Business of Media
Network 10 asks AFP to investigate ‘leaking’ of evidence in Bruce Lehrmann trial
Federal police have been asked to investigate the alleged leaking of evidence from the trial of Bruce Lehrmann to the media, reports The Guardian’s Nino Bucci.
Marlia Saunders, a partner at Thomson Geer, who is representing Network 10 in a defamation case brought by Lehrmann against them, confirmed she had made a complaint to the AFP on 7 June regarding the leak.
“Network 10 made a complaint to the AFP last Wednesday, requesting they investigate a suspected contempt of court in relation to material produced under an AFP warrant and a subpoena issued in the ACT supreme court which appears to have been disclosed to the media in breach of the implied undertaking in Hearne v Street,” Saunders confirmed in a statement.
“The AFP yesterday confirmed the complaint had been received for consideration.”
How is the US writers’ strike affecting TV and movie writers working in Australia?
Australian television writers are having their projects put on hold because of the Hollywood writers’ strike, as the local union advises them against crossing the picket line, reports The ABC’s Peter Quattrocelli.
They are facing pressure to hold off on opportunities or risk bans that could jeopardise their careers.
Queensland-born writer Yolanda Ramke has multiple projects paused due to the strike.
Ramke created the television series Troppo, based on the best-selling novel Crimson Lake. Set in Far North Queensland, the series aired on ABC TV last year.
She’s now working on two Writers’ Guild of America (WGA) projects with writing partner Ben Howling.
She said the WGA has strong guidelines in place for non-members hoping to pick up some Hollywood work while the strike is ongoing.
“If an Australian writer who is not yet a member of the WGA was to explore a writing opportunity with one of the struck companies right now, they would be handed down a lifetime ban from future WGA membership,” she said.
“That is a risk that I can’t imagine Australian writers would ever want to take.”
News Brands
SBS Voices platform to be shut down
Multicultural Australia is about to experience a huge cultural loss: SBS Voices, an online platform that showcases personal essays from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) writers, is ceasing operations, reports Nine Publishing’s Koraly Dimitriadis.
As a writer of Cypriot descent who has been a substantial contributor to the site since its inception five years ago, I was heartbroken to hear the news. SBS told me of the decision via email, saying it wanted to put its focus on streaming services. The wording on the site was updated 24 hours later: “SBS Voices is no longer commissioning new content, but you can continue to explore all of the stories and perspectives shared at sbs.com.au/voices.”
In a statement sent to this masthead, an SBS spokesperson said: “
“SBS has made the decision to no longer continue with SBS Voices.
“Since its launch, first as SBS Life and then later as SBS Voices, the site has provided a unique online platform for under-represented writers in the media, particularly those who are culturally and linguistically diverse. We’re grateful to everyone who has shared their stories and thank those who have been important partners over the last five years.
“Over that time, SBS has also launched and invested in a wide range of initiatives and programs that provide opportunities and career pathways for historically under-represented creatives in the screen industry including the successful Digital Originals, Emerging Writers’ Incubator, and Talent Escalator, which we publish on our website. This is an integral part of who we are and how we operate, and we remain committed to our wide-ranging investments in a more inclusive future of our industry, and contemporary Australian storytelling on our screens.
“This is a decision that has not been taken lightly but like all organisations, SBS must make difficult choices about how we evolve our offering, prioritise how we invest our available resources and respond to shifting audience needs and preferences, while continuing to deliver our Charter.”
New Zealand media mogul Sinead Boucher unveils major Stuff restructure
Three years after paying $NZ1 to buy New Zealand’s largest publisher, former journalist Sinead Boucher is in the midst of the biggest strategic pivot in the history of her media group, Stuff, reports Nine Publishing’s Sam Buckingham-Jones.
Boucher, who bought the company from Nine Entertainment in 2020, has announced a major leadership overhaul and restructure, created three new online publications and increased the company’s use of paywalls.
For years, the company has piled resources into stuff.co.nz, a free, ad-funded news website that reaches 2.1 million New Zealanders each month. The group also owns 45 newspapers, three magazines, an events business and a social network called Neighbourly.
But in a strategic shift, Stuff has created new websites for Christchurch’s The Press, Wellington’s The Post – formerly known as The Dominion Post – and Hamilton’s Waikato Times. Those cities have been home to hard-copy newspapers, but the news stories they ran were hosted on the stuff.co.nz website.
Now, the company is pivoting to local paywalls for those three cities and a central, ad-funded news website.
Washington Post publisher Fred Ryan steps down
Fred Ryan is stepping down as publisher and chief executive of the Washington Post, after a nine-year run during which the media outlet built up a substantial digital business but struggled to sustain its growth, reports The Wall Street Journal’s Alexandra Bruell.
“Together, we have accomplished one of the most extraordinary transformations in modern media history. We have evolved from a primarily local print newspaper to become a global digital publication,” Ryan said in a note to staff on Monday. “We’ve added significantly to the tremendous team of journalists, engineers and business experts and have taken The Post through multiple years of profitability.”
Ryan also pointed to the Post’s journalistic achievements on his watch, including 13 Pulitzer Prizes. Ryan said he would join a new nonpartisan organization, the Center on Public Civility.
Patty Stonesifer, former CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, will join the Post as interim CEO, said Post owner Jeff Bezos in an internal note, referring to Stonesifer as a longtime friend and colleague.
Television
Alyssa Milano confirms Who’s The Boss revival in the works
Speaking up on issues important to her, and others, is the only way for Hollywood actor Alyssa Milano, reports News Corp’s Jonathon Moran.
While other stars often fear being vocal, Milano has long been an advocate for change in conjunction with work on shows from Who’s The Boss to Charmed.
“I don’t understand the celebrities that are afraid to make waves because they’re afraid of alienating their audience,” Milano told Confidential.
Milano played Samantha Micelli in Who’s The Boss from 1984 to 1992 alongside Tony Danza, Judith Light, Danny Pintauro and the late Katherine Helmond.
She confirmed a Who’s The Boss revival was in the works.
“I’m writing and producing and developing for TV and film right now,” she said. “That’s not to say that I won’t act ever again but I do feel like I am able to be more creative and tap into the things that are important to me through that.”
Sports Media
Netflix to enter live-streamed sports with celebrity golf event
Netflix is in talks to live-stream its first sporting event this fall: a celebrity golf tournament featuring professional golfers and Formula One drivers, according to people familiar with the situation, reports The Wall Street Journal’s Sarah Krouse and Jessica Toonkel.
The company is in early discussions about the golf tournament, some of the people said. Set in Las Vegas, the event would feature celebrities from Drive to Survive, a docuseries about Formula One auto-racing, and Full Swing, which followed professional golfers during the 2022 season, they said.
The move would mark Netflix’s first foray into live-streaming of sports, something executives have debated for more than a year. Discussions about the tournament are in the early stages, some of the people said.
Several big streaming companies have started paying for major sports-rights packages, from football to baseball, hoping to draw in new subscribers and juice their advertising sales.
Netflix has largely stayed away from competing for those deals, and instead has focused on documentary programming. Its Formula 1 Drive to Survive series has helped the global racing league gain broad notoriety since it debuted in 2019.