Business of Media
Lifestyle, culture websites argue for their slice of Meta’s pie
The media regulator has ruled outdoor travel website We Are Explorers and men’s lifestyle site Man of Many cover issue of “public significance” and should be allowed to negotiate with US social media giant Meta if the Albanese government enforces the News Media Bargaining Code, reports The AFR’s Sam Buckingham-Jones.
Australia’s media regulator has added lifestyle, music, travel and city publications to the official list of digital mastheads with which Meta has to deal, in a move that could signal a much broader approach to the definition of public interest journalism.
In order to be eligible to negotiate for a commercial agreement with Meta under the NMBC, digital publications must be registered by ACMA which must consider a number of tests.
See also: Small publications ‘won’t be at the mercy of algorithms’: Preparing for possible Meta news ban
Labor can’t hide gambling mess behind media
An editorial in The Weekend AFR started: The media must always be wary of making itself the story. But indulge us this once because there is a lot more to the Albanese government’s mishandling of gambling advertising than the profitability of free-to-air television or a streaming app controlled by Rupert Murdoch.
Let’s start at the beginning. A 2023 parliamentary inquiry into online gambling chaired by late Labor MP Peta Murphy recommended an anti-smoking-style prohibition of all gambling ads to help tackle the social harms caused by problem gambling.
After an 18-month delay in responding, Communications Minister Michelle Rowland did not propose a total ban. Instead, she wants to block ads on social media (but not on search engines) while barring television ads an hour before and after live sport as well as a cap of two per hour during family viewing time until 10 pm.
Inexplicably, Ms Rowland has delayed a decision on banning the names of betting companies appearing on sports jerseys and ground signage which appear prominently in the football matches the government is trying to protect from betting advertising.
Will Australia’s FTA TV really be in ‘diabolical trouble’ without gambling ad revenue?
If you watch free-to-air television in the evenings, it’s near impossible to avoid the relentless wave of gambling ads, the majority spruiking online gambling platforms, reports Guardian Australia’s Amanda Meade.
According to broadcasting authorities, gambling ad spots on free-to-air TV peak between 7pm and 10 pm, when 22% of the promotions will air.
Between May 2022 and April 2023, more than half a million (504,100) gambling ads aired on metro TV. Of those, 51% advertised online gambling companies; 20% were for lotteries; and 17% for lottos.
Southern Cross Austereo takeover deal is pie in the sky – for now
Any deal to buy out and potentially split up Southern Cross Austereo won’t get across the line for months yet, with the company’s crowded share register, regulatory issues and the divergent desires of various stakeholders making it akin to unscrambling an egg, sources close to the talks say, reports The Australian’s Cameron England.
News broke again last week that Australian Community Media, headed by Antony Catalano and backed by billionaire Alex Waislitz, were talking to ARN Media about a possible joint bid for regional television broadcaster and Triple M radio station owner Southern Cross.
A major hurdle to overcome in any deal for Southern Cross is the fact that half of its share register is tied up with a handful of stakeholders, with Mr Catalano and Mr Waislitz holding about 15 per cent, ARN about the same, and fund managers another 20 per cent or so.
Analyst: FTA advertising market won’t improve until consumer confidence lifts
Australia’s commercial television networks are being warned that the advertising market is set to remain dire until consumer confidence rebounds, despite being given an expected brief reprieve from the Paris Olympic Games, reports The Australian’s Matt Bell.
Year on year, the FTA networks (Nine, Seven and Ten) saw their advertising slump by 8.1 per cent in the 2024 financial year to $3.3bn, with tough economic conditions and a continuing shift of viewers to streaming services contributing to the downturn.
UBS analyst Lucy Huang told The Australian that until business and consumer confidence improved, it was likely to remain challenging for the TV networks over the next six to 12 months.
ThinkTV chief executive Kim Portrate said despite the pullback in commercial free-to-air advertising and some of the most challenging conditions in recent history, the television industry was resilient.
“These results reflect a sustained period of adaptation and innovation as broadcasters continue to evolve to meet the needs of advertisers and viewers, ensuring brands remain front and centre within the content Australians watch,” she said.
Social Media
Research reveals Australian children spending over two hours a day on TikTok
Nearly half of Australian children aged 10-15 are spending an average of two hours a day on TikTok, while 40 per cent of kids aged seven to nine use social network X, where they’re exposed to graphic content, reports Iwan Jones across News Corp metro dailies.
