Media
LG and Paramount bring Network 10 straight to smart TVs
As Kerry Stokes loosens his grip on Seven West Media, LG and Paramount are pushing linear TV into the streaming era.
The Australian’s Jared Lynch writes the pair have teamed up to stream Network 10’s live channels -10, 10 Drama, 10 Comedy and Nickelodeon – directly on LG Smart TVs, no aerial needed.
LG’s Tony Brown said the move reflects viewers’ craving for simplicity.
Clementine Ford plans new app after Meta ban
Sky News Australia’s Patrick Staveley writes that Ford has vowed to launch her own app after being kicked off Facebook and Instagram for breaching Community Standards.
The feminist author’s accounts were deleted on Friday following posts about the assassination of US conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
ABC offers crisis coverage to support local newsrooms
The ABC has proposed a plan to let smaller regional outlets republish its digital news during major crises, aiming to keep communities informed and help struggling local publishers.
According to TV Blackbox’s Kevin Perry, managing director Hugh Marks said the broadcaster’s 68 sites nationwide, including 58 in regional areas, give it unmatched reach to share coverage of disasters, health emergencies and other critical events.
Apple TV+ hikes prices
Apple TV+ has lifted its monthly subscription fee, joining a wave of streamers hiking prices in recent months.
news.com.au’s Joshua Haigh writes the service now costs $14.99 a month, up from $12.99, marking its second increase in a year.
Companies
Paramount backs Bari Weiss in $150m CBS News shake-up
Paramount is spending $150 million to reboot CBS News, naming journalist Bari Weiss as editor-in-chief and acquiring her platform, The Free Press.
Variety’s Brian Steinberg writes the move aims to inject fresh perspective into a legacy newsroom as audiences drift to social media.
The Free Press has about 170,000 paid subscribers, small but loyal – and Paramount’s betting that Weiss’s influence can help bridge old and new media.
Spotify shares drop after Daniel Ek steps down
Spotify stock fell 6.6% after CEO Daniel Ek announced he’ll step down in January, with Alex Norström and Gustav Söderström set to take over as co-CEOs.
As Digital Music News’ Ashley King writes the slide followed Goldman Sachs downgrading Spotify from “buy” to “neutral.” Still, shares remain up 55% this year, with analysts saying the dip looks more like a pause than a panic.
Legal
Linda Reynolds moves to bankrupt David Sharaz
The Australian’s Paul Garvey writes that former senator Linda Reynolds has launched bankruptcy proceedings against David Sharaz, husband of Brittany Higgins, to recover defamation damages and legal costs.
Federal Court filings show the action was lodged in Western Australia on Monday, with a hearing set later this month.
AI
CBA moves core banking to Amazon cloud
Commonwealth Bank has shifted its entire core banking system to Amazon Web Services, becoming the first Australian bank to do so.
The move means about two-in-five national transactions now pass through AWS data centres.
The Australian Financial Review’s James Eyers writes that the 18-month migration aims to boost speed, security and innovation, paving the way for an AI-driven future in banking.
AMD lands multi-year AI chip deal with OpenAI
AMD shares skyrocketed more than 34% after sealing a multi-year deal to supply artificial intelligence chips to OpenAI.
As Max A. Cherney and Arsheeya Bajwa report for Reuters, the partnership is worth tens of billions annually and giving the ChatGPT maker an option to buy up to 10% of AMD.
Deloitte admits AI errors in $440k government report
Deloitte Australia will refund part of a $440,000 fee after revealing that AI was used to generate parts of a federal government report riddled with fake references and even a fabricated court quote.
The Australian Financial Review’s Edmund Tadros and Paul Karp write that report, commissioned by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, was quietly replaced online on Friday with a corrected version.
NSW government ‘sorry’ after flood victims’ data shared with ChatGPT
The NSW government has apologised after a former contractor uploaded personal details of about 3,000 flood victims to ChatGPT.
news.com.au’s Frank Chung reports the data included contact and health information from the Northern Rivers Resilient Homes Program.
Vale
British author Jilly Cooper dies
Beloved British novelist Jilly Cooper, famed for her cheeky tales of sex, scandal and social climbing in Riders and Rivals, has died aged 88 after a fall.
The Australian Financial Review’s Sylvia Hui writes that Cooper became a literary icon in the 1980s with her Rutshire Chronicles series – a romp through the lives and loves of England’s upper classes that sold millions and redefined the bonkbuster genre.