Business of Media
Facebook considering ending restrictions on Covid misinformation
Facebook is turning to its “supreme court” to decide whether to end restrictions on Covid misinformation, more than two years after the company first started to take special action on posts promoting falsehoods about the disease, reports The Guardian’s Alex Hern.
The social network is considering changing the way it deals with such misinformation by, for example, labelling it as false or demoting it in algorithmic ranking, rather than simply removing it from the site. It wants to make the change now, according to head of global affairs, Nick Clegg, “as many, though not all, countries around the world seek to return to more normal life”.
But in order to avoid making the wrong choice when “resolving the inherent tensions between free expression and safety”, Facebook will turn to its oversight board, the arms-length self-regulator set up in May 2020, to decide on what the future moderation policy should be.
Telstra signs multi-year Microsoft deal to beef up digital arsenal
Outgoing Telstra boss Andy Penn has said a rapid shift in businesses operating digitally during the pandemic was a key driver of its landmark deal with Microsoft, which will help the telco move 90 per cent of its applications to the cloud by 2025, reports Nine Publishing’s Zoe Samios.
Penn said the five-year deal – one of the largest for Microsoft globally – was a response to businesses moving online and using technology such as the cloud and Microsoft Teams more frequently. He said Telstra was already evolving into a digital business under a major restructure called T22, but the effects of Covid-19 on the workplace had also changed the way businesses thought about technology.
“We probably wouldn’t have been in a position to do this three years ago because we’ve completely swapped out our whole digital environment,” Penn said.
“We’ve changed by virtue of our T22 strategy, but also the world around us has changed as well. And of course, undoubtedly, Microsoft has really invested and increased its offerings and considerably expanded the functionality of many of the digital products and services that businesses are using today.”
Tabcorp’s head of wagering and media resigns
The head of Tabcorp’s wagering and media division will leave the company at the end of the week, less than two months after it spun off its lotteries business in an $11 billion demerger, reports Nine Publishing’s Zoe Samios.
Tabcorp chief executive Adam Rytenskild informed staff on Monday that Rebecca Riant, the chief operating officer of wagering and media, was leaving the company. Riant confirmed her resignation and said that she would leave Tabcorp at the end of the week.
Rytenskild thanked Riant for her two years with the company, and said Tabcorp’s chief operating officer of gaming services, Paul Carew, would absorb her responsibilities.
“We are continuing to accelerate our strategy and are refining our operating model to turn us into a more effective and competitive organisation,” Rytenskild said. “As part of this change, Rebecca Riant has made the decision to leave Tabcorp and pursue other opportunities.”
Agencies
The Aunties launch senior mentorship program for industry leaders
The Aunties, a volunteer support network that aims to inspire, protect and champion women across creative industries, has announced a senior mentorship program involving 100 industry powerhouses.
The phase two mentorship program follows the success of its launch program for graduates and junior women across the Melbourne industry.
The junior mentorship program launched in early 2021, which saw 88 young women paired with 88 mentors across creative, production (agency and post), strategy, client management, PR and social.
Radio
Top BBC radio presenters’ pay could be hidden in bid to retain talent
The salaries of some of the BBC’s top radio presenters could be hidden from public view, as part of a plan that would allow the corporation to pay more money to the stars of its leading podcasts, reports The Guardian’s Jim Waterson.
BBC bosses are reviewing whether to transfer the employees who make many of its public service radio programmes and podcasts into the BBC’s for-profit commercial division.
The arrangement could help stop the loss of BBC stars who are being lured away by commercial podcast companies that can offer more money and increased freedom.
In recent months alone the BBC has lost Americast’s Emily Maitlis and Jon Sopel, Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo’s film review show, and Peter Crouch’s podcast. All the shows built large audiences at the cost of the national broadcaster, which has now lost the audiences to rivals.
Television
How The Crown is planning for death of Queen Elizabeth
Producers of The Crown have their own Operation London Bridge in place for Queen Elizabeth’s death, reports the New York Post’s Nicole Lampert.
Operation London Bridge is the protocol, first written in the 1960s, that covers what will happen from the moment of the queen’s death: detailing everything from who should be told the news and in what order, to funeral arrangements, to how church bells will be rung (they will be muffled) to when Prince Charles would be pronounced king.
“We have our own version of Operation London Bridge,” a series insider told The Post. “This is particularly pertinent for if we are filming. Filming will shut down immediately if we are in production, for at least a week. There would also be lots of discussion about when to restart.”
Season 5 of The Crown, with actress Imelda Staunton playing Queen Elizabeth, is set to stream in November on Netflix, and a sixth season has been announced.
Terence Donovan, Jason Donovan and Jemma Donovan all set to star in Neighbours finale
Terence Donovan is proud his family’s dynasty on Neighbours was honoured by Jason’s return for the soap’s finale, reports News Corp’s Jackie Epstein.
The Donovan legacy shines bright on the longest-running Australian soap with Terence playing Doug Willis from 1990. He returned twice after his four year stint and was killed off in 2016.
Jason followed in Terence’s footsteps in the ’80s and then Jason’s daughter, Jemma, joined the cast three years ago. Terence was back on set for filming of the final scenes.
“This program has given so much joy to so many people and to Jason and Kylie,’’ Terence said.
Friends to replace Neighbours
As the door closes for the final time after 37 years on Ramsay Street, Channel 10 has leant back on a musty old favourite to replace Neighbours, reports News Corp’s Fiona Byrne.
Friends is being dusted off to run in the off-Broadway timeslot on 10 Peach where Neighbours has languished with few eyeballs and little fanfare for many years.
Part of the demise of Neighbours in Australia was the fact the show became all but invisible when it was bumped from 10’s main channel and dumped at 6.30pm on the network’s secondary channel Peach.