Business of Media
TikTok on defense after report on foreign access of US user data
TikTok is seeking to assuage fears over the security of American users’ data on the Chinese-owned platform, after Republican senators and a regulator argued the app poses a national security risk, reports The Guardian.
The concerns by lawmakers came after BuzzFeed reported last month that China-based employees of TikTok’s parent company ByteDance were repeatedly able to access non-public data of American users.
Nine Republican senators issued a letter to TikTok in response to the BuzzFeed report. And on Wednesday, a Republican member of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) urged the chief executives of Apple and Google to kick TikTok out of its app stores.
Responding to the senators’ concerns, TikTok told the lawmakers in a letter sent on Thursday that it is working on a final agreement with the Biden administration that would “fully safeguard user data and US national security interests”, according to copy of the letter seen by Reuters.
Meta executive claims Australian news outlets used laws to pay debt, reward shareholders
One of Meta’s senior European executives has slammed Australian news outlets claiming they are using the money they received under bargaining laws to pay down debt and reward shareholders, as a senior Google executive claimed his company didn’t understand how the code worked, reports SMH’s Zoe Samios.
Australian Treasury is preparing to run a series of roundtables to evaluate the effectiveness of its framework, which was introduced last February to force Google and Meta into negotiations with media outlets for use of their content. The tech giant executives shared very different views on the company experience with the creation of the laws.
John Severinson, head of partner development at Meta, said the laws did not encourage collaboration between media and tech companies.
“The government should encourage the development of new business models. One of the learnings from Australia is that it doesn’t solve – or attempt to solve – the underlying issue in that the business model of journalism online is broken and needs to transition to a new reality,” Severinson said.
Agencies
72andSunny welcomes four new hires to the agency
72andSunny has welcomed four new hires in brand management and employee experience.
Joining the agency is Mags Rose as project lead who will be responsible for leading client projects.
Rose has 20 years of experience in creative agencies and prides herself on making sh*t happen. Her most recent role was six years at RGA Sydney as an executive producer following a stint in the UK where she worked for Wieden+Kennedy, VCCP and WCRS.
Roz Cooper will step into the role of employee experience lead. She has over 15 years of experience working in creative agencies and production houses across both London and Sydney, including BBH, Host (now Host/Havas), Heckler and The Monkeys.
Having worked in both Operational and People roles during this time, Cooper brings her own unique blend of pragmatism and people-centric thinking, coupled with a passion for building a modern and fresh employee experience at 72andSunny.
Molly Mohr returns as a brand director after a 12-month sabbatical. She has 10 years experience in the industry, six of those have been with 72andSunny across Los Angeles and Sydney, and now working remotely from the New Zealand South Island to support her ski habit.
Having delivered award-winning campaigns for Sonos, Google, and LA28, Mohr excited to continue pushing the work and strengthening partnerships across the business.
Katie Henderson joins the agency as a brand manager. She has seven years experience in the industry, both client and agency-side, managing and leading projects across branding, design and digital development. Henderson approaches all projects and partnerships with a sense of optimism and collaboration and is excited to bring this to the epic work 72andSunny creates.
Enero announces two major acquisitions to accelerate the growth of Hotwire
Enero Group Limited has announced two major acquisitions that will accelerate the growth of global technology communications consultancy Hotwire.
ROI DNA, a B2B digital marketing agency offering a revenue-accelerating suite of services to some of the world’s most significant technology companies, will further extend and transform Hotwire’s capabilities in North America.
Meanwhile, the acquisition of GetIT, a marketing agency specialised in B2B technology in APAC, will extend Hotwire’s client services towards digital marketing, brand strategy, reputation management, and public relations through its offices in Singapore, India, Malaysia, and Japan.
Continuing the aggressive growth trajectory and focus on creating a portfolio of complementary brands and services of Enero, ROI DNA and GetIT will become part of the Hotwire Group to advance the consultancy’s network of global businesses with a combined team of more than 500 employees and 14 offices around the world.
As Hotwire businesses, ROI DNA and GetIT’s leadership teams will continue their core focus of driving greater scale and modern digital capabilities for high-growth and innovative technology companies in North America and APAC. These acquisitions further strengthen Hotwire’s tech expertise and innovation with global reputation, relationship, and revenue services.
Radio
MAFS star Jackson Lonie to sue Kyle and Jackie O Show over airing of Only Fans content
Controversial Married At First Sight contestant Jackson Lonie is threatening legal action against the Kyle and Jackie O Show for airing an Only Fans clip of him getting a sexual favour from his girlfriend, Olivia Frazer, reports News Corp’s Briana Domjen.
