Business of Media
PointsBet rejects $220m bid by Murdoch consortium
Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation and digital wagering pioneer Matthew Tripp approached bookmaker PointsBet with a $220 million-plus offer for its Australian division, but were rebuffed by the company’s board, reports SMH’s Zoe Samios.
Wagering industry sources, who spoke anonymously because talks were confidential, said the PointsBet’s board, which is led by former UBS banker Brett Paton, turned down a non-binding indicative offer from the News Corp Australia-led consortium almost two weeks ago. The offer, believed to be worth between $220 million to $300 million, was not put to shareholders.
ABC archive job cuts ‘regrettable’, says Michelle Rowland
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland says the loss of dozens of jobs in the ABC’s archives department is “regrettable” but has stopped short of calling for the national broadcaster to reverse the decision, despite an outcry from staff and the public sector union, reports News Corp’s James Madden.
Last week, the ABC announced that 58 positions across the media organisation’s archival and research departments would be “removed”, to be replaced by 30 “new roles”. Many staffers took to social media to express shock that the ABC would opt to make savings in such a crucial corner of the organisation, while other departments that aren’t considered “core business” of a public broadcaster were spared.
There are also concerns that ABC journalists won’t have the requisite skills to effectively research and source archival material, leading to a diminished quality of news services.
‘Unfavourable legislation’: Media executives call for defamation law reform
Media executives have called on the Albanese government to urgently reform defamation laws, warning expensive legal battles are crippling the industry and investment in public interest journalism, reports SMH’s Zoe Samios.
The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age last week successfully fought a second attempt by a cosmetic surgeon to force award-winning journalist Adele Ferguson to hand over drafts of an investigation before publication. The investigation has since been published by the mastheads and aired on 60 Minutes.
Mike Sneesby, the chief executive of the Herald and The Age’s parent company Nine, and ABC News boss Justin Stevens, said the legal battle highlighted why the current laws governing defamation are no longer fit for purpose.
Streaming services warn government to dump production quota plan
Local and international streaming services are urging the federal government to dump plans that would force them to make a certain amount of local programs, warning it would have unintended consequences and make the cost of production unpalatable, reports SMH‘s Zoe Samios.
New communications minister Michelle Rowland said she would push ahead with plans backed by the production sector to regulate how much local content streaming services such as Netflix, Stan, Paramount and Prime Video are making.
In submissions to former communications minister Paul Fletcher about his plans to introduce an incentive scheme, the companies said there was no evidence of market failure, and any move to regulate in this way would cause a production shortage and make costs skyrocket.
News brands
Nine’s publishing division in fight over wages, diversity
A bust-up over wages and diversity targets is brewing at Nine Entertainment’s publishing division as the media giant shapes up to negotiate a new enterprise bargaining deal in the first of what is set to be a string of wage deals across the sector, reports News Corp’s David Ross.
The latest salvo from Nine’s managing director of publishing, James Chessell, in which he warned the union’s 6 per cent wage demands were unrealistic, has failed to impress staff.
Chessell wrote to staff last week, warning that the union’s demands would add $20m to the publishing giant’s cost base over the next three years, at a time when the sector is looking to rein in expenses.
Andrew Hornery: I made mistakes over Rebel Wilson, and will learn from them
After a torrid weekend that started with a controversial Private Sydney column in Nine newspapers on Saturday morning, columnist Andrew Hornery has taken down the column and apologised to Rebel Wilson.
Hornery and his editor Bevan Shields initially stood by their decision to publish news about Rebel Wilson’s new partner. However, after a weekend of negative feedback on social media, from world media and a brief comment from Wilson, the columnist and the newspaper published this on Monday:
On the weekend I wrote about the background leading to Rebel Wilson’s social media post revealing her new relationship with another woman. I have learnt some new and difficult lessons from this and want to be upfront with you about the things I got wrong.
I genuinely regret that Rebel has found this hard. That was never my intention. But I see she has handled it all with extraordinary grace. As a gay man I’m well aware of how deeply discrimination hurts. The last thing I would ever want to do is inflict that pain on someone else.
Writing a weekly column about the personal lives of the rich, powerful and famous comes with its own unique set of challenges. A celebrity romance is a happy story. When I started hearing from friends and associates of Rebel that she was in a new relationship, as a gossip columnist I could see that was potentially a story, as her previous boyfriends had been.
The Herald and I will approach things differently from now on to make sure we always take into consideration the extra layer of complexities people face when it comes to their sexuality.
Lisa Wilkinson apologises for defaming ex-MP Andrew Laming
TV host Lisa Wilkinson has issued a grovelling apology to former federal MP Andrew Laming, conceding she defamed him by wrongfully claiming he had taken an inappropriate photo of a woman, reports News Corp’s James Madden.
