Business of Media
Australian journalist Cheng Lei speaks after release from China
Journalist Cheng Lei, who was released from prison in China after three years, has given her first interview since returning to Australia, reports The Australian’s Anthony Anderson.
Cheng, a former TV anchor in China, flew into Melbourne last Wednesday after he detainment in a Beijing jail after she allegedly broke China’s national security laws.
“My kids running at me, and my mum, who’s aged a lot in the last three years,” Cheng said, becoming emotional.
“And we all just screamed and my mum wept and I just held onto her.”
The First Interview with Cheng Lei – Tuesday 17 October at 7.00pm AEDT on Sky News Australia
Defensive ABC to pay almost $400,000 in damages to defamed platoon leader
Former army commando Heston Russell was defamed in ABC reporting about the platoon he led in Afghanistan and a judge has found it will cost the broadcaster almost $400,000, reports Crikey’s Jack Gramenz.
Reports alleged members of November platoon executed a prisoner because they would not fit on a helicopter. The allegation was based on comments from a US marine, who heard a “pop” over the radio in mid-2012 followed by advice there would be six prisoners, not seven.
Justice Michael Lee awarded Russell damages of $390,000 plus interest in the Federal Court on Monday.
‘Wait, Netflix Has Games?’ Streaming giant plans new videogames based on its hit shows
Last year Netflix put up a billboard on Los Angeles’s Sunset Boulevard to poke fun at itself. It read: “Wait, Netflix Has Games?”, report The Wall Street Journal’s Jessica Toonkel, Sarah E. Needleman, and Sarah Krouse.
The company is working hard to clear up any confusion. It is deepening its push into the videogame industry, taking advantage of the studios it has acquired in the past two years to create more titles based on popular Netflix movies and TV shows.
Though Netflix has up to now focused on mobile games—which appeal to casual gamers and can be downloaded on a smartphone or tablet—it is taking steps to expand into higher-end games that can be streamed from TVs or PCs. That approach would put it up against giants such as Sony and Microsoft, which just closed its $75 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, and would bring some significant technical challenges.
Radio
Nine Radio removes 13 deals held by nine hosts as paid partnership saga deepens
Nine Entertainment’s radio arm has stripped 13 lucrative commercial deals held by nine radio hosts across its network in the past week as it continues to deal with the fallout engulfing its major stations, reports The Australian’s Sophie Elsworth.
Nine Radio, headed up by managing director Tom Malone, recently uploaded numerous deals held by broadcasters onto its radio websites but has now removed many of them.
Nine’s four major stations, 2GB, 3AW, 4BC and 6PR, remain under investigation by the media regulator, the Australian Communications and Media Authority.
Triple M’s Marty Sheargold on personal leave from his radio show
Triple M breakfast has been rocked by host Marty Sheargold taking time away from the show. Sheargold was missing from his namesake show last week with anchor Troy Ellis addressing his absence on Friday revealing the star was on personal leave, reports News Corp’s Fiona Byrne.
Triple M’s parent company Southern Cross Austereo released a statement on Saturday, saying Sheargold was prioritising his family.
“Marty is taking personal leave to spend some more time with family. He will be back on air again soon,” the statement read.
Television
Frasier is one of my favourite TV shows ever. The reboot? We’ll see
Frasier, or what is now its first incarnation, is one of my favourite TV shows. Ever. A shining example of what a classic studio-based sitcom can be, the Cheers spin-off ran for 11 seasons (1993-2004) and exited on a high, laden with awards and leaving joy, enormous affection and abiding admiration in its wake, reports Nine Publishing’s Debi Enker.
From the outset, it exceeded expectations. It was the offshoot of a successful series that actually proved worthwhile, plucking snobbish, self-important psychiatrist Dr Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) from the vibrant community at Boston’s Cheers bar to head his own comic troupe in Seattle.
Which is why news of its revival filled me with trepidation. How could any revisiting possibly attain those heights? Beyond that, in an age awash with regrettable revivals, there’s the danger of tarnishing a distinguished legacy by lumbering it with a pale companion piece.
Fans flock to The Block open day
Charming Street, Hampton East, was crammed with fans of The Block on Sunday at the Open for Inspection, reports TV Tonight.
Blockheads, hosts Scott Cam and Shelley Craft plus foremen Keith & Dan were joined by crowds eager to meet them and step inside the 5 homes ahead of their annual auction.
The ticket allocation was exhausted well ahead of the event, the first held in 4 years largely due to the pandemic.