Business of Media
Christian Porter wins legal battle to stop publication of secret parts of ABC defence
News organisations have been permanently banned from publishing secret parts of the ABC’s legal defence against Christian Porter, reports Guardian Australia’s Michael McGowan.
On Tuesday federal court justice Jayne Jagot ruled the ABC’s unredacted defence, which was handed over to lawyers for Nine and News Corp as part of an attempt to argue for public access to the document, could not be “for any purpose” other than their court applications.
Porter, the former attorney general, agreed to drop his defamation case against the ABC in May despite failing to secure an apology or retraction from the public broadcaster over an online news article that reported allegations an unnamed cabinet minister had been accused of raping a woman in the 1980s. Porter subsequently identified himself as the minister and strenuously denied the allegations.
The ABC agreed to add an editor’s note to the article stating that it did not intend to suggest Porter had committed the alleged offence, and that “both parties accept that some readers misinterpreted the article as an accusation of guilt against Mr Porter. That reading, which was not intended by the ABC, is regretted.”
Erin Molan denies claims of casual racism after court hears radio clips
The Nine broadcaster Erin Molan has told a court proceeding she did not engage in casual racism when she repeatedly laughed about the mispronunciation of Polynesian, Chinese, Indian and Japanese names on the 2GB rugby league radio show, reports Guardian Australia’s Amanda Meade.
The 39-year-old is suing the Daily Mail for defamation over an article and two tweets which she says portray her as racist, after she said “hooka looka mooka hooka fooka” on air in May 2020 on the Continuous Call program.
On day one of the trial, the federal court heard that the Daily Mail Australia editor, Barclay Crawford, sent an email to a journalist saying “Let’s rip into this sheila” before the website published the article about Molan.
On day two, Molan was cross-examined about historical references to ethnic names, and at one point was asked to put on a Chinese accent to recreate a comment she had made on air.
News Brands
Board ‘must act on ABC editorial failures’, says David Hill
Former ABC chairman and managing director David Hill has savaged ABC management’s response to an external review of its Luna Park ghost train fire documentary and urged the board to intervene to ensure editorial policies still apply, reports News Corp’s Troy Bramston.
Hill was stunned to see ABC director of news Gaven Morris say he was “proud” of the documentary and not concede any failings, even though allegations that former premier Neville Wran acted corruptly and socialised with mobster Abe Saffron were found not to be substantiated by the review.
“It is totally unacceptable for management to make the statement that it did in response to the review,” Hill told The Australian. “This is a serious state of affairs that has to be resolved and it can only be resolved by the board.
ABC rejects criticism of Neville Wran’s treatment in Luna Park ghost train fire series
ABC News has rejected the findings of an independent editorial review of Exposed: The Ghost Train Fire that found allegations of political corruption surrounding former New South Wales premier Neville Wran were “vague, anonymous, and unhelpful”, reports Guardian Australia’s Amanda Meade.
Wran, who led NSW as Labor premier for a decade, died in 2014, aged 87. A group of his former staffers has been critical of the ABC documentary by award-winning journalist Caro Meldrum-Hanna.
The three-part series examined the fire at Sydney’s Luna Park in 1979, which killed six boys and a man.
Entertainment
Russell Crowe’s PokerFace shut down with positive COVID-19 case
Netflix is shifting production of an action-thriller movie starring Chris Hemsworth to eastern Europe because of the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown as production of Russell Crowe’s PokerFace has been shut down after a crew member tested positive for COVID-19, reports AFR’s Miranda Ward.
Crowe confirmed the positive case of COVID-19 via Twitter, saying: “Unfortunately six days from the end of our shoot on PokerFace we have had a confirmed positive COVID case amongst our crew and a second possible positive under further investigation by our PokerFace COVID team and NSWHealth”.
Radio
ScoMo hangs up phone after being asked why Biden didn’t give Australia any Pfizer
Scott Morrison says Australia should move towards a home quarantine system instead of relying on hotels once vaccination targets are reached, reports News Corp’s Helena Burke.
The Prime Minister’s comments came during an interview on Brisbane radio station 4BC which ended awkwardly when he hung up after being quizzed about Australia’s relationship with US President Joe Biden.
Kylie, Jason, Ian, Anne ‘reunite’ on BBC Radio 33 years on from Neighbours
Neighbours icons Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Ian Smith and Anne Charleston have ‘reunited’ for the first time in some 33 years in a BBC Radio interview, reports TV Tonight.
The four took part in a (belated) 35th Anniversary interview with UK host Scott Mills.
All of them reminisced about the show’s success especially in the UK where fan frenzy hit a peak in the 1980s.
Television
The Block cheating scandal: Hidden camera footage exposes Tanya
The key players of The Block’s dramatic cheating saga were exposed in Tuesday night’s episode, as it emerged that contestants Tanya and Vito knew a whole lot more about the scandal than they had been letting on, reports News Corp’s Bella Fowler.
And in shocking hidden camera footage that aired in the episode’s final moments, the couple could be seen conspiring to get their story straight before they fronted up to producers.
The scandal first kicked off on Sunday night, when it was discovered controversial twins Josh and Luke had seen a photo of The Block’s top-secret production schedule, giving them inside knowledge to plan and execute their rooms in advance.
Seven’s Full Monty delayed, SAS Australia to film in October
The pandemic continues to impact on productions in Sydney, reports TV Tonight.
Seven sources advise The Full Monty, due later this year, has not been able to film due to lockdown. The show relies on a large audience for its showstopper finale (without the big reveal it’s pointless), but this has been impossible in recent months.
Dancing with the Stars: All Stars was due to film in September but this is now unlikely to proceed. Unlike other reality shows, its post-production period is light, meaning it could still be staged in the near future.
Mel Doyle’s love letter to young Aussies premieres on Foxtel
Much-loved media doyenne Melissa Doyle returns to Australian screens this week in a one-hour Foxtel special, Walking with Hope. Back in her natural habitat in more ways than one, Doyle leads a very special group of young women on an intimate Australian bushwalk, reports News Corp’s Diana Jenkins.
“I think the walk was a reminder to all of us to appreciate the simplicity of Mother Nature,” Doyle says, in lockdown at her Sydney home. “It was pretty grounding – really quite beautiful – and made us all feel quite different at the end of the day.”
Doyle and her young female companions take the path less travelled, not just through the bush but through the tough territory of their talk: anorexia, online bullying, suicide and sexual abuse.