On Sunday afternoon, Wilkinson, who co-hosts The Project on Network Ten, posted on Twitter: “On March 2021, I published a tweet about Andrew Laming. I now accept that the claim made about Dr Laming in that tweet was false and defamatory.
Television
Veteran stars, TV foodies and a legendary TV exec awarded Queen’s Birthday Honours
Pioneering performer producer Carol Raye (The Mavis Bramston Show, Blankety Blanks, Number 96) has honoured for significant service to the performing arts as an actor and producer, reports TV Tonight.
Raye joined Channel Seven as a producer in 1964, where she devised The Mavis Bramston Show – a ground-breaking satirical show. After her stint in Number 96 she also became the show’s casting director. Now aged 99, Raye is retired and cared for by her daughter, producer Sally Ayre-Smith.
Another Mavis Bramston regular Maggie Dence, now aged 80, is also honoured for service to the performing arts as an actor. Her other TV credits include Kingswood Country, The Sullivans, Prisoner and Neighbours.
Former Seven and Nine executive, the late David Leckie was honoured for service to the broadcast media through executive roles.
TV foodies Maeve O’Meara (Food Safari), Matt Moran (The Great Australian Bake-Off) and Donna Hay (Basics to Brilliance) have all been recognised for food industry achievements.
Other noteworthy names include Shane Warne (Nine, Fox Sports), Philip Quast (Play School), Linda Bull (RocKwiz) and Mike Sheahan (Fox Footy’s On the Couch).
Leigh Sales in running for weekly talk show on ABC
Ever since Leigh Sales announced at the start of the year that her reign as host of 7.30 would end, there has been rampant speculation about her next move once she formally departs the show at the end of June, reports News Corp’s Nick Tabakoff.
Now Diary hears that the odds have shortened considerably around the ABC on Sales starting her own weekly talk show in 2023. We’re told that secret planning around a once-a-week celebrity interview show with Sales as host first started as far back as five years ago within the ABC.
QLD government splashing the cash for Logies
The Queensland government is showering the major TV networks with cash, as it makes a concerted attempt to ensure the Logies stay in the state beyond 2022, reports News Corp’s Nick Tabakoff.
A letter obtained by Diary from the event’s organisers shows the major networks are being offered $1000 a head for each network talent, including the likes of Gold Logie nominees Karl Stefanovic, Sonia Kruger, Hamish Blake and Melissa Leong, who they will ferry up to the Gold Coast for the Logies ceremony next Sunday.
The Logies are resuming after a three-year hiatus forced by the Covid pandemic – and Annastacia Palaszczuk clearly wants to make this one count.
Disney’s head of entertainment and programming Peter Rice ousted in shake-up
In a major executive shake-up, Peter Rice, chairman of Disney’s entertainment and programming, is exiting the company, reported The Hollywood Reporter.
Sources say embattled Disney CEO Bob Chapek summoned Rice to his office [last] Monday and relieved the former Fox exec of his duties. The CEO, who took over for Bob Iger last year, is said to have felt that Rice was no longer a fit.
Industry insiders believe Rice was perceived as angling to replace the embattled Chapek.
Some of the town’s most powerful insiders responded with anger. “Peter is beloved,” said one agent, noting that he was overseeing a successful division. Referring to Chapek, he said, “How many times does a person have to show you who they are?”
It is notable that the board issued a statement in support of Chapek, who has only a few months left on his contract.
The move comes as a shocker considering Chapek re-upped Rice to a new long-term deal last summer. Sources say Rice has more than two years remaining on his contract and will receive a rich payout.
Rice’s top lieutenant, Dana Walden – who also made the move from Fox to Disney – will be taking over his responsibilities. Chapek announced the news in a memo to staff.
Read the Disney statement about the appointment of Dana Walden
Sports media
Indian cricket media rights bidding war for IPL spills over to Monday
The bidding war for media rights to the Indian Premier League (IPL) will continue on Monday with Disney, Sony and India’s Reliance in contention for what could fetch the Indian cricket board up to US$6 billion, reports Reuters.
The bidding began at 0530 GMT on Sunday for the broadcast rights, digital rights, a bespoke package that includes rights for high-value matches as well as rights to broadcast the world’s richest T20 league in foreign territories.
But while the digital and television rights for 2023 to 2027 are expected to more than double the 163.48 billion rupees ($2.09 billion) that Star India, now owned by Walt Disney Co, paid in 2017, observers say caution may be setting in.
Amazon.com pulled out of the bidding process on Friday, saying it did not think it was viable growth option for the company in India.