This Month
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 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
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’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
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
January
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
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
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 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
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
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 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
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 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
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
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
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
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’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
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
