Business of Media
Gerry Harvey joins the Kelly Bayer Rosmarin cheerocracy
Optus CEO Kelly Bayer Rosmarin remains hard up for public allies. Anyone with a sense of self-preservation is steering clear of the executive, who’s now overseen two massive screw-ups in just 13 months, reports Nine Publishing’s Mark Di Stefano.
Enter friend-of-the-column Gerry Harvey. The retail billionaire launched a surprise public campaign this week, his version of “helping” being to blanket the airwaves with ads imploring Aussies to stand by Optus.
Eurovision Song Contest makes Liverpool’s United by Music slogan permanent
The Eurovision Song Contest will keep the “United by Music” slogan for all future contests, it has announced, reports Yahoo News’ Steven McIntosh.
The BBC created the slogan for this year’s contest, which was held in Liverpool in May.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) said it was “excited” to announce it would keep the slogan for good.
Amazon says it will run shopping ads on Snap
Amazon.com said on Monday it would allow Snapchat users in the United States to buy some products directly from the app as the e-commerce giant looks to capitalize on the growing use of social media for shopping, reports Reuters.
Shares of the social media firm surged more than 9% on the news.
With social networks increasingly influencing shopping trends and patterns, some platforms such as TikTok are launching their own online shopping services, while others like Snapchat are allowing e-commerce firms to tap into their subscriber base.
Former Fox News reporter sues after he was allegedly fired for protesting January 6 coverage
Fox News is being sued by a former Capitol Hill reporter who accuses the network of discriminating and retaliating against him because he refused to appease Donald Trump and the former president’s supporters by propagating lies about the “stolen” 2020 election, reports The Guardian’s Ed Pilkington.
Jason Donner, who worked for Fox News for 12 years as a Capitol Hill reporter and producer, accuses the network of firing him because he spoke out against the coverage of Trump’s stolen election lie and the storming of the Capitol building on 6 January 2021. He was the victim of a wider purge of the newsroom, the lawsuit claims, designed to hold up the network’s ratings by playing along with election denial.
Powerhouse production at BBC Studios ANZ
In just 5 years BBC Studios ANZ has stepped up its production output with a growing slate under General Manager and Creative Director Kylie Washington, reports TV Tonight.
Since Mastermind for SBS, it has produced Dancing With the Stars for Seven, The Weakest Link for Nine, The Great Australian Bake Off for Foxtel and The 1% Club for Seven. Last week ABC announced Return to Paradise, a local spin-off of the ever-popular mystery Death in Paradise, drawing upon BBC’s own IP.
As Washington recalls, “I looked back to 2016, and Death in Paradise across ABC was number one, or in the top three, every year. I thought, ‘Okay, this is quite clear.’ Also, my insights team had shown data around crime and thrillers. We know these are really popular genres.”
Russell Brand: two more people make allegations to BBC
Five complaints have now been made about Russell Brand’s behaviour while he hosted BBC radio shows between 2006 and 2008, the broadcaster said on Tuesday, reports The Guardian’s Caroline Davies.
Two of the complaints against the comedian and actor were made in the last two months after a review of his time at the BBC was launched in September.
In an update on Tuesday the BBC did not specify the nature of the two latest complaints, but reported they were understood to relate to his workplace conduct, and were not of a serious sexual nature.
Television
Channel 10 staff slam management over Studio 10 axing announcement
Channel 10 staff have criticised the announcement from management about the axing of morning show Studio 10 labelling it “emotionless and cold”, reports News Corp.
On Monday, the network – owned by US giant Paramount – said that after more than a decade on air the program would come to an end on December 22.
But a number of staff weren’t smiling after Channel 10’s network news director Martin White sent an email to employees informing them of the end of the show.
See Also: “It’s a tough day:” Studio 10 is axed after a decade on air
Peter van Onselen: Q+A needs to be put out of its misery
Despite all the free publicity in the lead up to last night’s controversial episode of Q+A on the ABC debating the situation in Israel and Palestine, it still didn’t manage to muscle its way into the top 20 rated programs for Monday. Scoring a rather measly 209,000 viewers nationally, reports The Australian’s Peter van Onselen.
For context Channel 9’s afternoon news (not the much higher rating 6pm bulletin) came in 20th with 240,000.
The city by city breakdown of last night’s Q+A ratings highlights the depths to which the program has sunk: Sydney just 59,000 viewers; Melbourne 81,000; Brisbane just 25,000; Adelaide 25,000 and Perth a tiny 19,000 viewers.
‘Finally free’: Friends star Matt LeBlanc breaks silence over Matthew Perry
Friends star Matt LeBlanc has broken his silence after the shock death of co-star Matthew Perry, who was found dead aged 54 last month in the jacuzzi of his Los Angeles home, report News Corp’s Zoe Smith and Adrienne Tam.
LeBlanc, 56, who played the hapless Joey to Perry’s wisecracking Chandler, shared an emotional message on his Instagram.
“It is with a heavy heart I say goodbye,” he wrote.
From Fab Five to Fab Four? Netflix’s Queer Eye co-host Bobby Berk announces his departure from show
Bobby Berk, one of the five co-hosts of Netflix cult classic Queer Eye, has announced he is leaving the show after its upcoming season, shocking fans of the “Fab Five”, reports the ABC’s Megan Macdonald.
“It’s with a heavy heart that I announce that season eight will be my final season on Queer Eye,” he wrote.
“It’s not been an easy decision to be at peace with, but a necessary one.”