Business of Media
The faces behind Sydney’s new $10m members’ club for tech entrepreneurs
A Sydney group of six investors is developing The Pillars, Australia’s first membership club for entrepreneurs in the tech world, their investors and other supporters – for a $20,000-a-year membership fee, reports The AFR’s Michael Bleby.
The group, which includes Tank Stream Labs chief executive Bradley Delamare and Black Nova Venture Capital managing partner Matthew Browne, is spending $10 million to renovate and fit out historic 11 Barrack Street in central Sydney before opening next year.
The Pillars, which the owners hope to expand beyond Sydney, is the latest in a burgeoning array of clubs including wine-focused 67 Pall Mall and creative industry-focused Soho House that are challenging the traditional – and largely male-only – private members’ clubs offering networks and access to resources.
Bread, milk, MAFS? Media giants want supermarkets to hire them
Under-pressure media companies are approaching major retailers to try and sell in-store and online advertising on their behalf, in a bid to tap the rapidly growing $1.6 billion retail media sector for a potential new revenue stream, reports The AFR’s Sam Buckingham-Jones.
Two of Australia’s largest listed media companies, Nine Entertainment and oOh!media, have pitched to work with retailer Metcash, which owns the IGA and Mitre 10 brands, to monetise advertising in and around its stores.
Metcash is looking to join Woolworths and Coles in the lucrative retail media sector, which Morgan Stanley estimates is currently worth $1.6 billion – $600 million of which is from Chemist Warehouse alone.
Radio
Liberal MPs deny leaking to 2GB’s Ray Hadley in fallout from council bungle
Two of the most senior NSW Liberal MPs have denied white-anting Mark Speakman after a radio shock jock alleged they were leaking against both the state opposition leader and division president Don Harwin, reports The Sydney Morning Herald’s Max Maddison.
Veteran 2GB radio host Ray Hadley on Wednesday claimed senior Liberals Anthony Roberts and Alister Henskens were leaking to undermine the moderate leaders and capitalise on the party’s council election bungle.
Their denials follow a disastrous week in which state director Richard Shields was sacked over Liberal headquarters’ failure to submit the nomination forms for 140 council candidates across 16 local government areas. Former federal director Brian Loughnane will undertake a two-week review of the fiasco.
Hadley took umbrage with two “cowardly” senior MPs who he said were leaking as a vehicle to undermine the moderate leaders.
“Look, I’ve got leaks from the left, right and centre from the right wing. One of you people get the balls to actually come on this program and say what you’re saying to me privately … Stop sending me text messages. Cowardly. Letting me be your mouthpiece,” Hadley said live on his program.
See also: ‘Have a bit of courage’: Ray Hadley slams NSW Liberal MPs over private texts
News Brands
Journalist Samantha Maiden testifies on breaking Higgins story
A recording of an interview between Brittany Higgins and the journalist who would break the story about her alleged rape in former defence minister Linda Reynolds’ office has laid bare how the young political staffer felt the incident had rendered her “toxic”, reports WAtoday’s Jesinta Burton.
Journalist Samantha Maiden was played portions of the hour-long talk with Higgins after being called to give evidence in Reynolds’ defamation case against the former staffer.
Flanked by three lawyers, Maiden told the WA Supreme Court she recalled hosting Higgins at her home for an interview over dinner on January 21, 2021, where Higgins would detail an incident she said had made her a “problem” for her then boss.
Veteran journalist Steve Hart leaves Channel 7 for rival network
7News Brisbane has suffered another significant loss with veteran journalist Steve Hart announcing his departure from the network to join WIN News in Wollongong, reports The Courier-Mail’s Georgia Clelland.
The news, revealed in an internal email to staff on Tuesday, cited “family reasons” as the driving force behind Hart’s decision.
Hart’s exit is the latest in a series of high-profile departures from the embattled Brisbane newsroom.
It is understood that Hart’s wife has been living in Sydney, and his regular weekend commutes to be with her have played a significant role in his choice to relocate closer to his family.
Democratic National Convention 2024 Roll Call: The Full Song List
On what was a raucous, joyous night inside the hall, the roll call at the 2024 Democratic National Convention set social media abuzz with the innovative use of a live DJ and music to introduce each state and territory.
During night two of the Chicago convention, DJ Cassidy took on the role of setting up each state and territory with short intro music, as each representative got a chance to talk up their home before declaring their delegates. The song choices ranged from expected (“Empire State of Mind” for New York, “I’m Shipping up to Boston” for Massachusetts), to some truly inspired choices (“Raise Up” by Petey Pablo for North Carolina and “The Way I Are” by Timbaland for Virginia).
The Hollywood Reporter has the complete song list on this link.
Television
Meet the daughter of Simon Townsend who helped a 15-year-old win two Logies
Nadia Townsend missed the moment when Felix Cameron, the young star of Boy Swallows Universe, thanked the acting coach for the first of his two Logie wins on Sunday night, reports The Age’s Karl Quinn.
