Rupert Murdoch is getting into bed with Gordon Ramsay to make Masterchef for the American market. Will Ten swoop in to make sureit doesn’t fall in to the hands of Nine?
Media / TV & Radio
The ABC and Australia’s strategic policy — playing our part
ABC insider Wart Snall reports on Mark Scott’s proposed expansion of the ABC’s international presence. What part should the ABC play on putting Australia on display?
The ABC needs a Pacific Solution
Mark Scott is pitching for a dramatic expansion in the ABC’s international presence, but Australia just isn’t enough of a cultural heavyweight to compete with America or the UK. Why not focus on the Pacific region, where we actually have some cultural credibility?
Sesame Street vs. Fox News
Is Sesame Street anti-Fox? That’s what conservative pundits reckon, but as Mediaite point out, it’s more like the other way around, with Fox taking several stabs at the beloved kids’ show over the years.
40 years of Sesame Street
Sesame Street is 40 years old today, and still going strong. Naturally, this milestone for a show half the world grew up with has sparked a flood of memories. Amongst them, CSM shares 11 of its favourite clips, and NY Mag maps out the show’s real New York locations.
Community TV finally gets the digital green light
Fans of giant microphones and awkward presenting rejoice: after a hard-fought campaign by Australia’s community TV stations, the government has finally agreed to allocate them a vacant spectrum to simulcast their broadcasts — at least until the switch to digital-only TV in 2013
It’s tough being a Democrat on Fox
Politico meets the token Democrats who appear on Fox News. “It sucks,” says one. So why do they do it? People watch Fox — and for these true believers, some of their souls can still be won.
What next? Meme, the musical, starring Bumcrabb and Bolt
New internet meme alert! Where does Andrew Bolt get his climate change sceptic facts and figures from? The “University of East Bumcrack”, said Annabel Crabb. T-shirts already available for sale.
Nine’s cricket team: all out except Slats
As the cricket season eases into its being, it’s time to reflect on the Channel Nine commentary (read pensioners) team, most of whom are well beyond their use-by dates, mulls Michael Vaughan.
Jon Stewart: Fox is “not even close to news”
The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart weighs-in on the ongoing stoush between the White House and Fox News, and the network’s own claim that they only broadcast nine hours of actual news per day.
Matt Preston to stop writing restaurant reviews
MasterChef’s break-out star, Matt Preston, plans to give up writing time consuming restaurant reviews, in favour of advancing his new-found career as a celebrity foodie, according to today’s Oz Media Diary. Did anyone say “flavour-of-the-month”?
Why did the ABC axe its Good Game geek? 
Why is the media siding with Fox against Obama?
Fox News isn’t generally on great terms with the rest of the mainstream media, but since coming under attack from the White House, journalists are suddenly siding with their own — even if that means sticking up for the very people who routinely attack them.
Is 30 Rock a rip off of the The Muppet Show?
It may seem like a ridiculous idea, but there are some eerie similarities between the Emmy award winning 30 Rock and Jim Henson’s The Muppet Show that are too close for comfort. Just compare Jenna with Miss Piggy!
rumour 
White House and Fox News call a truce
According to a “very reliable source”, Fox News SVP Michael Clemente and White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs have met to bury the hatchet over on their recent spat. Aww, just when it was getting good!
David Letterman’s boys’ club: a former Late Show writer tells all
In the wake of the David Letterman blackmail and sex scandal, one of the few women to ever write for Letterman dishes the dirt on the sexist and sexually-charged working environment in a tell-all piece for Vanity Fair
Oops The White House boosts Fox News’ ratings
All the attention the White House is giving to Fox News on other news channels seems to be backfiring: the network’s ratings have been soaring even higher since Obama officials started slagging it off in the media.
Nine tries to buy itself some balls
Nine is paying about $450,000 an episode to secure the rights to air Top Gear next year and hopefully score itself more male viewers. That’s a lot of money for a network that is $3.8 billion in debt.
The hastily scribbled note that changed TV forever
In February 2001, veteran UK TV executive Alan Boyd met with Simon Cowell and Simon Fuller to discuss an idea that would change the face of television forever. Read the notepage of ideas from that meeting that became the blueprint for the Idol phenomenon
Why is the White House throwing red meat to Fox’s angry white men?
The public don’t expect cable news networks to be unbiased or accurate, so the White House’s war on Fox News is futile, and just makes the station even more popular with its core conservative constituency, says Louis Menand.
VIDEO: Richard Dawkins on Bill O’Reilly
The first step in having more effective, intelligent public discussion about important issues should be to get rid of unqualified TV hosts like Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly, says biologist Richard Dawkins.
The ultimate weight-loss reality show
We’ve had The Biggest Loser, Dance Your Ass Off and now the ultimate weight-loss reality program, brought to you by the home of fatness, the US of A: six people try to lose 50% of their body weight.
Was the BBC right to have Nick Griffin on Question Time?
Was extreme right-wing BNP leader Nick Griffin’s appearance on the BBC’s Question Time a win for free speech or a loss for quality television? Guardian commentators and British MPs weigh in.
Wankley Awards: Getting your stolen Safran knickers in a twist
Blackface! A crucifixion! Masturbation! This week’s coveted Wankley award goes to the outrage surrounding John Safran’s new show Race Relations before it had even aired. Storm in a teacup, anyone?
Are we witnessing the death of the shock jock?
Crikey / Tuesday, 27 October 2009 / 3
The position of the shock jock on our airwaves is becoming increasingly precarious, writes Luke Williams. Is radio heading towards a younger, user-generated and more democratic style of broadcast?