Television
Paramount eyes new A-Leagues deal
Paramount is in talks for a fresh A-Leagues broadcast and streaming agreement, a priority as David Ellison’s Skydance takes control of the company.
Capital Brief’s John Buckley writes that its current $200 million, five-year deal with the Australian Professional Leagues gives Network 10 and Paramount+ the men’s and women’s competitions, plus select international rights.
Paramount also holds Socceroos and Matildas rights through 2028, but is keen to keep the A-Leagues at the centre of its Australian football slate.
Gogglebox Australia is back
Who knew watching other people watching TV could be so addictive?
Network 10 has confirmed the return of Gogglebox Australia for season 22, with the full line-up of fan-favourite couch critics returning to share their candid takes on the week’s biggest television moments.
The new season features familiar faces including best friends Anastasia and Faye, the Dalton family, couple Lee and Keith, siblings Tim and Leanne, surfers Milo and Nic, and mates Adam and Symon.
AI
Maincode names Matilda as Australia’s AI challenger
The Australian Financial Review’s Paul Smith Aussie start-up Maincode has unveiled Matilda, its first flagship AI platform.
Backed by Stake.com billionaire Ed Craven and led by founder Dave Lemphers, the company is aiming to create Australia’s answer to ChatGPT.
Billed as the nation’s first sovereign large language model, Matilda will be trained on local data.
Telecommunications
Telstra pushes AI and rewards investors
Telstra CEO Vicki Brady wants staff using AI every day, calling it key to efficiency and flexible work, as competition from Optus and TPG ramps up.
As Jared Lynch details in The Australian, with mobile growth at a four-year low, she announced a $1 billion share buyback and a 5.6 per cent dividend lift to 19 cents, following a $750 million buyback in June.
Brady says the telco is focused on balancing business investment with strong shareholder returns.
Radio
ABC’s Andrew Moore recovering after heart attack
ABC Sport rugby league caller Andrew Moore is in intensive care after emergency surgery on Wednesday. He’s expected to make a full recovery.
Moore, who joined the ABC in 2015 after stints at 2GB, 2UE and 2SM, thanked paramedics and Westmead Hospital staff for their swift care.
But as Brent Read and Michael Carayannis write in The Daily Telegraph, his return to the commentary box is yet to be confirmed.
Legal
Baby Shark wins copyright battle
Hey parents! Great news! Baby Shark isn’t going anywhere! I know. It’s OK, we can all scream into the void together later today. Just know that I see you and I am holding space for you.
Anyway…
The BBC’s Kelly Ng South Korea’s Supreme Court has sided with Pinkfong, ruling its 2016 Baby Shark was an independent take on a public-domain folk song.
US composer Jonathan Wright claimed it copied his 2011 version, but the court found his arrangement wasn’t substantially different from the original.
Podcasting
Podcast charts remain a mystery
Podcast charts on Apple and Spotify can boost profile and partnerships, but creators say the rankings reveal little about true audience size.
According to Caitlin Huston in The Hollywood Reporter, Spotify bases its daily chart on followers and recent listeners, while Apple factors in listening, follows and completion rates.
The lack of transparency leaves many questioning whether the charts can be gamed.
Publishing
Writers quit Bendigo festival over antisemitism code
Several authors, including Randa Abdel-Fattah, Jess Hill and Thomas Mayo, have pulled out of the Bendigo Writers Festival after being asked to comply with a disputed definition of antisemitism.
The definition, from Universities Australia and used in La Trobe University’s Anti-Racism Plan, has been criticised for potentially limiting debate on Israel and Palestine.
According to Crikey’s Daanyal Saeed, festival organisers have not publicly commented on the backlash.
Vale
Iconic Australian film critic David Stratton dies, age 85
David Stratton, the legendary Australian film critic best known for appearing alongside Margaret Pomeranz on SBS movie review show The Movie Show and the later ABC incarnation of the show At The Movies, has died at the age of 85.
In a statement issued, his family reported that Stratton died peacefully at his home in the Blue Mountains.