Business of Media
Edgar Bronfman drops Paramount bid in ongoing drama surrounding film and TV studios
In the latest turn in the Paramount Global sale process, Edgar Bronfman Jr. has withdrawn his bid to buy the film and TV studio, reports The Hollywood Reporter.
“Tonight, our bidding group informed the special committee that we will be exiting the go-shop process. It was a privilege to have the opportunity to participate,” Bronfman said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. “We continue to believe that Paramount Global is an extraordinary company, with an unrivalled collection of marquee brands, assets and people.”
Bronfman added, “While there may have been differences, we believe that everyone involved in the sale process is united in the belief that Paramount’s best days are ahead. We congratulate the Skydance team and thank the special committee and the Redstone family for their engagement during the go-shop process.”
With Bronfman, heir to the Seagram’s liquor family fortune and former Warner Music Group chief, out of the picture, the dust has settled for Skydance to move forward with its deal for Paramount.
Voluntary news media recycling scheme receives government accreditation
A voluntary recycling scheme administered by a consortium of the nation’s news media organisations has been officially accredited by the Albanese government after it resulted in nearly 100 per cent of newspapers being diverted from landfill, reports The Australian’s Joe Kelly.
Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek said it was “great to see Australia’s major news publishers at the forefront of the waste and recycling transition” after officially accrediting the voluntary National Environmental Sustainability Agreement.
Administered by ThinkNewsBrands – a consortium of Australia’s major news publishing media companies including Nine, News Corp Australia and Seven West Media – the “product stewardship” scheme has been operating for more than 30 years.
Chief executive for ThinkNewsBrands Vanessa Lyons said news publishers were “committed to environmental sustainability and have for nearly 35 years been making real strides together to drive more sustainable industry practices”.
“The industry is immensely proud of its world-leading product stewardship scheme, and the impact it has made for Australia,” she said.
“It’s great to see our news industry success being recognised and celebrated.
News Brands
The Mail and the accountants: a Peter van Onselen story
The inimitable Peter van Onselen – academic, rabble-rouser, journalist – was never going to spend long on the sidelines, reports The AFR’s Myriam Robin.
Earlier this year, he triumphantly returned to journalism as the political editor of the ever-salacious Daily Mail Australia. And in that role, which wedges his political insights between pap shots of Jesinta Franklin and recaps of Married at First Sight, he’s covered all manner of punter-friendly political topics.
Early splashes have covered the price of the dress worn by the Treasurer’s wife; the nerve of lazy public servants and; ugh, the shifting regulations covering accountants.
One struggles to think the last is racing up the charts. And yet to this topic van Onselen continues to return, including on August 13, August 15, August 22, and August 23.
It must be all he talks about at home. While it isn’t made explicit to readers, everyone in political circles knows van Onselen’s wife is Ainslie van Onselen. That is, the head of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and an equally outraged campaigner against the new disclosure rules.
News Corp and Nine win right to report on Northern Rivers mayor’s court appearance
A Northern Rivers mayor accused of assaulting his wife has lost an application in court to suppress the media from reporting on the criminal proceedings, report Sam Stolz and Luke Mortimer in Tweed Daily News.
Byron Shire Council Mayor Michael Lyon slapped his knee when the decision was handed down by a magistrate and was heard muttering “for f–k’s sake”.
The mayor, also chair of Northern Rivers Joint Organisation (NRJO), has pleaded not guilty to common assault and stalking/intimidation following an “altercation” earlier this month. A notice of non-complaint has been filed by alleged victim Susan Lyon.
News Corp fought against non-publication on principles of open justice and the public interest.
Lyon’s lawyer John Weller argued further reporting would cause significant damage to the mayor’s reputation and standing in the community.
It was submitted exposure to publicity would impact on Lyon’s capacity to conduct duties.
But lawyers for the Nine Network (including Fairfax Media) and Nationwide News Pty Ltd argued the “horse had already bolted” and details had already been widely published.
News Corp lawyer Tim Matchett, acting for The Daily Telegraph, NewsLocal and the Byron Shire News, said the public was already aware of charges due to previous reporting and that suppression would only lead to people relying on “gossip and innuendo within the tight knit community of Byron Bay”.
Facebook admits mass Covid-19 and political censorship
Facebook censored Covid-19 and election-related content under “repeated pressure” from the White House and FBI, according to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, reports New York-based Justin Vallejo for The Daily Telegraph.
In an explosive admission that has far-reaching implications for US presidential elections, both in 2020 and 2024, Mr Zuckerberg apologised for his actions to stifle free speech and expression around the world – including political and medical content, as well as humour and satire.
“I believe the government pressure was wrong, and I regret that we were not more outspoken about it,” he wrote in a letter to the House Judiciary Committee.
“I also think we made some choices that, with the benefit of hindsight and new information, we wouldn’t make today.”
Zuckerberg’s turnaround comes as Twitter/X’s “free speech absolutist” owner Elon Musk called for the release of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov, arrested in France over unmoderated content on the privacy-focused app.
“Instagram has a massive child exploitation problem, but no arrest for Zuck, as he censors free speech and gives governments backdoor access to user data,” Mr Musk said.
