Business of Media
Elon Musk seeks to block Twitter request for expedited trial
Elon Musk filed a motion on Friday opposing Twitter Inc’s request to fast-track a trial over his plan to terminate his $44 billion deal for the social media firm, reports Reuters‘ Sheila Dang.
Musk’s lawyers, in papers filed with the Delaware Chancery Court, said Twitter’s “unjustifiable request” to rush the merger case to trial in two months should be rejected.
It is the latest move in what promises to be a major legal showdown between Twitter and Musk. The San Francisco-based company is seeking to resolve months of uncertainty for its business as Musk tries to walk away from the deal for what he says is Twitter’s “spam bot” problem.
With Netflix ad deal, Microsoft makes a splash on Madison Avenue
Microsoft Corp. was an underdog in the competition to secure a major advertising deal with Netflix Inc. That turned out to be an advantage, reports The Wall Street Journal’s Suzanne Vranica and Sarah Krouse.
The tech company has a fraction of the U.S. online-ad market, and a relatively low profile on Madison Avenue. Its experience in video ads pales in comparison to that of larger players.
Yet Microsoft emerged victorious, and will be Netflix’s exclusive partner as the streaming company prepares to launch an ad-supported plan for consumers. The deal is a milestone in Microsoft’s renewed push in online advertising and a vote of confidence in the acquisitions it has pursued to bolster its standing.
“Microsoft just moved from supporting character in advertising to a main character,” said Tim Armstrong, a former Google executive and AOL chief executive who now leads Flowcode, a direct-to-consumer platform company.
See More: Why an ad-supported Netflix tier would be “Nirvana for advertisers”
News Brands
Nine Publishing staff to vote on protected industrial action as pay fight heats up
Journalist at Nine Entertainment newspapers are one step closer to striking after union members lodged an application with the Fair Work Ombudsman for a protected action ballot on Friday, reports News Corp’s David Ross.
The move would see staff at Nine Publishing vote on whether to pursue protected industrial action, which could include a strike, as a fight with management over pay heats up.
Nine Publishing is at loggerheads with its staff and the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance over a pay and conditions deal.
Broken and distrusting: why Americans are pulling away from the daily news
This might be just another negative news story. And if it is, there is evidence that many of you will turn away in despair, reports The Guardian’s Chris McGreal.
The Reuters Institute revealed last month that 42% of Americans actively avoid the news at least some of the time because it grinds them down or they just don’t believe it. Fifteen percent said they disconnected from news coverage altogether. In other countries, such as the UK and Brazil, the numbers selectively avoiding it were even higher.
“In the United States, those who self-identify on the right are far more likely to avoid news because they think it is untrustworthy or biased, but those on the left are more likely to feel overwhelmed, carry feelings of powerlessness, or worry that the news might create arguments,” the institute said.
Television
TV star Rebekah Elmaloglou dishes more Neighbours finale secrets
Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan’s return to Ramsay St was so tightly kept under wraps that most current Neighbours cast and crew weren’t aware when the superstars were filming their scenes, reports News Corp’s Lisa Woolford.
The pair – who have reprised their roles as Scott and Charlene Robinson for the finale – managed to sneak into Erinsborough while production continued on as normal elsewhere.
“I didn’t see Jason and Kylie – none of us at the studio were even aware they were at Ramsay Street shooting – it was all very hush-hush,” Neighbours star Rebekah Elmaloglou said.
Lisa Wilkinson’s Project on hold as she escapes to LA
It’s amazing the impact that one Logies winner’s speech can have, reports News Corp’s Nick Tabakoff.
Sources close to Lisa Wilkinson have confirmed to Diary that she has now headed off to America, and will now probably not return to her role as The Project’s co-host until late August at the earliest.
It had initially been thought that Wilkinson would return to The Project panel on the Sunday night just passed, after a taking a four-week break from the show.
Sports Media
Live matches in focus as AFL TV rights deal comes down to the wire
Seven West Media and Foxtel are at loggerheads over live matches in AFL-mad markets like Adelaide and Perth, as the race for the league’s broadcast rights hots up, reports News Corp’s John Stensholt.
The AFL is trying to entice Seven West Media and Foxtel to up their bids for television rights to as close to $600m annually as possible, in an effort to keep the incumbent broadcasters in place until at least 2029 and as ViacomCBS-owned Network Ten considers a potential knockout bid for all free-to-air and streaming rights to the code.
Seven and Foxtel have indicated they are keen to maintain their rights, and discussions have begun regarding what mechanisms could be used to entice either party to raise their bids.