Business of Media
Case against child abuse-accused Channel 7 star hits snag as police reveal crucial evidence yet to be disclosed
A Channel 7 television personality accused of a raft of assault and torture charges faces a delay in his case after a court was told a “significant” amount of material, including text messages, remains outstanding, reports News Corp’s Blake Antrobus.
Multiple child abuse-related charges were first laid against the man and his partner in August 2023 by police, with the woman facing almost 80 charges including rape, indecent treatment of children under 16, torture and sexual assaults.
Police allege the offences occurred over 2005 and 2020.
Apple reportedly faces €500m fine from EU over music streaming access
Apple is reportedly facing a €500m fine from the EU over restrictions on access to music streaming services, in what would be a landmark blow to the US tech company, reports The Guardian’s Jasper Jolly.
The European Commission is investigating whether Apple blocked music streamers from telling users about cheaper ways to subscribe outside its app store where it takes a significant cut of revenues.
According to the Financial Times, Brussels plans to impose a fine of €500m (£427m), which would represent a landmark ruling against Apple after years of complaints from companies whose services are delivered via iPhone apps.
‘Oppenheimer’ triumphs at BAFTA Film Awards with most wins
Oppenheimer, a three-hour epic about the making of the atomic bomb in World War Two, was the big winner at the BAFTA Film Awards on Sunday, winning the top honours for best film and best director as well as five other awards, reports Reuters’ Marie-louise Gumuchian.
One of the highest-grossing movies of 2023, it also won awards for leading actor Cillian Murphy, who portrays the American theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, supporting actor Robert Downey Jr, editing, cinematography and original score.
Taylor Swift delivers $174m boost to Victorian economy after sell-out Eras Tour shows
Taylor Swift’s historic Melbourne concerts poured at least $174m into the state economy over just three “Bejewelled” nights, reports News Corp’s Peter Rolfe.
As the US superstar on Monday jetted out of Melbourne after an unprecedented series of sold out MCG shows, NAB data obtained by the Herald Sun reveals the economic impact the US superstar star left behind.
An estimated $86m was poured into the city’s accommodation, hospitality and tourism sectors alone, with CBD and inner city spending up 30 per cent compared to the month prior.
Radio
KIIS Mystery
Melburnians have been well and truly in the dark over the much-hyped arrival of Kyle Sandilands and Jackie “O” Henderson to Victorian airwaves. But commuters were given an inkling that the duo surely can’t be far away now, report The Australian’s James Madden and Sophie Elsworth.
Commuters were stopped outside Richmond train station on Wednesday morning by an extremely happy trio wearing KIIS FM T-shirts handing out flyers that read: “Melbourne, are you ready to fall in love with a new breakfast show?
“KIIS 101.1 Kyle & Jackie O in the morning, COMING SOON!”
Television
Big overseas hits, so why did The Traitors and Gladiators fail on 10?
They have been big hits in the UK but both The Traitors and Gladiators struggled on Network 10, reports TV Tonight.
Are Australian tastes that different from British, or is there something else in the commission and / or production that contributed to their failings in Australia?
‘An Enormous Privilege’: What drew Ming-Zhu Hii to Stan original series Prosper
Stan‘s Prosper is about the dire consequences that occur when religious corruption and unchecked capitalism run amok. The show follows the Quinn family, founders of an evangelical megachurch, U Star, which wants to conquer the world. The family preaches a message of faith, love, and acceptance to their thousands of followers while protecting shameful secrets, reports Variety Australia’s Chelsea Donaldson.
Positioned on the brink of a lucrative American expansion, the family is on the verge of catapulting into a new echelon of wealth and power. A highly topical show, U Star draws parallels to real-life churches like Hillsong, Horizon or C3, which are fighting against the prevailing tide of secularism by embracing contemporary tools of capitalism, using marketing, social media, and celebrity culture to reach the masses.
Sports Media
Messi’s World Cup provides a different portrait of the world’s greatest footballer
Lionel Messi, the greatest football player of all time, is in the final American phase of his career. Blessed with preternatural skills, the diminutive Argentinian forward played his club football in Europe, with Barcelona and then Paris Saint-Germain, before signing with both Inter Miami and Apple TV+ in July 2023, reports Nine Publishing’s b.
The streaming service, which broadcasts America’s Major League Soccer, soon debuted the documentary Messi Meets America. It was a cheerfully slight production, but now comes the main attraction: his World Cup win.