Business of Media
ABC’s independent inquiry into its complaints unit will hear from the public
The ABC is to revamp the independent review it commissioned into its complaints department, with members of the public to be invited to submit any grievances they have with the broadcaster, reports News Corp’s Sophie Elsworth.
The move comes days after the Senate rejected a separate, government-backed inquiry into the complaints-handling processes at the ABC and SBS.
Last month, when the ABC announced the terms of reference of the external, independent inquiry there were no pathways available for the public to lodge submissions.
Disney Plans to Spend $33B on Content Next Year
The Walt Disney Co. is planning to turbocharge its content spending in its fiscal 2022 calendar year, which began Oct.1, reports The Hollywood Reporter‘s Alex Weprin.
According to the company’s annual report, which was filed with the SEC Wednesday afternoon, Disney plans to spend approximately $33 billion on content over the next year, inclusive of its streaming programming, linear programming, and sports content.
That is an $8 billion increase from fiscal 2021, when the company says it spent approximately $25 billion on content.
News Brands
Australia Defamation Case Signals a Crackdown on Ordinary Citizens, Critics Say
Australia’s defence minister Peter Dutton on Wednesday won a defamation case over a six-word tweet that called him a “rape apologist” and the victory is now garnering international attention as evident in this report by the New York Times’ Yan Zhuang.
Critics and experts said the court case exemplified the conservative government’s heavy-handed approach toward regulating damaging commentary on social media — what Prime Minister Scott Morrison called “a coward’s palace.” The case also represented a troubling shift as politicians bring more lawsuits against ordinary citizens, they said.
The dispute began when Shane Bazzi, an advocate for refugees who has 13,000 Twitter followers, wrote a Twitter post in February about Peter Dutton, then the country’s home affairs minister and now the defense minister.
“Peter Dutton is a rape apologist,” the tweet said, and linked to an article about comments Mr. Dutton had made that women seeking asylum in Australia used rape claims as an excuse to enter the country.
Television
ABC denies link between Mardi Gras & Israel Folau doco
A documentary on Rugby League player Israel Folau announced at ABC Upfronts yesterday has drawn headlines, reports TV Tonight.
Both news.com.au and The Age drew attention to the controversial project which ABC said profiles “Australia’s most gifted and controversial athlete….homophobic bigot to some, a persecuted freedom warrior to others.”
After Folau’s 2019 social media that homosexuals would go to “Hell.. unless they repent of their sins and turn to God” his posts were deemed a breach of Rugby Australia’s code of conduct.
It’s not clear if the documentary by In Films (Revelation) comes with Folau’s participation.
But it comes in the same year as ABC returns as Live broadcaster of the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras, with plenty of corporate sentences around being a diverse and inclusive broadcaster.
So how do the two projects co-exist side by side on ABC?
Brooke Blurton unfollows Abbie Chatfield hours before The Bachelorette ‘best friend’ cameo
It took right up until the finale episode of The Bachelorette but we finally have some drama, reports News Corp’s Lexie Cartwright.
Channel 10 aired the last episode of Brooke Blurton’s season on Thursday night, in which the 26-year-old chose Darvid Garayeli as her forever love, leaving runner-up Jamie-Lee Dayz heartbroken.
Prior to the rose ceremony, Blurton invited two of her “best friends” along to veto the final two, including fellow Bachelor alum, Abbie Chatfield.
However, just hours before the finale Blurton unfollowed the social media sensation on Instagram, after Chatfield went public with her relationship with one of Blurton’s top five love interests, Konrad Bien-Stephens.
Would I Lie To You filming pushed back after Chrissie Swan’s Covid infection
Production of Channel 10’s new quiz show Would I Lie To You has been pushed back for several weeks following Chrissie Swan’s positive Covid-19 test, reports News Corp’s Jackie Epstein, Alice Coster and Fiona Byrne.
Swan is the host of the show and was on set in Melbourne on Monday as part of pre-production activities in the lead up to filming getting underway.
“Production has been made aware that Chrissie Swan has tested positive for Covid-19 and she is now self-isolating. In light of this news, we are pushing back our start date for Would I Lie To You by a few weeks,” a spokesman from Endemol Shine Australia said.
Endemol Shine Australia is the production house producing the show for 10.
10 releases new 2022 promo
10 has released an extended promo for 2022 which includes a range of shows including I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here!, Australian Survivor: Blood v Water (which teases 2021’s George doing Talking Tribal), MasterChef Australia and The Project (yes with Lisa Wilkinson), reports TV Tonight.
The 10ViacomCBS showreel also includes 10 Peach, 10 Bold, 10 Shake, 10 Play, Paramount+, MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon and Nick Jr.
Sports Media
Vaughan to commentate on Fox Sports, dropped by BBC amid racism allegations
Fox Sports has reaffirmed it is standing by Michael Vaughan, who will remain part of its broadcast team for the upcoming Australian summer but have no part in the BBC’s coverage after being named in the racism controversy involving former Yorkshire player Azeem Rafiq, reports Reuters’ Jon Pierik.
Rafiq alleged that Vaughan told him and two other players of Asian origin that there were “too many of you lot, we need to do something about it” before a match in 2009. Vaughan has strongly denied the accusation.
“Michael Vaughan is part of the Fox Cricket commentary team for the summer of cricket, including the Ashes tour,” the Fox Sports spokesman said.
“There is no place for any form of racism in sport, and we are closely monitoring the situation. At this stage, we have no other comment.”