Business of Media
Logies star Lisa Wilkinson’s breakfast TV critic hired as her lawyer by lunchtime
Lisa Wilkinson hired a barrister just hours after he appeared on national television and slammed her Logies speech as “ill-advised”, report News Corp’s Sophie Elsworth and James Madden.
On Wednesday morning, Matthew Collins, president of the Australian Bar Association, was interviewed on the Seven Network’s Sunrise program and said it was a “serious possibility” that authorities might look into charging The Project co-host Wilkinson with contempt of court after her Logies speech on Sunday night, which subsequently resulted in the delay of the trial of the man accused of raping former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins.
Within four hours of his appearance on the breakfast TV show, Dr Collins was approached to represent the Ten Network and Wilkinson.
See More: 10 responds to Lisa Wilkinson Logies speech that delayed the Higgins trial
‘No guiding strategy’: Former Judith Neilson Institute executive unloads
One of the Judith Neilson Institute’s (JNI) most senior founding executives has accused the organisation’s leadership of lacking transparency in awarding grants, and endorsed plans by its benefactor to refocus on funding grassroots and investigative journalism, reports SMH’s Zoe Samios.
Prue Clarke, who moved her family from the US to Australia in 2019, said she quit the Institute after 18 months because she disagreed with the direction its leadership was taking. “JNI was the first donor organisation I’ve worked for that had no guiding strategy,” Clarke said. “I had concerns about the lack of transparency and process around how grants were made.”
Over the course of this week, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age have uncovered turmoil at the Judith Neilson Institute, the nation’s largest philanthropic journalism fund. The institute’s four independent board directors, including former NSW chief justice and ABC chairman James Spigelman, abruptly resigned over concerns about its plans for funding allocation. And the institute’s executive director, Mark Ryan, has engaged lawyers in a dispute over his ongoing employment.
NBCUniversal, Google compete to help Netflix develop ad-backed tier
Comcast Corp.’s NBCUniversal and Alphabet Inc.’s Google have emerged as top contenders to work with Netflix Inc. and help the streaming company create an advertising-supported tier of its service, according to people familiar with the matter, report The Wall Street Journal’s Sarah Krouse, Patience Haggin, and Lillian Rizzo.
Netflix, which is hoping to boost revenue by selling ads around its programming, is still in the early stages of developing the strategy and has explored a range of tie-ups in recent weeks.
A partnership with NBCUniversal would likely be exclusive, the people familiar with the matter said. Comcast’s video ad unit, FreeWheel, would supply technology to help serve up ads, while NBCUniversal’s ad-sales team would help sell ads in the U.S. and Europe, the people said.
A partnership with NBCUniversal would likely involve revenue-sharing, and one issue might be whether Netflix would be guaranteed a certain amount of revenue, they said. Linda Yaccarino, chairman of global advertising and partnerships for NBCUniversal, would be a major player in such a partnership.
See More: Why an ad-supported Netflix tier would be “Nirvana for advertisers”
Rupert Murdoch and Jerry Hall are said to be divorcing
Rupert Murdoch, the media titan, and Jerry Hall, the model and actress, are getting divorced, according to two people with knowledge of the decision. The people would speak only anonymously to discuss a personal matter, report The New York Times’ Jim Rutenberg and Benjamin Mullin.
Bryce Tom, a spokesman for Murdoch, declined to comment. Representatives for Hall could not immediately be reached for comment.
Murdoch’s divorce, his fourth, is unlikely to alter the ownership structure of businesses he holds stakes in, which include parent companies of Fox News and The Wall Street Journal. The Murdoch family’s shares in the companies he founded reside in a strictly managed trust. Murdoch splits voting rights over that trust with his four oldest children — Lachlan, Elisabeth, James, and Prudence — and has arranged them so that he can never be outvoted.
Warner Music Group CEO to step down in 2023
Warner Music Group CEO Stephen Cooper will leave the media company next year, reports The Hollywood Reporter’s Etan Vlessing.
In an SEC filing on Wednesday, WMG, home to the likes of Cardi B. and Bruno Mars said it “has begun planning for the succession” of Cooper, who will continue to serve as CEO until his replacement is found and appointed.
Cooper, who is also a boardroom director, has served as CEO of WMG since 2011 when he was hired by chairman Edgar Bronfman Jr. A turnaround expert, Cooper previously served as vice chairman and member of the office of CEO at MGM and before that had been involved in high-profile business overhaul efforts, including those at then scandal-ridden energy giant Enron and KrispyKreme Donuts.
Agencies
R3 announces the acquisition of advertising intelligence platform Adbrands
R3 announced it has acquired the advertising intelligence platform Adbrands. The acquisition marks a continuation of the global independent marketing consultancy‘s investment in the analysis of the marketing landscape and tracking of client-agency partnerships.
R3 has done this so far through its Global, China and Asia Pacific Agency Family Trees, New Business League, and M&A League.
Adbrands, established in 1998, assesses more than 1,000 leading advertisers, brands and agencies, and tracks account management for the world’s leading brands and companies.
Television
David Wenham hopes series will reverse decision over ABC Archives
The timing of David Wenham series The ABC Of… and a controversial decision to cull staff from ABC Archives could not be more bizarre, reports TV Tonight.
The series featuring six famous Australians reflecting on historic footage of their younger selves could not exist without the work and devotion of Archives staff.
“We wouldn’t have been able to do it the way we did it, in the time we did it, without those amazing people who work in the Archives,” says host David Wenham, “particularly a man called Michael Osmond. He’s spent his life in the ABC doing this. And that’s the difference ..to have people who have been through the Archive, know it inside out. He could pull on his experience and tell us exactly what type of clips would work for us.
“I can’t tell you how impossibly difficult it would be without archivists and librarians working there.
“I’m very hopeful that the decision is reversed. If this show can go some way in forcing a reversal of that decision, I think that would be a very, very positive thing.”
Neighbours star slams Logies: ‘it was incredibly disappointing’
Veteran Neighbours actor Ryan ‘Toadie’ Moloney has slammed Australian television’s biggest night for disrespecting the TV soap, reports News Corp’s Jonathon Moran.
The actor claimed producers of the TV Week Logie Awards could have done more to honour the show that has filmed its final episode after 37 years.
“In all honesty it was incredibly disappointing the package that they put together,” Moloney told 2Day FM’s breakfast team Dave ‘Hughesy’ Hughes, Erin Molan, and Ed Kavalee.
“I kind of watched it and thought, ‘oh ok so Neighbours has just been summed up by a whole lot of food being dumped on people’s heads.”
He added: “I think probably the least they could do is get us to say something. It has been a massive … we are in the bloody Hall of Fame. If this is how you treat people, a show that is in the hall of fame, then good luck to the Logies really.”
Darren McMullen’s surprise new high sea reality show
Darren McMullen has landed a new reality TV gig, hosting The Real Love Boat, reports News Corp’s Jonathon Moran.
The former host of The Voice Australia and most recent Celebrity Apprentice runner-up has began shooting the dating series in the Mediterranean.
Think Bachelor meets Below Deck with the series profiling a bunch of sexy singles looking for their perfect match on the high seas.
“I’m so pumped to be part of The Real Love Boat – my first time on a ship and what better way to kick this off than cruising around the Mediterranean in summer,” McMullen said.