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Media Observed

This Month

News Corp executive chairman Michael Miller.

The Australian considers moving with The Times in new radio play

A proposal to expand The Australian’s daily podcast The Front is going upstairs at News Corp; Barrenjoey’s two-sided Southern Cross deals.

  • Sam Buckingham-Jones

February

Barnaby Joyce on SBS’s Australia’s Sleep Revolution, being told he has very high blood pressure.

Barnaby Joyce to be diagnosed with a sleep disorder on live TV

The former Nationals leader has insomnia and sleep apnoea; plus: former Oz editor Chris Dore’s first target; Tabcorp open to its own free-to-air TV channel.

  • Sam Buckingham-Jones
ARLC Chairman Peter V’landys.

The executives making the NRL Vegas trip for a schmoozefest

Nine sends one executive to the NRL’s US venture, but Foxtel sends a crowd; John Singleton drops into SPASM’s home; Allan Gray’s letter to Southern Cross.

  • Sam Buckingham-Jones
Rupert Murdoch has done a lengthy, on-camera interview.

Rupert Murdoch’s secret hours on camera interviewed by Sky News chief

Paul Whittaker has for months been quietly interviewing the media magnate on camera.

  • Sam Buckingham-Jones
The Gladiators on Ten battle it out. Meanwhile, in the US, billionaires battle to buy its owner, Paramount Global.

As billionaires vie for Paramount, a Network 10 sale looks more likely

What happens to Ten as David Ellison, media mogul Byron Allen and PE firm Apollo look at wresting control of Paramount from Shari Redstone?

  • Sam Buckingham-Jones
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January

Kim Williams as the Prime Minister announces he will be the ABC’s next chairman.

A short history of nearly everything Kim Williams has said on the ABC

It’d take a book to compile incoming ABC chair Kim Williams’ thoughts on the ABC – luckily he did that; Kerry Stokes’ The Nightly poaches from News Corp

  • Sam Buckingham-Jones

December 2023

Sydney Opera House CEO Louise Herron and ABC deputy chair Peter Tonagh.

ABC chairman shortlist takes shape as clock ticks on Buttrose’s tenure

It is among the hardest jobs in Australian media. Here are some of the people tipped to oversee the public broadcaster’s board from next year.

  • Sam Buckingham-Jones
Bruce Lehrmann entering the Federal Court.

Seven Network’s Spotlight goes all in with Bruce Lehrmann

It’s hard to find a good hairdresser today. So it was match made in heaven when one of the broadcaster’s exclusive interviewees, Anthony Koletti, met another.

  • Sam Buckingham-Jones
Lachlan Murdoch has called off his annual Christmas party in Sydney.

Lachlan Murdoch cancels Christmas bash

The Murdochs aren’t having a Christmas party at their Bellevue Hill estate this year; Nine cuts jobs; ABC political editor’s questionable job ad placement.

  • Sam Buckingham-Jones
Bruce McWilliam and Ben Roberts-Smith

Would Kerry Stokes pay to avoid Bruce McWilliam’s embarrassing emails?

Kerry Stokes’ ACE and Seven can pay Nine’s legal costs or let 8650 emails from Bruce McWilliam be released; Eyes turn to News Corp’s new Google deal.

  • Sam Buckingham-Jones

November 2023

A court case involving Westpac has been suppressed.

New Federal Court rules block access to Westpac human rights case

Michael Lee quashed Network Ten’s application for the Bruce Lehrmann trial to be pulled off a livestream in aid of open justice. Others aren’t so lucky.

  • Sam Buckingham-Jones
News Corp Australia executive chairman Michael Miller.

News Corp Australia boss Michael Miller quashes rumours his time is up

Whether Michael Miller is leaving is all anyone is talking about; 10m shares in Southern Cross change hands; Streamers outraged at government’s quota plans.

  • Sam Buckingham-Jones
Chemist Warehouse founder Jack Gance.

Guy Sebastian, David Beckham join Chemist Warehouse’s $600m-a-year party

Chemist Warehouse hosted 2000 people for an upfront event that was bigger than any media company’s; Fractures in the Schwartz Media ranks over Gaza coverage.

  • Sam Buckingham-Jones
Tabcorp CEO Adam Rytenskild.

Tabcorp maths: cut jersey logos, add three new teams

Tabcorp chooses to sign three new deals with sports teams as wagering advertising regulations loom; Radio industry muscles up; Foxtel’s content costs jump.

  • Sam Buckingham-Jones and Mark Di Stefano

October 2023

Seven West Media chairman Kerry Stokes.

A media analyst’s clash with SCA’s board: ‘You guys cost $1.156m’

Retired analyst Roger Colman’s blistering questions at Southern Cross Austereo’s AGM; could Kerry and Ryan Stokes be (temporarily) booted off Seven’s board?

  • Sam Buckingham-Jones and Mark Di Stefano
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TechDay ends links with PR firm after ‘exasperating’ requests

What happened between TechDay and PR firm Archetype?; The Daily Telegraph’s new TV play; SBS’s ad revenue bucks the market.

  • Sam Buckingham-Jones and Mark Di Stefano
Former News Corp spinner Greg Baxter outside a James Hardie hearing.

News Corp, James Hardie spinner takes Eat, Pray, Love retirement

After a quadruple heart bypass in July, former News Limited spin doctor Greg Baxter retired from CBA in exactly the right way.

  • Mark Di Stefano and Sam Buckingham-Jones
Seven West Media chairman Kerry Stokes is back for more.

Kerry Stokes spurns doing a Rupert, rides again

Billionaire Kerry Stokes renominates as director of Seven West Media; behind the ABC’s decision to block ChatGPT’s web crawler; The Market Herald’s rebrand.

  • Sam Buckingham-Jones and Mark Di Stefano
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

Amazon’s behind the scenes back-down in bid for TV ad millions

Amazon tells us its plan to take 30pc cut from Fire TV advertising is global, tells networks otherwise; Foxtel’s Patrick Delany concedes “lack of content”.

  • Sam Buckingham-Jones and Mark Di Stefano

September 2023

A gavel and book.

Newsrooms prepare to name Queensland rape case’s ‘high-profile man’

From October 3, a change to Queensland sexual offender laws could prompt a tsunami of reporting about a case that has remained below the radar.

  • Sam Buckingham-Jones and Mark Di Stefano