Lonie, whose family asked him to “keep it classy” if he was to sign up to the X-rated website, has engaged lawyers against ARN and the popular radio duo after they reproduced a clip of the plumber getting a hand job from his partner on their top-rating program on June 9.
“They showed the visual to Dom and Ella (former MAFS contestants) while they were on air, and they described what was going on and started body shaming myself and talking down Liv,” Lonie told Sunday Confidential.
“I was shocked when I heard it on air.
“It was very hypocritical of them. We have been on their show before and they had a crack at Liv because she allegedly did what they have gone and done.”
Television
Halfway point: What people are watching on TV in 2022
From Ash Barty’s historic Australian Open win to Shane Warne’s memorial and the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, it’s been a big year so far for the commercial television networks, reports SMH’s Zoe Samios.
As the annual TV ratings war clocks over to the second half of the year, the battle is getting heated. And for the two biggest networks – Nine and Seven – it will be a tight finish.
TV experts say streaming giants should be subject to Australian content quotas
Quotas enforcing streaming giants to create a set amount of Australian content would “future proof” the nation’s capacity to produce quality drama, industry experts say, reports News Corp’s Sophie Elsworth.
Jason Herbison, the executive producer of the country’s longest-running TV series, Neighbours, believes change must be made to ensure the industry can survive.
“I would like to see quotas, I think quotas ensure that production continues, it has a huge cultural value,” he told The Australian. “I think Australian audiences should see Australian stories told and I think quotas are something that helps that.”
Under current regulations, international streaming giants are free from quotas to produce a set amount of Australian content, compared to free-to-air broadcasters who must broadcast 55 per cent of overall Australian content on their primary channels between 6am and midnight.
They must also provide 1460 hours of content annually on their multichannels.
Network 10’s breakfast news program records one of the lowest ratings in Australian TV history
Network 10’s breakfast news bulletin recorded a dismal 44 viewers in Sydney on just its second day on air last week, making it one of the lowest ever ratings for a program in the nation’s biggest TV market, reports News Corp’s Sophie Elsworth.
The 30-minute program, 10 News First: Breakfast, which airs from Monday to Friday at 8am AEST, not only drew an alarmingly low audience in Sydney, it attracted just 224 viewers in Perth on the same day, figures from official television ratings company OzTAM show.
In its first five days, the program recorded an average of just 17,000 viewers across the five major metropolitan cities, but despite the low ratings in the launch week, a 10 spokeswoman said they were pleased with the results.
“Network 10 is happy with the launch of the 10 News First: Breakfast,” she said.
“It has lifted the 2022 timeslot average by 13 per cent in its first week.”
Sports Media
Seven could save more than $135 million from CA court stoush
Seven West Media could save more than $135 million if it successfully proves in the Federal Court that Cricket Australia breached its broadcast rights contract, reports SMH’s Zoe Samios.
The future of cricket on free-to-air television was thrown into turmoil late last week when broadcast partner Seven lodged Federal Court action to try and blow up the $450 million deal, which expires in 2024. Seven is claiming CA breached its contract by reducing the quality and standards of the Big Bash League, which has struggled to generate high TV ratings since Seven acquired the rights in late 2018.
Media sources close to the court case, who spoke anonymously as the matter was before the court, said Seven will seek about $20 million in damages per annum for the alleged breaches in quality of the BBL over the past three years. The network is planning to save $75 million plus contra from the termination of the final year of the deal.
The broadcaster, which signed the deal with CA and Foxtel in 2019, is also hoping to save about $20 million in production costs. A Seven spokesperson declined to comment.
Bidding war looms as Network 10 lobs $3bn bid for AFL broadcast rights
Network 10 is attempting to land a knockout $3bn bid for AFL broadcast rights, as the league increases pressure on television networks to clinch a deal within a month, reports News Corp’s John Stensholt.
Incumbents Foxtel and Seven West Media are still considered favourites to maintain their package of rights, but the AFL hopes the 10 offer, which sources say is worth $600m annually over at least five years, will ignite a bidding war.
Meanwhile, Nine Entertainment, which has a free-to-air contract for the NRL throughout winter, has told the AFL it is interested in some rights, presenting a proposal to show AFL on Thursday nights, according to sources.
Nine mostly shows NRL on Friday nights and Sunday afternoons, as well as finals matches and State of Origin games. Foxtel also broadcasts the NRL.