Media
ABC, Trump and a Senate showdown reignite old media wars
Things got prickly in Parliament House late last month when ABC 7.30 host Sarah Ferguson and Liberal senator Sarah Henderson crossed paths.
According to Calum Jaspan in The Sydney Morning Herald, the exchange, brief but pointed, reopened old wounds over the national broadcaster’s 2021 coverage of the January 6 Capitol riot.
10 News Perth says goodbye to a newsroom lifer
A big chapter is quietly closing at 10 News Perth, with Executive Editor Pamela Magill preparing to step out after more than two decades inside the Network 10 newsroom.
TV Blackbox’s Kyle Laidlaw reports that staff were told last week, drawing a line under one of the longest editorial tenures in the market.
Social Media
Reddit readies legal fight over social media ban
The Australian Financial Review’s Sam Buckingham-Jones reports that Reddit is lining up for a proper courtroom stoush with the Albanese government, signalling it is prepared to challenge Australia’s world-first social media age limits just as the new rules are about to kick in.
The $US44 billion platform has reportedly locked in barrister Perry Herzfeld SC to run the case, with top-tier firm Thomson Geer backing the challenge.
Agencies
Havas buys Kaimera in local power play
The Australian’s Danielle Long reports that Havas has gone shopping in Australia, snapping up independent media agency Kaimera as it looks to bulk up its local firepower.
Kaimera will keep its own badge inside the Havas Media Network, sitting alongside Havas Media and Frontier.
Companies
Paramount crashes the Warner Bros deal
Just when Hollywood thought the Warner Bros sale was all but wrapped, Paramount has barged in with a jaw-dropping $US108 billion hostile bid.
The Sydney Morning Herald’s Michael Koziol writes that the offer on the table is $US30 a share in cash for Warner Bros, backed by a mix of Middle Eastern finance and Affinity Partners, the investment outfit run by Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
But it doesn’t look like Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos is bothered.
According to Alex Weprin in The Hollywood Reporter, he addressed the move made by Paramount during a talk, saying it was “entirely expected”.