Legal
Swillhouse hits back at 60 Minutes over cut-down response
Swillhouse is firing back at 60 Minutes, accusing the Nine program of chopping up its official response and serving it to viewers as something it wasn’t.
The hospitality group featured in last week’s “Out of Order” special, which spotlighted alleged misconduct in Australia’s nightlife scene.
But, as Steve Jackson writes in The Australian, Swillhouse now claims that what ended up online was a heavily edited version that omitted crucial context.
Television
Neighbours to wrap filming again as fans brace for final goodbye
The icionic Aussie soap will call cut on production this Friday, 11 July, with its final episode set to air in both Australia and the UK on 11 December.
As David Knox writes on TV Tonight, it’s the second curtain call in three years for the show, which made a surprise return in 2023 after initially being axed in 2022.
Only this time, there’s no dramatic (or scripted) rescue in sight.
Prime-time news bounces back
Australia’s traditional news bulletins are enjoying a mid-year resurgence, with OzTAM data showing strong audience growth across both Nine and Seven’s prime-time 6pm offerings.
As Steve Jackson reports in The Australian, Nine is leading the charge, bouncing back from a tough year marked by internal culture reviews. Its Sydney bulletin, fronted by Peter Overton, is up 10 per cent.
Seven, meanwhile, has clawed back some ground following the rocky tenure of former news boss Anthony De Ceglie, whose short stint saw budget cuts, bulletin cuts and a notable ratings dip.
That said…
Early ratings show Channel 10’s latest swing at prime-time current affairs, 10 News+, is struggling to find its feet.
As Lexie Cartwright details on news.com.au, after drawing a national audience of 291,000 for its Monday debut, the numbers had almost halved by Friday.
Social Media
YouTube warns Aussie creators over under-16 ban fallout
YouTube is sounding the alarm to local creators, warning their channels could take a hit if the federal government expands its under-16 social media ban to include the platform.
According to Sam Buckingham-Jones in The Australian Financial Review, the platform sent a message writing that it fears policymakers may overlook the voices of creators and the wider YouTube community.
The caution follows a push from the eSafety Commissioner to officially classify YouTube alongside platforms like Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat in Australia’s new minimum age laws.
TikTok plots US app split as sale deadline looms
TikTok is reportedly prepping a standalone version of its app for US users, with a September 5 launch pencilled in as the clock ticks down on ByteDance’s divestment deadline.
According to Reuters, the move is part of a broader plan to hand over control of TikTok’s US operations to a group of American investors.
The Biden administration has set a September 17 deadline for ByteDance to cut ties with its US assets or face a national ban.
Online
Apartments.com.au sale signals new challenger in property listings war
There’s fresh heat in the property listings game, and this time it’s all about off-the-plan apartments.
Urban.com.au owner Third Door Ventures has snapped up the long-held domain Apartments.com.au, aiming to position itself as a serious rival to REA Group in the lucrative new-build market.
As Sam Buckingham-Jones details in the The Australian Financial Review, the URL deal was reportedly one of the top ten most valuable in Australian internet history, though the final price tag remains under wraps.
AI
China pushes to add AI and digital economy to Australia trade pact
China wants to future-proof its trade deal with Australia, with Ambassador Xiao Qian calling for ChAFTA to be updated to include artificial intelligence, healthcare, green energy and the digital economy.
In this op-ed for The Australian Financial Review, Xiao pitched the idea as part of a ten-year anniversary refresh.
The timing is no coincidence. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is heading to China this week for high-level trade talks with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang.
Vale
Julian McMahon dies aged 56 after cancer battle
Australian actor Julian McMahon has passed away at 56, his wife Kelly announced over the weekend.
She described his death as peaceful, following a courageous fight against cancer, though details about the illness and diagnosis timeline remain private.
As Ella McIlveen reports for news.com.au, McMahon was most recently seen alongside Nicolas Cage in Stan’s latest thriller The Surfer, which was filmed in Western Australia in 2023.
Peter Russell-Clarke, Australia’s original TV chef, dies at 89
Peter Russell-Clarke, the charismatic face behind the 1980s cooking show Come and Get It, has passed away peacefully aged 89.
Surrounded by family, including his wife Jan of 65 years and their children, he left behind a legacy as much for his art and wit as his recipes.
As Daisy Dumas writes in The Guardian Australia, Russell-Clarke was more than a chef, he was a cultural icon ahead of his time.
Tributes flow for media veteran Michael Beatty
Longtime journalist and animal welfare advocate Michael Beatty has died at 76, not long after a leukaemia diagnosis.
His son Liam shared the news on Sunday, writing that “dogs all over Brisbane were howling” as Beatty passed away surrounded by family.
As Andrew Thorpe writes on abc.net.au, Beatty’s career was anything but ordinary. Born in England, he wound up in Canada as a teenager and started out as a mail boy at CBC Radio in Ottawa. His big break? Interviewing a then-unknown Jimi Hendrix.