Business of Media
Barilaro’s defamation win signals new world for digital platforms
John Barilaro’s legal win against Google highlights growing tension in enforcing defamation requirements on US-based technology giants in a globalised economy, reports AFR’s Max Mason.
University of Sydney Law School professor and leading defamation academic David Rolph said the novel issues arising from the case – which resulted in Barilaro being awarded $715,000 in his high-profile defamation case – were more political and economic than legal.
“The questions here are really about jurisdiction and enforcement,” he said.
“You have large media companies that operate across the world in a way that is pervasive in everyday life. But whether they’re actually amenable to Australian courts jurisdiction, whether you can enforce any judgments of an Australian court against those large media companies, that is the real problem.”
Val Morgan announces four promotions to its sales leadership team
Val Morgan has announced four promotions to its sales leadership team within the business.
Following the recent announcement of Annaliese Pedavoli’s promotion to NSW sales director cinema, the company has appointed Georgia Cerruti and Jack Novak into leadership positions as group sales managers.
Cerutti entered media sales in 2017, starting out at out-of-home provider JCDecaux working across a range of clients and developing key agency relationships, before moving to Val Morgan Cinema in July 2021 as a senior account manager.
Pictured left to right: Jack Novak, Jemima Withinshaw, Georgia Cerutti and Monica Stopins
Jack Novak started his career in sports media, before transitioning into media sales shortly after in 2016. After a 2-year stint in radio sales working at Macquarie Media in 2017 and
Southern Cross Austereo in 2018, he started at Val Morgan in 2019 as an account manager and progressed into a senior account manager role in August last year.
In their new roles as group sales managers, they will report to NSW sales director cinema Pedavoli.
Further to these appointments, Monica Stopins and Jemima Withinshaw have been promoted from account manager to senior account manager.
Withinshaw and Stopins, both started in agency sales coordinator positions in 2017 and 2019, respectively. With an unwavering dedication to their client’s success and a positive team attitude, they have both consistently expanded their roles and responsibilities.
Agencies
Merkle appoints Dr Catherine Lopes as chief data and analytics officer
Merkle has appointed Dr Catherine Lopes into the newly created role of chief data & analytics officer.
Lopes joins the executive lineup of the Australia and New Zealand branch of dentsu’s customer experience management company as it globally seeks to account for half of its revenue over the next few years.
The newly appointed chief data & analytics officer brings over 20 years of experience to the role, over a wide range of sectors across the Asia Pacific and North America regions. She has previously led data and analytics practices at ANZ Banking Group, AGL and ME Bank.
Most recently, Lopes is the founder of consulting business OpsDo Analytics, focusing on data strategy, data governance, data capability and analytics use cases. She also spent over a decade as a university lecturer and has completed an award-winning PhD on machine learning.
Lopes is also a champion for supporting women in STEM, co-founding Ada’s Tribe, a community that supports women to grow their career in analytics, data and AI.
News Brands
Jacqui Felgate’s pointed quit comment
Former Channel 7 news presenter Jacqui Felgate has shed further light on her shock decision to quit the network in April, reports News Corp’s Fiona Byrne.
Felgate said on the night of her departure she was leaving to spend more time with her family and, while that is certainly the case, she has added some more detail as to the motivation behind her bold move in an Instagram Q&A.
Asked by a fan for tips if you are in a career rut, Felgate replied “I quit”.
Her to the point comment was written on an image of her in her 7 news days appearing to be doing a live cross with enthusiastic footy fans behind her.
Television
The Block desperate to meet deadline
Things are getting desperate at The Block, reports TV Tonight.
According to the show’s Instagram, “We desperately need help completing the current series of The Block, Tree Change. Carpenters, cladding crews, skilled labourers, trade assistants. Wages, casual, subbies, we won’t discriminate. Immediate start, 5 weeks to go. Location: Gisborne Victoria.”
Julian Cress, The Block‘s executive producer told 9Entertainment, “We’ve got a pretty small team of dedicated builders who’ve been working their guts out for the last couple of months to get to where we are. But we’re just looking ahead at what we need to finish the project, and thought it would go a lot easier if we could source some chippys to get it over the line.”
Erin Molan to host weekly Sky News television show
Underestimate Erin Molan at your own peril, reports News Corp’s Jonathon Moran.
While she made a name for herself as a sports journalist, Molan is well equipped with the political knowledge to host her own Sky News show.
“Just because I can be silly and funny and all of those things, does not mean that I don’t also have a real passion for politics or that I can’t be credible in other spaces,” Molan told The Daily Telegraph.
“I have always deeply loved news and it has always been my passion, I have just been waiting for an opportunity to delve into that.”
Molan from June 19 takes on the 7pm timeslot hosting weekly show, Erin, on Sky News, taking over from Sharri Markson’s Sharri while she is on maternity leave.
Peter Everett pilots new show, Eat with Pete
There was famously an outpouring from viewers when he was unceremoniously dumped from Ready Steady Cook in 2011 but host Peter Everett is back, reports TV Tonight.
Sort of. If he has his way.
Everett’s departure from the show is still the most commented story on TV Tonight, twice over, but he’s hopeful a new pilot Eat With Pete will herald his return.
The premise is simple…. the loveable, splashy host with crew in tow surprises people in their kitchen and proceeds to whip up a dish from ingredients in their own pantry.
It’s kamikaze chop-and-chat for the effervescent host with a legion of loyal fans.
Sport Media
Mathew Thompson takes over commentary hot seat from Ray ‘Rabs’ Warren
Forget about Nathan Cleary and Cameron Munster – this is the man confronting the most pressure and scrutiny in State of Origin I, reports News Corp’s Dean Ritchie.
Ever tried to follow Bradman in the batting order?
Well, that’s the adversity facing Mathew Thompson, the Channel 9 rugby league commentator calling his first State of Origin game after replacing the legendary and recently-retired Ray Warren.
Thompson, 40, will call Origin I in Sydney to a national audience expected to be between three to three-and-a-half million viewers.
Thompson, who remains a largely hidden figure at Nine, posted on social media: “Thanks to everyone for well wishes. I’m humbled and excited to be stepping into the Origin furnace! Bring on Wednesday night.”
Optus Sport scores the rights to UEFA Euro 2024
Optus Sport has secured the Australian media rights to the final tournament of the UEFA European Football Championship.
Since 2016, Optus Sport has brought the world’s best football tournaments to Australian football fans and UEFA Euro 2024 is poised to be another festival of football featuring some of the world’s best teams and biggest stars. The tournament is scheduled to take place in Germany in June and July 2024 and Optus Sport will stream every match, live and in full.
Optus Sport was the Australian rights holder to last year’s UEFA Euro 2020, which included the most-watched live streaming sporting event in Australian history reaching almost one million online fans when England took on Italy in the Final.
“We are extremely delighted to once again secure the rights to the Euros, as we know our customers absolutely loved Euro 2020 as proven by its record viewership and engagement,” Optus vice president TV, content and product development, Clive Dickens, said.
UEFA marketing director, Guy-Laurent Epstein said, “We are thrilled that Optus Sport has acquired the next edition of the UEFA Euro 2024. Optus Sport has a long history of innovation with UEFA football and we look forward to the extensive and excellent coverage on Optus Sport for Australian fans to follow every moment throughout the tournament across the country.”