The recent block on a SA corruption whistleblower’s blog has been lifted. Plus, The Age’s confusion at phone-cancer link, Seven News takes a dig at Nine and other media news.
Channel Nine
Nine cameraman lynched on Twitter: “I’m not a racist”
Channel Nine cameraman Simon Fuller is an overnight sensation — for all the wrong reasons — thanks to an ugly racist slur that exposed the daily clash of TV news crews and inspired a vitriolic campaign on Twitter to have him sacked.
The end of an era for Channel Nine
Last night the final season was announced for the iconic Richmond Channel Nine studios. It was Melbourne’s closest thing to a Hollywood studio, complete with massive egos and a swimming pool, writes Margaret Simons.
Daily Proposition: New comedy, brought to you by underdogs
Comedy never comes from the beautiful and successful people. It’s the ugly, the fat, the underachievers, and the underdogs, which Community and The In-Betweeners, says Dan Barrett.
A challenger emerges for make-or-break sports rights
Upstart television business Fetch TV has emerged as an over-the-top bidder for the TV rights to the AFL from 2012. Malaysian billionaire T. Ananda Krishnan could shake up the local television landscape.
Daily Proposition: See this pervy supernatural soap before it gets yanked off air
Welcome to Dante’s Cove –- the dirtiest show I’ve seen on television, maybe ever. Watch it before it gets yanked off air, says Dan Barrett. You won’t believe what Channel Nine is letting you see.
Meeja chokes hard on another shark story
Sharks are scary, deadly killers, right? When it comes to mindless ferocity, sharks have nothing on the media packs finely tuned to the maxim: “if it bleeds it leads”, writes Stuart Nettle.
ACA and NSW Police digging a hole over fake hoon story
Nine’s A Current Affair has been forced into an embarrassing backdown over a “hoon driver” story, after Crikey exposed it as a sham.
Who ya gonna call? Ghost boasters apparently
Did A Current Affair last night risk its credibility as a “scam-busting” program by not challenging a company’s claims of “scientific” ghost hunting method?
Glenn Dyer vs. Channel Nine
Is Crikey’s TV ratings reporter Glenn Dyer a “Nine-hater”, with a bias towards Channel Seven? That’s what The Oz and ACA’s Leila McKinnon seem to think.
ACMA names and shames networks for Sudanese coverage
Broadcasting regulator ACMA’s report on the way our commercial TV networks reported the issue of Sudanese crime paints a very nasty picture indeed.
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.
Talking the Town: Talking the Town: Ray Martin’s book launch
Last night we time-travelled back to a kinder, gentler time, at the launch of Ray Martin’s autobiography, complete with an introduction from Sir Michael Parkinson and music by Geoff Harvey.
Expansive James Packer goes the full half hour
The man who used to like two-minute chairman addresses went on for half-an-hour at yesterday’s Crown AGM, boasting of PBL’s recent performance and making some pre-emptive attacks against the anti-pokies lobby.
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 world sees red over Hey Hey‘s blackface
Whilst reanimating the fetid corpse of Hey Hey it’s Saturday, the show’s producers decided to also revive some ol’ fashioned 20th century bigotry, by putting on a Minstrel Show. Pundits across the pond didn’t quite see the funny side.
Tips and rumours: Tips and rumours: The return of Daryl Somers?
Could Daryl Somers be returning home to Nine? What’s Peter Dutton doing in the new seat of Wright? Is the RACV Board in breach of their Articles of Association? Crikey’s tipsters have all the hot tips.
Hey, Hey it’s… daggy and dated
Last night’s Hey, Hey reunion was a nice nostalgia trip, says Dan Barrett, but also a good reminder of why the show ended when it did. Channel 9 needs fresh ideas, not reanimated corpses.
Hey Hey, it’s… a long Tuesday night
Hey Hey It’s Saturday is coming back! Only… not on Saturday. And because you requested it (really?) for the extended time of two and a half hours.
The ABC: digital media’s stealth performer
I think Mark Scott’s ABC might end up inheriting the earth — or the dominant position in the Australian broadcasting world — despite itself, writes Adrian Swift.
Will Nine’s cash-cow KAK be put out to pasture?
Believe it or not, daytime TV queen Kerri-Anne Kennerley is a nice little money-spinner for Nine, and she’s paid accordingly, but with budget cuts looming at the network, tough decisions have to be made. Will KAK get the chop? Or will another network be willing to pay her $500k-plus salary?
Who found Tim Holden? Sorry, Holding
Who found Victoria’s missing Water Minister? Was it the Nine Network? Was it Channel Seven? Was it emergency services? Crikey intern James Pattison investigates.
Tips and rumours: Did Della Bosca fall into a honey trap?
What Crikey’s tipsters are telling us today: Was John Della Bosca set up? … Westpac not cutting back on off-shoring … University of Melbourne’s unqualified tutors.
