Business of Media
Elon Musk will not join Twitter board after all, company’s chief says
Elon Musk has performed a U-turn on joining Twitter’s board a week after it emerged he had taken a surprise 9.2% stake in the social media company, reports The Guardian’s Dan Milmo.
The world’s richest man was due to become a board member on Saturday but Twitter’s chief executive, Parag Agrawal, said on Monday morning that Musk had declined the offer. Musk, who is worth $260bn (£200bn), emerged as a large Twitter investor last week and was invited to join its board.
Announcing on Twitter that Musk would not be joining the board, Agrawal said: “I believe this is for the best. We have and will always value input from our shareholders whether they are on our board or not. Elon is our biggest shareholder and we will remain open to his input.”
Agencies
Saatchi & Saatchi Australia’s Mike Spirkovsk leaves the agency
Saatchi & Saatchi Australia’s chief creative officer Mike Spirkovsk has announced he is leaving the agency after eight years in the role.
Spirkovsk shared the news in a LinkedIn post and revealed that he will be staying on with Publicis Group, in a yet to be announced role, focusing on environmental, social, cultural and economic sustainability.
He wrote in a LinkedIn post: “During my time here, I have had the pleasure of working with the world’s biggest brands creating solutions across innovation & technology, product & utility, film & entertainment, and cultural brand acts.
“I have been lucky enough to work for an agency that enabled me to do rewarding work and win both individual awards – being ranked number one CCO in Asia Pacific by the One Club Global creative rankings and this year named the 7th most creative CCO in the world by The Drum. I have also been surrounded by an outstanding team which has lead us to be Australia’s most awarded agency at D&AD, Cannes, One Show, New York Festivals, Spikes, London International and very recently Agency of the year at ADFEST 2022.”
Television
Leigh Sales deletes Twitter account after interview with Scott Morrison
Renowned ABC host Leigh Sales has deleted her Twitter account a week after interviewing Prime Minister Scott Morrison, reports news.com.au.
Sales has previously been vocal against online abuse, penning an article in late 2021 calling out online trolls, revealing she was being abused at an hourly rate on Twitter.
“It is non-stop, personal, often vile, frequently unhinged and regularly based on fabrications,” she wrote.
“It has the effect of an angry phone call from a politician magnified thousands of times over.
“Anyone who can stomach wading into mentions of @leighsales will find that virtually hourly, I am abused for doing my job, with a stream of tweets goading me to quit, demanding the ABC sack me, telling me I’m useless, stupid, biased and incompetent.”
MAFS star Domenica Calarco signs deal with celebrity agent
Married at First Sight star Domenica Calarco has put pen to paper on a management deal with a top celebrity agent, reports news.com.au.
The move – which could bring a massive boost to the MAFS bride’s career in entertainment – sees her team up with SF Management, who represent top Aussie stars like Karl Stefanovic and Phoebe Burgess.
“They think she is going to be a huge star, bigger than Martha Kalifatidis and Abbie Chatfield,” an insider told Daily Mail Australia.
“She’s been chatting to radio executives in hopes of talking them into giving her a job.”
Hamish Blake, a guaranteed audience for Lego Masters.
“There are very few people in Australian television who bring an audience with them,” says Nine exec Adrian Swift, “who, if you put them on a show, they will just bring an audience with them, reports TV Tonight.
“Hamish Blake is one of them. Simple as that.”
Next week Hamish Blake, and Lego expert Ryan ‘Brickman’ McNaught return to Nine, and with them an expected bumper audience for a fourth season of Lego Masters.
Now filmed at FOX Studios in Sydney, the series boasts a bigger studio space.
“We just wanted to zjush it up a bit, more shiny floor, give it a little bit more showbiz, says Nine’s Head of Content, Production and Development.
Sports Media
Channel 7 footy reporters deny rivalry
The dynamic between Channel 7 football reporters Tom Browne and Mitch Cleary has been the focus of much chatter within the footy world, reports News Corp’s Jackie Epstein.
On their podcast The Sounding Board, Damian Barrett and Craig Hutchison have admitted to being obsessed by it, giving almost weekly updates on how they’re both tracking and who has their nose ahead on the news breaking front.
Browne has moved quickly to clear up any talk of friction between the pair who were both seen enjoying the Grand Prix action on Friday in the Mercedes-Benz Star Lounge.
“We are like Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas. We get on very well,’’ Browne told Time On.
“We have a very harmonious relationship.”