Dining Out
Back when having an office was a necessity for even a small business, Mediaweek lived in Double Bay. We still hand over a few hundred dollars a year to Australia Post for a post box in the suburb in case someone sends us a letter or a magazine. As we moved out, superstar chef and much-loved media contributor Neil Perry moved in. We like to keep an eye on what he’s up to. Could this really be his last major venture?
‘It’s my last restaurant’, Neil Perry vows as he opens Chinese-inspired 240-seater
As chef Neil Perry gears up to open Song Bird restaurant on Friday, August 30, his latest $13 million Double Bay gamble has pushed the hospitality veteran to openly declare a first: “It’s my last restaurant, put that in your headline.,” he tells The Sydney Morning Herald’s Scott Bolles.
Perry hinted at similar sentiments a few years back when he opened Margaret, his dining opus that distilled his cooking into a best-of hit. But the three-level Song Bird, an ode to Sydney’s Cantonese restaurants, and its basement bar sibling, Bobbie’s, has been a test for the veteran chef. “If I don’t sleep at night, it’s because everything is on the line,” he blurts out on a site tour.
Perry says his team has spent $13 million on the Bay Street development, $10 million of which is devoted to the new 240-seat upstairs venue. He and his wife, Sam, had to conjure up $5.7 million of their own money, which is riding on the spin of Song Bird’s lazy Susans.
Television
AVO issued by NSW Police to protect Gold Logie winner Larry Emdur
Gold Logie award winner Larry Emdur has had an AVO taken out to protect him just days after winning the major award, reports News Corp’s Lauren Ferri and Clareese Packer.
The order has been taken out by NSW Police on behalf of Emdur against Victorian man Rodney Pearce.
NSW Police said officers were called to Network Seven’s Eveleigh office on Central Ave in Sydney’s south about 11.15am on Thursday August 22 after Mr Pearce attempted to gain access to the building.
“Officers from South Sydney Police Area Command attended and spoke with a 52-year-old man who had been escorted from the building by security,” NSW Police said in a statement.
Mr Pearce was arrested and taken to hospital for assessment before he was then taken to Surry Hills Police Station.
He was charged with trespass and possession of a prohibited drug.
Tasma Walton appreciates the challenges of casting
Working on The Twelve has been a chance for Tasma Walton to observe some of Australia’s top acting elite, whether in principal roles in the courtroom scenes or in supporting and cameo roles, reports TV Tonight.
With its voluminous speaking roles, the structure of the drama allowed for so many actors to work.
“It’s a really diverse and broad group of people.
“Going into the make-up bus in the mornings, the whole side of the bus was full of headshots. So there’s all these beautiful actors being employed. I love it when you get that kind of world where you have all these interesting people bringing their talents to screen.”
Playing juror Thelma Connell, where courtroom scenes required her to observe legal proceedings, Walton was reminded of her past career work as a reader during casting sessions.
“You’d see all these amazing performers come through for the same role, and they were all energetically, different, and they all brought something unique to to the role. That’s when you realise just how difficult it is to cast people, because there is so much talent. People are all different, and make great choices,” she says.
Watch the final episode of The Twelve this week on Foxtel and Binge.
Radio
‘Not good enough’: Radio duo Jase and Lauren reveal truth about ARN sacking
Jase Hawkins and Lauren Phillips were revealed as the new king and queen of Melbourne radio this week, just months after their shocking axe from KIIS FM in favour of Kyle and Jackie O, reports News Corp’s Joshua Haigh.
In a surprise turnaround their Nova 100 show is now the number one FM breakfast show in Melbourne, after they leapfrogged market leader Christian O’Connell in the latest round of radio ratings released.
To celebrate the momentous occasion, the pair appeared on The Project on Tuesday evening where they shared some juicy details about how their axing from KIIS came about.
“I think we thought the fairytale for us was getting a second chance and going to Nova,” commented Phillips, before going on to reveal the bad blood between the duo and KIIS FM.
She went on to claim that bosses told the pair that they simply weren’t up to scratch for the timeslot.
“We accepted the fact we’d been replaced by what we were told was a much better product than us. Being told ‘You’re not good enough’ puts fire in your belly.”
Read complete coverage of latest radio ratings: Every market, every station
ABC Local radio grows in radio ratings: Paris visit pushes Sonya and Jules higher
ABC Local Radio grew metro audiences for the third survey in a row in GfK survey 5. The broadcaster reports it now reaches 1,746,000 Australians across the 5 cap cities every week, the highest reach this year.
Survey 5 also saw ABC Radio Adelaide join ABC Radio Brisbane as the number one reaching talk stations in their respective markets.
Breakfast on ABC Radio Brisbane grew +0.4pts for an 11% share making it the #1 AM Breakfast program in Brisbane.
In Adelaide, Sonya and Jules have continued to build since they started as co-presenters of breakfast at the beginning of the year.
The show is now #2 breakfast in the market with a 12.8% share as listeners tuned in to hear the pair bring all the highlights from the Paris Olympics.
The ABC continues to be Australia’s #1 digital live-streaming network across the five capital cities with a 25.9% share. The ABC has held the #1 position since it became a measure in GfK surveys.
ABC head of audio Ben Latimer said: “I am delighted to see the ABC increasing our audience this survey for our best result since Survey 8 2023.”
“The ABC reaches 7,498,000 Australians across our linear and digital live streaming each week, more than any other broadcaster and it is testament to the quality of the programming our teams are delivering.”