Also in this edition of Media McKnight:
- TV execs spill the beans on upcoming shows
- Sarah Abo outplays Nine
- More job cuts
- The Indie film we should all get behind
- Tony Jones celebrates 40 years at Nine
You can watch the video version of Media McKnight in the player below:
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BIG TECH TOLD TO PAY UP… OR ELSE
The Federal Government has revealed its draft legislation for the next stage of the News Bargaining Incentive. The idea is to get big tech to pay for the journalism it uses on its platforms.
It’s legislation I have major issues with.
Basically, any company that scrapes information from stories SHOULD be subject to this legislation – especially if they are using that info to create answers using that journalism.
But, if a company like Facebook is simply showing a headline from a story with a link back to the original article, then those companies SHOULD NOT have to pay any fees.
Websites use Facebook, Instagram etc to promote their stories. In fact, sources tell me that without traffic from social media sites, many news orgs would have significantly less traffic.
Most Aussies don’t go directly to news websites; they click links showing stories.
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So, why should social media companies pay to promote your product?
It would be like the Federal Government launching a new advertising campaign and telling Channel 7 they have to pay to air the ads.
It just doesn’t make sense.
Forcing Facebook to pay to promote your news site also doesn’t make sense.
Let me give you an example.
The Federal Government has just released a series of ads about the fuel crisis. The Government pays Seven, Nine, 10, News Corp and other news sites to play those ads or show banners on websites.
Those organisations don’t pay the Federal Government for the honour of airing those ads….
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Because that would be stupid.
It’s the same thing when the TV Networks and news websites advertise their products on social media.
The only difference here is that they can do it for free.
But instead of being thankful, those news companies want the social media companies to pay for the privilege of marketing their products and driving consumers back to their websites.
And that is just plain stupid.
The Prime Minister held a press conference last week to justify the Media Bargaining Incentive.
“We think that investment in journalism is critical to a healthy democracy”.
“If the work is being done by the people here at this press conference and in other places right around Australia, then your work needs to have a monetary value attached to it. It shouldn’t just be able to be taken by a large multinational corporation and used to generate profits for that organisation with no compensation appropriate for the people who produce that creative content”.
I agree there should be a healthy investment into journalism. In fact, I have no issue with the Government suspending the Commercial Broadcasting Tax for another two years, as that will deliver an estimated $111.3 million in savings across the sector.
At least the Government is putting its money where its mouth is.
When it comes to the Media Bargaining Incentive, as I stated, AI platforms should absolutely be paying for access to that journalism.
But social media is not using that journalism – the media companies commissioning that journalism are using social media to market those stories to consumers – FOR FREE – and generate profits by getting those consumers to their website.
If I search for the Rebel Wilson defamation trial on Facebook, I don’t get free access to stories on the platform.
What I get are links to other websites. When I click those links I’m taken to the news websites.
There’s been no theft.
Now, it’s true that if these companies post videos – like a clip from Sunrise or the news, then I can watch that within Facebook.
But it’s Channel 7 that has made the decision to post that video as part of a branding exercise.
They want people on Facebook to share the video and show Seven is across the story.
That’s free marketing for Seven – why should Facebook be paying for that?
There seems to be a fundamental misunderstanding of that point. That became clear to me when the Minister for Communications Anika Wells spoke at the same press conference as the Prime Minister.
“People are increasingly getting their news directly from Facebook, from TikTok, and from Google. And we believe it’s only fair that large digital platforms contribute to the hard work of journalism that enriches their feeds and that drives their revenue”.
But they’re not getting their news directly from Facebook.
They’re getting a headline – a promotion… something they have to click to get the story.
Google, however, is a different story.
When I do a Google search to find out who spoke at that press conference, I’m given an AI answer. An answer that is scraped from news websites like the ABC. This is the key issue for me.
When information from news outlets is supplied without me having to click on a link that takes me back to the original source, that is theft – and Google should be forced to pay for that.
