Business of Media
X lifts ban on Taylor Swift searches after spread of fake explicit images
Social-media company X lifted the ban on searches for Taylor Swift Monday evening, after blocking users from searching for her following the spread of fake sexually-explicit images of the pop singer on the social media site last week, reports Reuters.
The search has been reactivated and the social media platform “will continue to be vigilant for any attempt to spread this content and will remove it if we find it,” Joe Benarroch, head of business operations at X, said in a statement on Monday.
From Pitchfork to Q, music criticism is under attack. We must fight for the magic it can inspire
Last week, it was announced that the influential and widely read music website Pitchfork was being folded into men’s magazine GQ, with the loss of many jobs, reports The Guardian’s John Doran.
The title, which started as a blog in 1996, rapidly rose to become the dominant voice in music criticism for millennials. To many of the site’s millions of monthly readers this news means a great deal more than simply the decline of a large website: they see this, with some justification, as an existential threat to worthwhile music criticism itself.
MP not buying Nine’s picture ‘automation’ excuse
Victorian Animal Justice MP Georgie Purcell is “not convinced” automation by Photoshop was to blame after a pictured of her aired which she said enlarged her breasts and exposed her stomach, report The Australian’s Angus McIntyre and Lily McCaffrey.
A photo of Purcell was shown over the shoulder of newsreader Alicia Loxley during Monday night’s Nine News Melbourne bulletin, where the MP discussed her opposition to the Victorian government’s decision to continue to allow duck hunting.
See Also: 9News boss apologises to Victorian MP Georgie Purcell after airing gaffe
News Brands
The ABC and Nine are showing their hand with their new appointments
How does the media code its message about itself? This past week we’ve seen one old practice at both the ABC and Nine. The outlets are using personnel as strategy, with senior appointments at each organisation flagging the big changes in Australia’s traditional media we can expect this year, reports Crikey’s Christopher Warren.
At the ABC, media watchers and staff insiders are parsing the federal government’s appointment of new chair Kim Williams, and over at Nine there’s scepticism about former Daily Mail and News Corp editor Luke McIlveen will run the once-were-Fairfax masthead.
Sky UK to cut 1,000 jobs as customers move from pay-TV to internet
Sky is to cut about 1,000 jobs as customers move away from traditional satellite pay-TV to streaming-based services, in the latest round of redundancies to hit the UK media industry, reports The Guardian’s Mark Sweney.
The company, which employs about 26,000 staff in the UK, is seeking to reduce its workforce by about 4% this year.
The cuts will come mainly from its army of workers that install equipment in households, with the number employed expected to be reduced by about a quarter, as more consumers make the shift to plug-and-go internet-based products such as Sky Stream and the Sky Glass smart TV.
Television
Why ‘reality at 7:30’ has become a ratings winner for Australian TV
Channel Nine’s Married at First Sight (MAFS) has once again dominated Australia’s TV ratings with a reach of 2,461,000 viewers for the season 11 debut. The show beat out Network 10 and Channel Seven’s heavy hitters Survivor Australia and Australian Idol, and the ABC’s political documentary Nemesis, reports the ABC’s Liana Walker.
MAFS follows pairs of strangers who first meet at their “wedding” before living together for several weeks. Each season is full of drama, including affairs between couples, leaking OnlyFans images and participants throwing drinks at each other.
Three out of four The Voice Australia coaches ditch their red chairs – who is returning?
The Voice Australia is set for a major shake-up in 2024 – Guy Sebastian is the last coach standing. Rita Ora is out. Jessica Mauboy is out. Jason Derulo is out, reports News Corp’s Jonathon Moran.
The Daily Telegraph can reveal Seven is recruiting a new crew of coaches for the famous red judging chairs on the juggernaut program that is one of the highest rating on the network’s slate each year.
Production is set to get underway as soon as March, at which time Mauboy is starting her Yours Forever Tour, that will run through until early May. Ora, meanwhile, will be filming the American version of The Masked Singer after joining the judging panel there, while Derulo is touring Europe from March through to June.
Ben Cousins for Dancing with the Stars?
Is Seven sports presenter Ben Cousins set to take to the dance floor for Dancing with the Stars, asks TV Tonight?
Yesterday 6PR ran a rumour he will do just that, after being spotted in Melbourne.
Cousins landed a role as Sports Presenter on Seven News morning bulletin in Perth last June as he looked to rebuild his career post drug addiction and several run-ins with the law. He has also presented Sport in primetime in the West.
Survivor 2024 star Viola’s reality TV past revealed
Survivor Australia 2024 kicked off on Monday, and contestant Viola Jokudu instantly became a hit with viewers. Fans quickly warmed to Viola’s loveable charm, and it turns out it’s not the first time the reality star has been on television, reports News Corp’s Joshua Haigh.
Viola, 22, is a powerlifting, strength and conditioning coach who can bench 95kg and has broken five national records. However, she’s also a budding receptionist in her spare time.
Eagle-eyed television viewers might recognise the Survivor star as the beloved receptionist from Channel 10’s The Dog House Australia.
Nicole Kidman’s new show censored by Amazon
Nicole Kidman’s new show has fallen victim to censorship following a surprising move from Amazon, reports News Corp’s Joshua Haigh.
The Aussie star’s new Prime series Expats debuted its first two episodes last Friday worldwide, and has become a big hit with viewers and critics alike. However, sadly not everyone will be allowed to enjoy the show in its entirety following a tough decision from Amazon.
When viewers in Hong Kong, where the show is based, try to watch it, they are met with a message saying that “this video is currently unavailable to watch in your location”.