Media
Hugh Marks heads to Canberra with ABC’s pitch
Aunty’s boss is off to the National Press Club this week to sell his vision of a more “confident” public broadcaster.
As The Australian’s James Madden details, it’s a tidy line for the Canberra crowd, though a slightly awkward one given the ongoing heat around what Australians actually want from its national broadcaster.
ARN’s big talent gamble comes under fresh scrutiny
The radio giant’s $200 million, 10-year bet on Kyle Sandilands and Jackie ‘O’ Henderson was supposed to turbocharge the network.
Instead, as Sam Buckingham-Jones writes in The Australian Financial Review, the Melbourne rollout has underwhelmed and the returns simply haven’t matched the hype.
Marketing
Visa says Australia is close to AI handled shopping
Visa’s Alan Machet has told The Australian’s Danielle Long that we’re only months away from letting AI handle routine buys like the weekly grocery shop, calling it one of the most significant shifts in payments in decades.
He argues low risk, low value purchases are the natural starting point and expects consumers will soon feel comfortable asking their digital agent to take care of an $80 shop and trusting the system to fix any mistakes.
Social Media
YouTuber Jack Doherty arrested during roadside stunt
US police say YouTuber Jack Doherty was taken into custody in Miami after an early morning encounter that went from content creation to criminal charges.
The BBC’s Tom Bennett reports that officers allege he was filming in the middle of the road and holding up traffic while trying to provoke a reaction for the camera.
Sky Sports pulls Halo TikTok channel after backlash
Sky Sports has quietly scrapped its new TikTok channel Halo just three days after launch, retreating from what critics labelled a patronising attempt to speak to young women.
The channel debuted as the “lil sis” to Sky Sports, promising to celebrate female athletes and sport culture.
But as Alexandra Topping reports in The Guardian, the execution missed the mark.
TikTok rolls out bulletin boards for creator updates
Ashley King from Digital Music News writes that TikTok has introduced a new tool called bulletin boards, giving creators a way to send public, one to many updates straight to their followers.
If it sounds familiar, that is because it mirrors Instagram’s broadcast channels, which have been running since 2023.
Companies
Disney channels return to YouTube TV after deal is struck
Variety’s Todd Spangler reports that Google and Disney have finally settled their pricing stoush, sealing a multiyear carriage agreement that brings ESPN, ABC and the rest of Disney’s TV lineup back to YouTube TV.
The blackout hit just before midnight on 30 October, leaving subscribers without some of the platform’s biggest drawcards.