Business of Media
Netflix, Hollywood studios warn Australian streaming quotas could violate US free trade deal
Federal Labor insists it is committed to introducing local content quotas on streaming services despite warnings from Netflix and the lobby group representing HBO and other Hollywood studios that the regulation could violate Australia’s free trade agreement with the United States, reports Capital Brief’s John Buckley.
The claim emerges in at least two submissions to the government’s consultation paper on streaming quotas, obtained by Capital Brief, and turns the screw on forthcoming regulation that would place tighter controls on investment in Australian content by global platforms, set to take effect from July.
Elon Musk faces Brazil inquiry after defying X court order
Elon Musk faces a legal investigation in Brazil after becoming embroiled in a public row with a supreme court judge over an order requiring the social network X to take down some far-right accounts, report The Guardian’s Alex Hern and Tom Phillips.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes had issued a court order forcing the site formerly known as Twitter to block several users as part of his investigation into the former president Jair Bolsonaro’s attempts to stay in power after his 2022 election defeat.
Entertainment
Legendary rock promoter behind AC/DC tour Garry Van Egmond dies aged 82
Garry Van Egmond, the Melbourne-based rock promoter who toured AC/DC for more than 30 years, has died, reports News Corp’s Nui Te Koha.
Friends and family of Van Egmond confirmed his passing on Sunday night.
He was 82.
Television
Ian Smith returning to iconic television role on soap Neighbours
Beloved television star Ian Smith is returning to his iconic television role as Harold Bishop on Neighbours, reports News Corp.
Smith originally starred between 1987 and 1991, then returned in 1996 until his departure in 2009.
Since then, Harold has made multiple guest appearances, including in the soap’s 2022 finale.
MAFS finale: Viewers question detail after Cassandra explodes at Sara in huge row
Married At First Sight viewers were left with a major question during Monday night’s finale when two brides became embroiled in a massive row, reports News Corp’s Joshua Haigh.
Sara and Tim were invited to have their moment on the sofa as they looked back on their experience over the season.
Sports Media
Priced out: In ‘footy country’, you’ll struggle to watch a game on TV at the pub
This, we are regularly assured by AFL ads, was not just a country footy town, we were in footy country, reports Nine Publishing’s Michael Gleeson.
True. Unless the game you wanted to watch in Stawell happened to be on pay TV.
These are sport fans and in they’re in footy country. There was significant interest in a good game of footy on Easter Saturday. Yet not one pub in town showed the footy on their TVs. They wanted to, they just couldn’t afford it.
SEN boss Craig Hutchison ditches AFL Gather Round for McDonald’s convention in Spain
Every big name in footy was at Gather Round in Adelaide. But one person conspicuous by their absence was SEN boss Craig Hutchison, reports News Corp’s Jackie Epstein.
Hutchison was front and centre during the round’s debut last year in South Australia but this time he wasn’t in the country having ventured to Spain for McDonald’s annual convention.
SEN has enjoyed a long-term commercial partnership with the fast food chain.