Media
Mark Levy caught in off-air drama
The Australian’s Steve Jackson reports that 2GB’s Mark Levy seems to be making more headlines off the mic than on it.
This time, the Mornings host is rumoured to be entangled in a six-figure loan deal linking a boxing promoter tied to Anthony Mundine and a trucking boss with past links to the Nomads bikie gang.
Nine faces fresh pay revolt at AGM
Nine Entertainment is staring down a potential second strike at next month’s AGM after proxy advisor CGI Glass Lewis urged investors to vote against its remuneration report.
According to Capital Brief’s John Buckley, the firm criticised CEO Matt Stanton’s pay rise from $830,000 as CFO to $1.6 million as chief executive and advised shareholders to reject proposed equity grants through 2026.
How Foxtel changed the game
Foxtel is turning 30, and CEO Patrick Delany is in a reflective mood.
Speaking to The Australian’s James Madden, he called the pay-TV company “the most dominant pressure point” in Australian media over the past three decades, arguing its arrival forced free-to-air TV to evolve.
Social Media
Children’s commissioner warns of fallout from social media ban
Outgoing children’s commissioner Anne Hollonds says she’s seen “nothing” to support vulnerable kids ahead of Australia’s under-16 social media ban taking effect on December 10.
She told Cam Wilson from Crikey that while there are “plans and frameworks,” no concrete action has been taken to address the gaps the ban will create.
US and China reportedly strike TikTok deal
The long-running TikTok saga may finally be nearing an end.
The Guardian’s Michael Sainato writes that US treasury secretary Scott Bessent says Washington and Beijing have agreed on the details of a deal to transfer TikTok’s US operations to new owners.
AI
Labor blocks AI data grab
Labor has ruled out letting tech firms freely mine Australian content to train AI, rejecting calls for new copyright exemptions.
As Charlie Tchetchenian writes on Sky News Australia the government is reviewing the Copyright Act but says protecting creators comes first.