year
Mary Trump, Donald Trump’s niece, who wrote Too Much and Never Enough, a bestselling book on the former US president and his family dysfunction, will publish a second memoir this year, reports The Guardian’s Martin Pengelly.
“I’ve told you what growing up in this family did to Donald,” Mary Trump wrote on social media on Tuesday. “Now I’m telling the story of what it did to my dad and me.”
News Brands
Paramount+ sets launch details for ad tier in Canada and Australia
Paramount Global‘s streaming service Paramount+ has unveiled the launch timing and pricing for its international advertising-supported subscription offering, the so-called “Basic (with ads)” plan, in Australia and Canada, reports The Hollywood Reporter’s Georg Szalai.
The ad tier will roll out in Canada in April, priced at C$6.99 ($5.16) monthly and C$61.99 for a year ($45.76), and in Australia in June, priced at A$6.99 ($4.59) per month or A$61.99 ($40.68) for a year.
Lee Sears, President of international markets advertising sales, commented: “By introducing the ‘Basic (with ads)’ plan in Canada and Australia, we will enhance our value to our partners by enabling advertisers to buy across our global franchises, series and films through our digital platform, EyeQ, alongside the breadth of Paramount’s premium video inventory in a comprehensive and impactful way.”
ABC defends broadcasting Russia-Ukraine war documentary after ambassador calls it ‘bowl of vomit’
The ABC has defended an international documentary about the Russia-Ukraine war screened on Four Corners after it was criticised as propaganda by the Ukrainian ambassador to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko, reports The Guardian’s Amanda Meade.
On Monday the ABC broadcast Ukraine’s War: The Other Side, from British film-maker Sean Langan, which promised to offer a human perspective on life on the Russian frontline.
But Myroshnychenko said the documentary repeated “blatant lies” that emanated from the Kremlin and served the interests of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, and alleged the program “was the journalistic equivalent of a bowl of vomit”.
Television
Screen Forever 2024: Nine used AI for Scott Cam, Denise Scott voice-overs
Nine has used AI for TV show narration simulating The Block‘s Scott Cam and Travel Guides‘ Denise Scott, reports TV Tonight.
Speaking yesterday at Screen Forever, Nine Head of Content Production & Development Adrian Swift confirmed Nine had used AI for short sports packages, which would increase with the coming Olympics.
“Our other use of AI is where we have -and I’ll mention them- Denise Scott and Scott Cam, both of whom had various kinds of colds, coughs and fevers. So for our guide voiceovers on our cuts, we used AI versions of their voices….scarily accurate!”
Wet, cold, miserable and totally unmissable: Alone Australia is back
There’s only one problem with being responsible for the biggest show your broadcast partner has ever put to air. When season two rolls around, you have to do it all again – or maybe even try to top it, reports Nine Publishing’s Karl Quinn.
“The pressure is real, absolutely,” says Riima Daher, the executive producer of Alone Australia, the first season of which became SBS’s most successful commission in history. “It’s that second album pressure, when you don’t expect your first album to do as well as it does and then they say, ‘hey, quickly make a second album’.
Sports Media
NRL blocks Triple M from filming interviews after Souths’ complaints over Latrell
The NRL has blocked host radio broadcaster Triple M from filming post-match interviews following the backlash over Latrell Mitchell’s expletive-laden comments last Thursday night, report Nine Publishing’s Michael Chammas, Adrian Proszenko and Billie Eder.
The NRL has responded to complaints made by Mitchell’s club, the South Sydney Rabbitohs, and Nine Entertainment Co. over Triple M’s ability to film content after games under the terms and agreements of their rights deal. The NRL has decided to enforce a rule that hasn’t previously been policed.
In an email obtained by this masthead, NRL general manager of business and commercial operations Ben Champion reminded the game’s radio partners they had no visual rights to matches and must not enter the field directly after the final whistle.