Townsend, who lives on the NSW Central Coast, is the daughter of Simon Townsend, whose afternoon show Simon Townsend’s Wonder World! was a breeding ground for talent in the 1970s and 80s. Alumni include ABC radio’s Angela Catterns, Oscar-winning cinematographer Andrew Lesnie, and the late radio announcer Jonathan Coleman. The relaunched version (sans Townsend) of the 1990s gave starts to TV presenters Catriona Rowntree and Sonia Kruger.
The biggest influence on Nadia Townsend’s work as a dramaturg, though, is Nico Lathouris, the actor and screenwriter (he co-wrote the Mad Max films Fury Road and Furiosa).
Townsend was 19 when she landed a role on a series called Head Start, produced by Heartbreak High’s Ben Gannon. Though Lathouris does not appear in that show’s credits, he was, she says, critical to helping the young cast get their head around the material.
Reality show contestant escapes conviction for intimidating ex-partner
An eastern suburbs boxing trainer and dating show contestant who loitered around his ex-partner’s apartment and messaged her “what the f–k are you doing you f–king s–t” when she arrived home in the early hours of the morning has escaped a conviction, reports Wentworth Courier’s Aymon Bertah and Elliott Stewart.
Sam Maree, who features in an advertisement for the upcoming Channel 7 dating show Stranded on Honeymoon Island, appeared at Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday wearing all black sunglasses inside the courthouse before he was sentenced for intimidation.
The 31-year-old had originally pleaded not guilty to the charge along with a single count of using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend which was later dismissed after he pleaded guilty to intimidation.
A Channel 7 spokeswoman said the media company was unaware of the matter and production conducted extensive background checks on contestants and “did not find any issues in relation to Sam Maree”.
Meet the 76-year-old who’s been on TV every week for 46 years
As media veterans go, there are few who can match the quiet achiever records of Better Homes & Gardens’ Graham Ross, reports TV Tonight.
At 44 years his 2GB radio show The Garden Clinic is the longest running radio show in Australia to remain in the same slot, on the same station with the same presenter.
He’s been a staple on Australian television screens for over four decades.
“I’ve been on television pretty much every week, on one program or another for 46 years. The thing that’s interesting from my perspective, is that I now have grandchildren whose parents were children, watching Better Homes with their parents,” he tells TV Tonight.
Behind the scenes, 76 year old Ross is a founder and Chair of the Australian Garden Council, been President of Horticultural Media Association Australia NSW branch, Principal of Ryde School of Horticultural TAFE and an ambassador for numerous charities. His list of accolades and awards, including an Order of Australia, is extensive.
Sports Media
Indian boss to take over world cricket amid $4.5 billion TV rights fight
India’s Jay Shah will take over as chair of the International Cricket Council after forcing the resignation of the incumbent Greg Barclay, amid a $US3 billion ($4.46 billion) dispute between the governing body and its major broadcast rights holder Star.
New Zealander Barclay told ICC directors, including Cricket Australia’s chair Mike Baird, of his intention to resign during a video conference, after being informed by Shah in recent days that the BCCI secretary wished to replace him in November and had the numbers to do so.
Before Tuesday night’s video call, the ICC had faced criticism from member countries for the USA-based leg of this year’s Twenty20 World Cup going $US20 million over the agreed operational budget. There is also uncertainty about the likelihood of India travelling to Pakistan to contest the ODI Champions Trophy in February next year.
Shah’s ascension has arrived at the same time Star is seeking relief from the enormous deal it signed with the ICC in late 2022 for the rights to broadcast global cricket events into India from 2024 to 2027.
While Australia (CA signed a $1.5 billion deal with Foxtel and Seven in January last year) and England have healthy domestic broadcast deals that bankroll the game in each country, ICC distributions make up the lion’s share of revenue for most member countries. Their reduction by millions of dollars would be disastrous for the likes of New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies.
Sam Landsberger’s father Jake talks his son’s final moments after tragic death
Sam Landsberger was talking to his mother Anne on his mobile when the Herald Sun sports journalist was struck and killed by a truck on Tuesday morning, reports Herald Sun colleague Mark Robinson.
A devastated Jake Landsberger, Sam’s father, confirmed the tragic circumstances after the family was inundated with hundreds of messages of tribute for their beloved son.
The truck driver that fatally struck the respected Herald Sun sports journalist has been charged after he allegedly refused to provide police with a blood sample.
Jake said there was some comfort that his son’s final moments were spent with his mother.
“Anne was on the phone with Sam when it happened, heard the hit, she heard the commotion, and we’ve been beside ourselves worrying whether she actually possibly distracted him,” Jake said.
See also: Herald Sun journalists pay tribute to Sam Landsberger on Fox Footy’s Midweek Tackle