This is a pretty black and white issue in my eyes, but politics has taken over.
Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, and YouTube should not have to pay news organisations that choose to promote their content on those platforms.
Google search and AI platforms use journalism to provide answers for their customers and therefore SHOULD have to pay.
It’s a clear distinction and one our politicians don’t seem to understand.
TV SECRETS REVEALED AT SCREEN FOREVER
Screen Forever was held last week on the Gold Coast and I was invited along to attend various panel sessions.
Producers from around the nation – and around the world – come together to talk about the Film and Television industry each year.
This year, there was a lot of hope about the future, despite the challenges.
The ABC is always a major feature of this event, and there were some fascinating insights laid bare. Managing Director Hugh Marks addressed recent headlines about the ABC failing to lock in merchandising rights for Bluey, saying:
“There are always reasons why things happen as they happen, but that’s probably $300 million of income that’s going to the UK that if it was coming to Australia, actually would change a lot of the people’s, um, lives in this room if that was able to be reinvested in the industry”.
“So to me at the moment, it’s all about intellectual property. It’s about us taking and the industry taking the right steps to create the IP that’s gonna create the value that’s gonna be able to be reinvested into our market”.
Nine’s Adrian Swift backed up that statement, expressing the importance of owning IP and pointed out The Block is Australian IP, before adding:
“We are not here to simply recycle shows. We are all incentivized to come up with new IP. You’ll see more of that on Stan”.
One of those shows with unique IP is a new series for the streamer about OnlyFans.
It will look at the lives of the people who make money on the subscription platform.
He also spruiked the success of MAFS – After the Dinner Party, which was a big subscription driver for Stan.
He then made a valiant effort to talk up the new series – SHARK!, which is coming to Nine later this year. I’ve reported production insiders are saying it’s a dog but Adrian talked about the fact the Australian version is very different to the English flop.
Look, good on him for trying, but those who’ve seen it reckon it’s boring and will be lucky to get a second series – despite contractual agreements.
Over at 10/Paramount, Sarah Thorton said, that unlike Nine, they don’t see the need for the Paramount + streaming service to have exclusive content.
Instead, shows that launch on the platform are likely to be shown on Channel 10 at some point later down the track, but don’t expect revolutionary concepts to hit the screen with Sarah adding:
“It’s unlikely, but not impossible that we would invest in a new prime time franchise that was untested at this point”.
And that’s really the state of Australian television at the moment. Taking a risk on an unproven format can lead to a financial disaster.
In years gone by Networks could afford one or two flops, but today there’s no room for that. Shows have to hit, or at least bring in an audience that matches what’s currently on screen. New formats don’t guarantee ratings and it’s getting harder for executives to put their head on the chopping block for something they believe in.
Angus Ross was the programmer at Channel 7 – Australia’s number 1 network – and even that wasn’t enough to save his job.
So, can we blame executives for being risk-averse?
Overall, the message from the conference was the industry is looking for more ways to reach audiences. Yes, we live in challenging times, but there seems to be a real hunger to keep telling Australian stories on the ABC and on film.
Now, there’s a lot more to unpack, and I would have liked to bring you more from Screen Forever, but despite the fact every session was filmed with full broadcast cameras, the conference does not make those recordings available to media.
It’s quite strange, actually.
This conference had many sessions about how to reach new audiences through social media, but in the video version of this article (available above), the only way I can report on what was said is by showing quotes that I have to voice myself.
I get they want people to actually attend the conference, but I’m only suggesting they allow people like me to use small clips to show key moments.
Who knows, it could help drive attendance for future events.
Something to consider for next year, perhaps?
SARAH ABO’S INSURANCE POLICY
At a time when there is no job certainty in the media sector, Sarah Abo has just taken out an insurance policy which will guarantee her return to Channel 9’s TODAY show after she takes materiity leave.
Despite a headline in the Sunday Telegraph saying “Sarah Abo and Karl Stefanovic could both exit Today show in major host refresh”, she won’t be going anywhere.