As pressure mounts on the government to raise the social media age limit to 16 amid News Corp Australia’s Let Them Be Kids campaign, startling new data from online safety company Qustodio has revealed the digital habits of our children.
Television
ABC’s pitch for Federal Court judge Michael Lee to take Media Watch
When Media Watch host Paul Barry announced in June that he was leaving the program at the end of 2024, industry conversation quickly turned to his possible replacements, reports The Australian’s James Madden.
So far, the ABC has been tight-lipped about when it will announce the show’s next presenter. A senior figure at the national broadcaster approached the Federal Court’s Michael Lee – yes, that’s right, the judge who ruled on the defamation proceedings brought by Bruce Lehrmann against Network 10 and journalist Lisa Wilkinson for her 2021 interview with Brittany Higgins – to see if he might be interested in the job.
The response, we understand, was a polite “thanks, but no thanks”.
Sarah Snook to shoot new TV series in Melbourne
Succession star Sarah Snook will shoot her latest role – the lead in a US network television thriller titled All Her Fault – in Melbourne, reports News Corp’s Nui Te Koha.
The cast, including Hollywood stars Dakota Fanning (Ripley, The Equalizer 3), Jake Lacy (White Lotus), Abby Elliott (The Bear), Sophie Lillis (It) and Michael Pena (Unstoppable), will also film here.
“I feel so excited about being able to work in Melbourne again,” Snook said. “The industry we have here, across all departments of cast and crew, is world class.”
Snook lives in Melbourne with husband Dave Lawson, and their 15-month-old daughter.
The Australian actor, who is also an executive producer on All Her Fault, plays Marissa Irvine.
Radio
ABC spent $135k sending Adelaide’s Sonya Feldhoff and Julian Schiller to Olympic Games
The ABC spent $135,000 to send Adelaide breakfast duo Sonya Feldhoff and Julian Schiller and two producers to the Olympic Games in Paris, despite the pair not calling any live sport there, reports The Australian’s James Madden.
The sum prompted outrage from South Australian senator Alex Antic, who said it was inappropriate for the ABC to spend so much on such an assignment during a cost-of-living crisis.
“It is staggering that the ABC thinks that spending $135,000 to send two breakfast radio hosts and two staff to Paris for the Olympic Games represents value for money for the Australian taxpayer,” Senator Ancic said.
Last week, in response to a question on notice from a Senate hearing last month, Labor senator Murray Watt said the “forecasted spend” for the Adelaide radio crew’s trip to Paris “is estimated to be $135k”.
Entertainment
John Farnham’s sons open up on Aussie icon’s cancer recovery
The Voice is back with Australian music legend John Farnham singing at home and cracking jokes as he continues to recover from his battle with oral cancer, reports News Corp’s Fiona Byrne.
Farnham, 75, was diagnosed with a cancerous tumour in his mouth in August 2022, with the first inkling that something was amiss coming when the iconic singer developed an ulcer in his mouth.
Farnham’s resilience and strength over the past two years as he recovers from the cancer and treatment has been an inspiration to his sons, Rob and James, who are ambassadors for this year’s Cancer Council’s Daffodil Day Appeal.
Rob revealed Farnham gave a moving speech at his wedding to Melissa Kelly in New South Wales in March. Photos Rob shared of his father with him on his wedding day almost broke the internet.
“He did a beautiful speech. He had not been in front of an audience for a few years at that point and everyone loved it,” Rob said.
Sports Media
Judge blocks joint sports streaming service Venu from media giants Disney, Fox & WBD
A judge issued a preliminary injunction against Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery on Friday over a planned sports-focused streaming service from the companies, saying the joint venture would most likely make the market for sports viewership less competitive, reports The New York Times.
The 69-page ruling from a federal judge in New York’s Southern District effectively halts — at least for the moment — the companies’ ambitious plans for the service, called Venu, which was aimed at sports fans who had abandoned cable television.
The service, which had been expected to become available this fall and cost $42.99 a month, promised to offer marquee games from the National Football League, the National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball.
But the idea raised alarms with rivals, most notably a sports streaming service called Fubo, which sued to block the new service’s formation after it was announced this year.