Why?
Because she is making it clear she intends to return to work, with the paper reporting:
“The popular TV host has been telling friends and colleagues she intends to return to her job on Today three months after her baby boy is born, Sunday Confidential has heard”.
Despite the report casting doubt on her return, she is making it hard for Nine to axe her.
It’s certainly not going to be a good look sacking a new mum returning from maternity leave.
With Sarah making it clear she intends to return to work three months after giving birth, no amount of PR spin will be able to justify her sudden decision to ‘quit’ the breakfast show.
It’s a brilliant play by Sarah… whether she planned it or not.
MORE CUTS AT NINE
Of course, Sarah has reason to be worried about job security – as does everyone at Nine.
The network announced 20 jobs will be made redundant in the first stage of its ‘Future News’ overhaul.
It’s understood the overhaul will reduce roughly 100 existing job titles into nine core roles, while streamlining more than 120 production and publishing systems into three key platforms used across broadcast and digital outputs.
A presentation sent to staff at the end of last year – and leaked to Media McKnight – reveals breakfast programming is transitioning over to automation.
Today Extra and Weekend Today have already moved over to the new system and the main show is expected to follow suit soon.
It’s a big change to the way the show is currently produced.
Sunrise and Today have both avoided small control room crews due to their fast-paced changing rundowns. That will no longer be the case for the TODAY show, will the current team cut down to just a few.
Expect Channel 7 to keep an eye on how the TODAY Show fares and copy the changes down the track.
Of course, it’s not just a problem here in Australia Disney recently announced 1-thousand job cuts throughout it’s company.
It’s becoming a familiar story throughout the sector.
Technology is certainly making it easier for companies to cut staffing costs – and that’s creating uncertainty in the media sector.
One thing’s for sure, the only certainty these days is the lack of certainty when it comes to employment.
SMALL ON BUDGET, BIG ON ENTERTAINMENT
During my week off I went to the premiere of an indie film called ‘All My Friends Are Back In Brisbane’.
Made with a budget of just $13,000 dollars, the film holds up against features with much bigger budgets.
I was genuinely engaged with the story, made lovingly by a cast and crew who put their faith, time and energy into the project for free. It stars newcomer Nelle Lee and features Home and Away star Dan Ewing, who both deliver excellent performances.
Produced and written by Stephen Vagg and directed by Louise Alston, it’s a delightful story – and a production the industry should get behind.
In fact, I was so taken with the film I’ve offered to cut them a trailer.
For any streamer looking for local content, this is an easy win – and they’re looking for a distributor.
You can take a look at the film yourself as there are some special screenings taking place.
From May 29-31 there’s a Q&A at the Five Star Cinemas in Brisbane.
If you’re in Sydney there’s a screening on June 18 at the Randwick Ritz.
And for those in Melbourne book your tickets for the July 9 screening at the Lido Hawthorn.
Honestly, the Screen Forever conference talked about the need to support Australian content – and this is one film that ticks all the boxes.
It’s engaging, has a great cast, and is a really enjoyable watch.
Do yourself a favour.
TONY CELEBRATES 40TH ANNIVERSARY AT NINE
A big congratulations to 9NEWS Melbourne sport presenter Tony Jones, who is celebrating 40 years at the network.
And in true Tony style, his reaction to an on-air congratulation was as awkward as you’d expect.
After jokingly assuming he was being fired, he was joined on set by his family for a heartfelt moment.
To last that long in the industry is an amazing achievement – especially with all the bad jokes Tony’s made over the years.
Congrats TJ.
Media McKnight will return next Wednesday morning.
The video version is published at 8pm AEST on Tuesday nights at YouTube.com/@McKnightTonight.
Paid members of the channel get the episode as soon as it’s ready and don’t have to wait for the 8pm scheduling.
LATE PROGRAMMING CHANGE: McKnight Tonight will not air for the rest of the week due to a death in the family. Send your tips to: [email protected]
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